Targa New Zealand

Last updated February 26, 2019

The Targa New Zealand is a tarmac rally held annually on public roads typically throughout the North Island of New Zealand. The main Targa each year begins in the last week of October and is a week-long event which covers around 1500 km of touring and 750 km of closed special stages. ^[1] Smaller one- or two-day events are usually run during the year and have been variously titled Targa Bambina, Targa Dash, Targa Rotorua, Targa Tauranga and Targa Hawkes Bay.

Rally is a form of motorsport that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars. It is distinguished by running not on a circuit, but instead in a point-to-point format in which participants and their co-drivers drive between set control points, leaving at regular intervals from one or more start points. Rallies may be won by pure speed within the stages or alternatively by driving to a predetermined ideal journey time within the stages.

New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

In 2014 Targa New Zealand for the first time was held in the South Island of New Zealand. Starting in Christchurch and finishing in Cromwell (Near Queenstown) the rally included every South Island race track including New Zealand's latest - Highlands Motorsport Park. Noticeable stages included Queenstown's Crown Range which is understood to be one of New Zealand's highest altitude public roads.

Originally intended as an event for owners of classic performance cars to display and race their vehicles, it has evolved into a serious competition event with modern purpose built race cars usually taking top honours.

The race started in 1995^[1] and continually growing in popularity with over 200 cars entering the 2005 Dunlop sponsored Targa rally.

Racing is divided into classes to give everyone a chance of honours of some sort. These classes are based around age and engine size of the vehicles. Younger drivers are encouraged to compete in a controlled manner in a safe environment. Crashes happen but it is a very low percentage. Race cars need to have roll cages and safety gear except the Targa tour for first-time competitors. They drive under the guidance of the tour leader. Local groups providing hospitality areas, fundraising activities such as car washes, barbecues and 4000 lunches. ^[1]

Classes for Early Targa Events

Historic
Pre-classic
Classic
Post classic
Metalman super classics
Metalman all-comers
Early modern
Honda riders contemporary
Super GT

Classes for Current Targa Events

Classic 2WD

Category 1 0 – 2000cc Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited
Category 2 2001 – 3400cc Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited
Category 3 3401cc and over Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited

Production (GT2) 2WD

Category 4 0 – 2000cc Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited
Category 5 2001 – 3400cc Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited
Category 6 3401cc and over Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited

Production (GT4) 4WD

Category 8 Pre 2000 1st year of production prior to 1 January 2000. Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited
Category 9 Post 2000 1st year of production after to 1 January 2000. Aftermarket sequential gearboxes are prohibited

Allcomers (Extreme) 2WD and 4WD

Category 7 Open 2WD All 2 wheel drive vehicles not eligible for Categories 1–6.
Category 10 Open 4WD All 4 wheel drive vehicles not eligible for Categories 8-9.

Past winners

Year	Driver	Co-driver	Car
1995	Greg Graham, Team Subaru NZ	Jeff Judd	WRX Subaru
1996	Greg Graham, Team Subaru NZ	Colin Smith	WRX Subaru
1997	Geoff Ray,	Shayne O'Hagen	Mitsubishi Evo
1998	Geoff Ray,	Shayne O'Hagen	Mitsubishi Evo
1999	Chris Ramsay,	Laurie Brenssell	Mitsubishi Evo
2000	Greg Kirkham,	Mal Clark	Mitsubishi Mirage
2001	Craig Dean,	Shane Beaumont	Ford Mustang
2002	Anton Tallott	Anne Tallott	Mazda RX-7
2003	Tony Quinn	Keith Wenn	Porsche 996 Turbo
2004	Jim Richards	Barry Oliver	Porsche GT3
2005	Jim Richards	Barry Oliver	Porsche GT3
2006	Joe McAndrew	Sue O'Neil	Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
2007	Joe McAndrew	Sue O'Neil	Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
2008	Richard Mason	Sara Mason	Subaru Impreza STI
2009	Tony Quinn	Naomi Tillett	Nissan GT-R R35
2010	Tony Quinn	Naomi Tillett	Nissan GT-R R35
2011	Tony Quinn	Naomi Tillett	Nissan GT-R R35
2012	Tony Quinn	Naomi Tillett	Nissan GT-R R35
2013	Martin Dippie	Jona Grant	Porsche GT3 RS
2014	Glenn Inkster	Spencer Winn	Mitsubishi Evo 9
2015	Glenn Inkster	Spencer Winn	Mitsubishi Evo 9
2016	Glenn Inkster	Spencer Winn	Mitsubishi Evo 9

Well known Targa entrants

Christopher Arthur Amon, was a New Zealand motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One racing in the 1960s and 1970s and is widely regarded as one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix. His reputation for bad luck was such that fellow driver Mario Andretti once joked that "if he became an undertaker, people would stop dying". Former Ferrari Technical Director Mauro Forghieri stated that Amon was "by far the best test driver I have ever worked with. He had all the qualities to be a World Champion but bad luck just wouldn't let him be".

Murray Walker British motorsport commentator and journalist

Graeme Murray Walker, is an English semi-retired motorsport commentator and journalist. He provided television commentary of live Formula 1 coverage for the BBC between 1976 and 1996, and for that of ITV between 1997 and 2001.

Peter Geoffrey Brock, otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain", or simply "Brocky", was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other manufacturers including BMW, Ford, Volvo, Porsche and Peugeot. He won the Bathurst 1000 endurance race nine times, the Sandown 500 touring car race nine times, the Australian Touring Car Championship three times, the Bathurst 24 Hour once and was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 2001. Brock's business activities included the Holden Dealer Team (HDT) that produced Brock's racing machines as well as a number of modified high-performance road versions of his racing cars.

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References

1 2 3 Thompson, Eric (2008-09-10). "Everything goes at Targa". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777 . Retrieved 2016-01-07.

External links

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 Thompson, Eric (2008-09-10). "Everything goes at Targa". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777 . Retrieved 2016-01-07.