By Tammi Hull, Pit Stop, 2006

Tammi Hull describes her adventures during Targa 2004 as a co-driver to Bill Arnold and in 2005 as a crew member for Bill and co-driver Alan Ryall, the overall winners.

Eight seconds. That was the penalty time Bill and I took on stage 8 of the 4th day of the 2004 Targa. And it was the reason why I was dedicated crew for Bill and his not-the-mother-of-my-child navigator, Alan, for the 2005 event.

Ultimately, we received a total of 10 seconds for the entire 2004 event. We got 2 seconds on the Fortune stage, the 6th stage of the 4th day. We had “zeroed” every other stage until that time and every stage after.

(When we finished the Fortune stage and realized we had gotten our first penalty points – 1 point per second – Bill turned to me and said, “I could zero it if I did it again right now” and I replied “I wonʼt be in the car!” The Fortune stage was a new one in 2004 and had a lot of dirt and gravel at the corners and apexes, so we were sliding a lot. There were a couple of times when I thought Bill was losing control of the car and once I thought he came perilously close to hitting a building, but he has a different story.)

The Targa Newfoundland schedule is tight during the competition days – you have time allotted for the transits and not much extra time is added for gas stops. You stop for gas whenever you can, which isnʼt often. In 2004, we shared a crewman with a couple of other teams and he was carrying gas for all of us. But in the afternoon of the 4th day, we didnʼt pass any gas stations that were open. And as we closed dangerously in on Empty, we couldnʼt reach our crewman by cell phone. Our competition stage was in Marystown and 99% of the town had closed down to watch us pass through.

So there we were, at the start of the last stage of the day with not enough gas to complete the stage. Fellow competitors tried to give us some of their gas, but we couldnʼt find anything to successfully use as a siphon. We knocked on the doors of several homes in the area, with no luck. Finally one spectator walking by overheard us discussing the situation and offered us the ʻfuelʼ in his 2 stroke engine. We were desperate enough to accept it, even though it had oil mixed in with the gas. And as we drove through the stage, a stage that Bill had previously been able to “zero”, we could feel the 2 stroke fuel stumbling through the Bavariaʼs engine, giving it fits and making it buck.

Since Bill had already determined, midway through the 2004 event, that he was slower with me in the right seat, I volunteered to be dedicated crew for 2005 after that stage. Getting 8 of our 10 total seconds on one stage because we ran out of gas was exasperating. So it was my intention to make sure that this didnʼt happen to Bill in 2005.

In preparation for 2005, I made sure we shipped plenty of spares and 2 of our race fuel jugs with the Bavaria. I requested a station wagon or minivan for my car rental. I registered as crew and ensured that I would receive any and all information so that I could meet the Bavaria at every stage if needed. And I rented 2 satellite phones to hopefully ensure that Bill could reach me in case of emergency.

As our departure date approached, some of the plans changed. I became the crew for 3 BMW teams – Bill and his new co-driver Alan Ryall from Canada in the FrankenBavaria, GGCers Scott Smith and Peter Guagenti in the monster not-quite-an-E30 M3 and also first timers Bruce Smith from New Hampshire and his co-driver Alex Brousseau from Quebec in Bruceʼs stock E30 M3. Since Alex was towing Bruceʼs car to the event, we decided that I would be driving his Suburban for the competition week.

We loaded Scott and Billʼs spares into Alexʼs Suburban and barely had room for everyoneʼs  suitcases. And did I mention that I had 21 month old Derek tagging along too? Oh, this was going to be fun. Maybe not.

I almost bailed on the whole plan because the thought of driving all day long with Derek strapped into his 5 point car seat didnʼt appeal to me, or him. But I had made a promise and I determined to make it work for all of us, especially Derek.

We arrived in St. Johnʼs, Newfoundland a few days early. We wanted Bill and Alan to be able to practice giving and receiving instructions. We also wanted to be sure that the car was in the best condition possible to start the event.

Because Bill doesnʼt “do” email, Alan and I had corresponded frequently in the months leading up to the event. I had assured Alan that he was over-thinking the information he planned to give Bill in the stages. Alan was borrowing his navigatorʼs Timewise rally computer and had made sure that he knew how to use every function it offered. The Timewise can give the team a lot of different types of information, but I knew that Bill didnʼt care about most of it – he basically cared about when to turn and where to turn. Alan didnʼt believe me until after he and Bill did some test runs.

We met Alan, a regular driver in a Canadian off-road rally series, and his wife Carolyn, the first year we all did Targa Newfoundland, in 2002. Alan and Carolyn Ryall won the Touring competition overall that first year, and like Bill, have rules that were created because of their success in the event. The Ryalls were competing in Alanʼs daily driver Subaru. After the event, Carolyn told Alan he should put a cage in the Subaru and compete in the Targa competition. He quickly put a cage in the car before she changed her mind.

In 2003, Alan and his co-driver Glenn competed in the Targa competition, and in Greenspond, a new stage for 2003, crossed the finished line at a high rate of speed exiting over an off camber left turning crest that was not in the pace notes and slid off the road, totaling the Subaru. They walked away and finished the event using their tow vehicle and competing in the Touring competition since it didnʼt have a cage. That crest now has a “triple caution” and is in the pace notes. In 2004, Alan and Glenn were back volunteering as high ranking officials of the event. And when it came time to find a new navigator for Bill, Alan was our first choice. Our only question was would Alan really want to be Billʼs navigator?

I was concerned, as was Alan, that transitioning to the right seat might be hard for him since he would have no control of the steering wheel. He kept telling me he trusted Bill but then heʼd get concerned when he heard reports of how Bill was making the car even faster than the year before.

My pre-event tasks were to ensure that all 3 of my teams had everything they needed for the event – thankfully Scott and Peter didnʼt need much of anything. For Bruce and Alex I made numerous trips to Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire with Derek in tow and had to bribe him with new toy cars on every trip since he hates shopping.

Finally the competition day arrived. All 3 of my teams did well the first day, although Bruce discovered he gets slightly carsick and Alex discovered he was a better driver than navigator, so their plan of splitting the driving was quickly tossed. And I was in search of anti-nausea drugs.

For months before the event, the trash talking and bench racing had revealed some serious contenders for the overall win, in particular, Casey Holzman from North Carolina in a Porsche. Unfortunately, Casey wrecked his car in the stage before lunch on the first day and it was damaged beyond what could be repaired in time to complete the event.

Bill and Alan zeroed the entire day. At dinner, Alan and I talked about how he had become so comfortable with Billʼs driving that he was telling Bill to go faster. Once a driver, always a driver!

Day 2 did not start as well for the Bavaria Boys. In the dayʼs first stage, Alan was late calling a turn and with a corner worker blocking their view of a street sign, Bill hesitated a bit long before finally making the turn, getting 25 seconds/points in the process. Bill and Alan were convinced that their chance at the overall win was over.

I laughed at them and repeatedly reminded them that it was ONLY the 2nd day of a 5 day  competition and predicted that anything could happen to anyone. Also, while Bill and Alan were one of just 4 teams that were “zero” at the end of day 1, all 4 teams took penalties in the first stage of day 2, in part because the roads were wet. But Bill and Alan took the most penalties of the four.

Anyways, my prediction proved true, as team after team suffered mechanical failures, or off road incidents. My vote for craziest ʻincidentʼ was the team that spun off the road, got back on the course and the inexperienced navigator was confused and lost. Both driver and navigator ignored the yells and pointing from marshals and spectators as they piloted their Dodge Charger the wrong way on the course. The next team, in a Toyota Supra, soon encountered the wrong way team and had to drive off the road to avoid a crash, damaging someoneʼs fence and the Supra. The wrong way team then spun around and started following the Supra through the course, but since the navigator had no idea where they were, he could not warn his driver about upcoming turns and potential braking points. The Charger weighs just a bit more than the Supra and was not able to use the same braking points and ended up in the woods, their race done due to the damage.

Bill and Alan didnʼt take any more penalties until the Fortune stage in the afternoon of day 4, when they took 5. At this point, Tom Silver and Dave Fuss in a vintage Mustang were leading overall with just 5 total penalty points and they only picked up 8 more points in Fortune. In the last stage on day 4, the Mustang got 2 more points and the Bavaria took on 3.

So going into day 5, the last day, Bill had 33 points and was in the top 5 but the Mustang team had just 15 points and Bill believed he had no chance of taking the overall win. By lunch time on day 5, it seemed certain. Both Bill and the Mustang team had not taken on any new penalties. But then it started to rain… and while all but 1 team took penalties on the last 2 stages, Bill and Alan only took 12 total for the 2 stages, while the Mustang team took 36. Bill and Alan now had a total of 45 while the Mustang had 51!!!

Bill couldnʼt believe it – he had won it overall again!

Unfortunately, day 2 had a different plan for Scott and Peter. The outer CV joint on the half shaft broke on their way into Leading Tickles, a very long stage. The Leading Tickles stage ends at a big ocean-side park and a big 3+ hour party ensues, where moose meat is the delicacy of the day. There is only one road in and out of the park and I had to hustle to get my rig out there before the road was closed to the public.

The park has a nice playground, so I left Derek with Bill and headed off to retrieve Scott and Peter, doing my first ever ʻrope towʼ to bring them back into the park. However, no one had a spare half shaft with them, and there wasnʼt one in the multitude of supplies in my rig, so the boys were stuck in the park for a few hours and had to be flatbedded back to town. They missed 5 stages and incurred nearly 97 minutes in penalties. Itʼs sad because they were doing so well until then, just 33 penalty points. Ultimately, they ended up with 87 earned penalty seconds/points plus the nearly 97 minutes. If theyʼd only had the 87 seconds, they would have finished 5th overall, won their class and finished 2nd in the Modern division. But donʼt mention this as it will only make them sad.

Alex and Bruce did well in their first time out. They finished 12^th overall, 2nd in class 7, and 8th in the Modern division, with a score of 8 minutes and 53 seconds. The best part was that they made all their Targa Trophy times and won their first Targa plates.

Derek and I had some fun along the way too. Iʼm pretty sure I found every available park or playground in the Targa area, letting Derek stretch his legs and lungs for several breaks each day.

We did have a couple of problems though. On the 2nd day, the guys stowed their luggage into the back of the Suburban and accidentally, unknowingly, popped open the breather valve on one of the fuel jugs. By the time Derek and I hit the road to follow, the ʻBurb was filled with gas fumes. We bundled up and I drove with the windows open, airing out the SUV. Finally I figured out that there was a leak and found the popped breather valve and what had spilled out on the bumpy roads.

On the 3rd day, one of the fuel jugs toppled over as I rounded a curve but I didnʼt know it until I smelled the fumes. Ah, 2 days in a row of driving with the windows open on a cold day.

On the 4th day, the luggage was tossed in, instead of placed neatly into pre-assigned locations, and a fuel jug was knocked over and leaked gas onto one of Billʼs bags, while also popping open a breather valve. I found the opened breather valve, didnʼt find any spilled gas and figured the fumes would go away after time. They didnʼt. And it was raining. Hard. I didnʼt have time to unpack the back of the ʻBurb for most of the day but eventually I found the problem and was able to air out the bag during a long stop. It also didnʼt help that I had recently upgraded, or so I thought, my Verizon cell phone plan. But I was shocked to learn that my cell phone no longer worked in Newfoundland, like it had the prior 3 years. Verizonʼs only solution was to ship my phone to the US, reprogram it and ship it back. Because we were constantly moving, I couldnʼt risk losing my phone, so I had no cell phone service until we left Newfoundland and headed to Oktoberfest, but thatʼs a whole other story.

By this time, I was pretty tired of driving all over Newfoundland as a chase vehicle, and Derek was done too. So on the morning of day 5, the last day, I told Bill and Alan as they headed out that I didnʼt care what they thought about their chances of winning overall. But I did know one thing – they HAD to win it for me, to make it worth all the work and hassle Iʼd gone through. Only there were swear words involved and I wasnʼt suggesting, I was demanding.

So Tom Silver and Dave Fuss blame me for their loss of the overall win on the last day in Targa Newfoundland, and they might just be right.

While the windows were open, a dragonfly flew in and died. I found the little bugger hanging over the rear door and thought I had shooed him out. It turned out that he had blown across the SUV and landed on the side of Derekʼs car seat, unbeknownst to him since he was sleeping. We were driving at a brisk pace, trying to get to the start of a stage at an agreed upon time when he woke up and started screaming. He had spotted the dragonfly and wanted it removed. I couldnʼt blame him. The thing had died and was hanging just inches from his face.

Itʼs a good thing we never needed the satellite phones since mine spent the entire week searching for a signal. Next year? Thereʼs no way in hell Iʼll be crew again. I think Iʼll join the partners group that comes in for the last day. They have a nice dinner in St. Johnʼs on Thursday night and are then shuttled out to the premiere, catered viewing spots on Friday.

Or maybe Iʼll compete as a driver…

The original story appeared in Pit Stop, a publication of Empire Sports Car Association in Santa Rosa, California.

All pictures taken by photographer Andrew Harvey.

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.

Targa 2026 Stages: https://targanfld.com/competition-stages/

Getting to Newfoundland: https://targanfld.com/getting-here/

Where to Stay: https://targanfld.com/where-to-stay/

Our Targa Communities: https://targanfld.com/our-communities/

Visiting Newfoundland & Labrador: https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/

Targa Newfoundland, the only tarmac rally of its kind in North America, has released the route for this fall’s event with some old favourites and some exciting new stages.

Experience the adrenaline-fuelled thrills of the legendary Targa Newfoundland rally, now in its 25th year. When you compete in Targa, adventure awaits you every day on twisty, challenging roads through amazing scenery.

Our rally has been running for over 20 years, since 2002, and we take pride in our enviable safety record, one of the best in our sport.

After the two-day Targa school and practice sessions, teams in the Duemila event will cover about 2000 km over six days from eastern to central Newfoundland and back again, including about 500 km on closed stages at speed through dozens of communities. Competitors in Routoura will enjoy the thrills of four days on the road.

We’ve changed things up a bit this year. We’ve made some adjustments to existing stages and added some thrilling new ones.

Also new this year is the Transit Challenge, which refers to a section of a transit between stages where a measurable distance must be completed within the posted speed limits in a specified time limit. Penalties will be incurred for being early or late at the finish of the Transit. Think of it as a mini TSD (time, speed, distance) rally in the middle of the speed stages.

Overnight stays will be in St. John’s, Clarenville and Gander. Check out Our Targa Communities to learn more about these places and all the communities hosting Targa and visit the Where to Stay page for information on accommodations.

Join us for the thrill of a lifetime.

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.

Targa 2026 Stages: https://targanfld.com/competition-stages/

Getting to Newfoundland: https://targanfld.com/getting-here/

Where to Stay: https://targanfld.com/where-to-stay/

Our Targa Communities: https://targanfld.com/our-communities/

Visiting Newfoundland & Labrador: https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/

Motorists stuck in a traffic jam on the Trans Canada Highway west of St. John’s, NL on Father’s Day caught a view of a piece of Targa history. A classic sports car that once belonged to late competitor Dr. Geoff Fowlow of Arnold’s Cove was spotted on a flatbed on its way to a new home. Dr. Fowlow passed away Sept. 23, 2025 at the age of 79.

Fowlow competed in that 1957 Jaguar XK140 with his wife Fay Matthews in Targa 2003 and it still bears the decals from that rally. During the rally, his car suffered a water pump failure. Despite the setback and resulting time penalties from missing several stages, he and his team made the necessary repairs and returned to the road later that day to continue the rally.

From his obituary: “His passion for antique cars was evident in his collection of vehicles, and he was always eager to share his knowledge of cars with anyone that showed an interest. Both he and his wife even participated in the international Targa race which was a highlight for them both.”

A dedicated physician, he started practice at Come By Chance Hospital on July 1st, 1972. When the hospital closed in the early 1980s, he opened his own private practice in Arnold’s Cove. He kept this practice open until the day he passed, after 53 years of providing care to his patients.

Targa owner Robert Giannou: “I instructed Dr. Geoff at the Argentia racing school back in the late Sixties. Later in 2003, Geoff ran in Targa with Fay his wife who navigated for him. Fay also organized and ran the Clarenville stage for a couple of years after that. Both great folks. May and I spent a delightful morning with them a couple of years ago. Geoff of course insisted on the full tour of his ‘treasures’. Fascinating collection. He will be missed.”

Dr. Geoffrey N. Fowlow

Read his obituary here: Dr. Geoffrey N. Fowlow – Fewer’s Funeral Home

Rally results 2003: https://share.google/tlHVu72Me9o68fTW3

Car photos: Mark Unsworth

The Targa family was deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Carolyn Ryall, who competed in the first Targa Newfoundland in 2002 with her husband, Alan, and came to Targa several more times. They won the Grand Touring title in the inaugural rally in a 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX.

Carolyn and Alan were together for 53 years. Carolyn, who was described as an “amazing teacher”, worked for the Peel District School Board for 24 years. She was a lifelong reader, traveller, and Blue Jays fan. Alan describes her as “the love of my life”. She passed away on June 13, 2026.

Here is an excerpt from a beautifully written tribute to her (link below):

“She also brought her sharp mind and sense of adventure to the car rallying community; as the trusted navigator to her husband, Alan, she competed in regional navigational car rallies as well as the first 5-day, 2200 km Targa Newfoundland Rally in 2002, winning her class with zero penalty points, setting the standard for future competitors. After retiring as a competitor, Carolyn continued to volunteer, giving her knowledge and decades of experience as a worker and organizer.”

https://jonesfuneralhome2.tributecenteronline.com/obituaries/Carolyn-Margaret-Ryall?obId=48779019&utm

A celebration of Carolyn’s life is scheduled in September. There will be a memory wall to share your memories of Carolyn. Please share your brief favourite Carolyn anecdote by email to alan@cryall.com so he can include it with the others.

Targa owner Robert Giannou has fond memories of the Ryalls:

“Alan and Carolyn were tremendous competitors, heartfelt helpers and wonderful sportspeople. Alan competed hard! Perhaps a tad too hard in 2003 when he flipped their Subie WRX (with co-driver Glenn Hamilton) in the last few feet of Greenspond Island’s stage as he crossed the flying finish which crested into an R5 at full chat.

It was a spectacular event but the Subie was done. They were not physically hurt, yes they were stiff and sore, but still seriously in the game. I drove them both back to the overnight in Gander and their attitude was just awesome.

Some time later when I attended the wake of their son who had passed I saw that same attitude of thankfulness for what they had done and experienced together. The same let’s get on with it attitude, especially from Carolyn. She remains in my mind a class act. We were lucky to have her as Alan will tell you.”

We send our sincere condolences to Alan and family.

Targa alumnus Christina Kroner was profiled in the Wheels section of the Toronto Star newspaper on June 20, 2026 about her passion for MINIs. Christina co-drove in three Targa Newfoundland rallies and was the navigator with driver John Hume Sr. when the pair won the Grand Touring title in 2017 in John’s 2013 MINI GT.

By Tracy Hanes, Special to the Star

Why I Love My Car is a series in Wheels that features people sharing their love for their vehicle. Owners reflect on how they came to own their car and tell us about the role it plays in their life and why they have such a strong connection to it.

When Christina Kroner gazed upon a Mini Cooper at age 11, it was love at first sight. She was delighted by its happy face, and cut out photos of Minis to create a collage. She dreamed of owning one.

Now Kroner, a Toronto realtor, is a full-fledged “Miniac” and owns two of the cars.

“I wanted a Mini as my first car, but my mom didn’t think it was the best choice, as, if I crashed it, she knew I would be heartbroken. I bought an Acura. I had it for eight months before I traded it in for a Mini in 2006. I’ve owned six Minis since.

I’ve built a community. I’ve built a brand. I’ve made best friends. And I’ve travelled internationally — thanks to my Minis.

When I was a university student in Waterloo, I approached a Mini dealership because I felt something was lacking in the showroom. They created a part-time role for me, Mini Ambassador. My job was interacting with people in the showroom, sharing the brand and community. I next worked as an ambassador at Mini Durham until 2011, when I became a full-time real estate agent (www.christinakroner.com).

My most memorable Mini is my 2013 Mini S Convertible, Pinky, named for the character Pinky Tuscadero on the Happy Days TV show. (Kroner’s Instagram page, Instagram, features Pinky prominently.) I bought her lightly used in 2013 and she was black. That year, I drove her on a solo two-month road trip across North America to raise funds for the Children’s Wish Foundation. I had the car wrapped bright pink. The wrap served a couple of purposes: it fulfilled my dream to drive a pink convertible, and it attracted attention, as I had the fundraising website on the bumper.

I drove from Toronto to Vancouver, down the west coast to Los Angeles, then to Boston and through Atlantic Canada. I drove just under 28,000 km. Highlights were driving with the top down on the Pacific Coast Highway and meeting people. That’s what I love about this car — people smile. They wave. They want to take pictures with it.

I also have a 2019 Mini Countryman John Cooper Works. It has more creature comforts, such as Apple Car Play. I use it as a daily driver. The pink car is very special to me and I want to reduce the opportunities that someone could hit it. The Countryman has a few battle scars. Both cars have four-cylinder, turbocharged engines. The wheels are on the corners, giving go-kart type handling and a connection to the road. They are designed for you to have fun and you sure do.

I joined the southern Ontario Mini Cooper club in 2006. The area was vast, and I felt we needed a club dedicated to Toronto drivers. In 2013, I founded the Toronto Mini Club Facebook. We do cruises. We go to car shows and a coffee shop owner who drives a Mini created branded mugs for us. We’ll hold drives, such as the TMC Erie Shore Ice Cream Run (this year, on May 25). People are on their porches with their phones taking photos of us as Mini after Mini, of every shape and size, passes.

We have track days at Mosport. Father’s Day is a good time to see vintage Minis on the track at the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix. (VARAC Vintage Grand Prix — Canadian Tire Motorsport — Official Site.)

I am also a member of R Club (a Toronto car club). It’s such a cool place and I host Toronto Mini Club members to come and watch Formula One races on screen at R Club.

I am a rally navigator and got to compete in Minis at the Targa Newfoundland Rally in 2015, 2016 and 2017. It was an absolute dream. I was a navigator at the Rallye Monte Carlo 2019 on the only Canadian team. The driver was from Prince Edward County and had a Porsche. If I couldn’t be in a Mini, I wanted to be in a Porsche. You don’t ask what seat in the rocket, you just say yes.

Minis attract everybody. You can’t say who is a typical Mini driver. For some, it’s their first car. Some people are retired and it’s their fun car, there are people who commute in them. I think it does tend to attract quirkier, fun, young-at-heart people.

You can customize them to represent your personality. I have created a community around my Minis. I’ve been a keynote speaker at real estate conferences, talking about how I accidentally built a personal brand around my passion for my Mini. If I’m not working, I’m usually at a Mini event.

I love to drive Pinky with the top down. You can see what’s happening on third and fourth floors of buildings. You might see a clock tower you didn’t before. You hear and smell things. You feel more integrated with your surroundings. It represents freedom, adventure and reinvention.

Pinky has the history, the passion, and she’s mine. I have made so many positive memories with her and she’s seen me through so many chapters of my life. Newer cars are more refined, but my Pinky will always be my preferred choice.

She’s in the pink driving her Mini S Convertible, Pinky

The second year of Targa Newfoundland nearly doubled the car count as word of the event spread. Competitor Tim Winker wrote about his adventures with driver Scott Giannou in Targa 2003.

Targa Newfoundland 2003

By Tim Winker, VintageRally.com

VintageRally.com – The Source for Vintage and Historic Auto Rally Information

Monday, Sept. 15, 2003

As a competitor in last year’s inaugural Targa Newfoundland, I am considered a “pioneer”. Those who followed last year’s event may recall that there were 35 entries. This year the count is more like 60, and over a third are among the pioneers. That’s a damn good return rate!

There is good reason for it… Targa Newfoundland is one great event!

Word of the success of TN’s first year has spread among automotive adventurers across North America, and elsewhere, and they don’t want to miss out again.

Jerry Churchill is back, though not with the mighty V10 Dodge Viper he ran in ’02. Instead he has a Subaru WRX built for ProRally, which should do better on these roads despite the smaller engine. In fact there are quite a few Subarus, most WRX’s, including one entered by Subaru of Canada for brothers John and Clark Paynter. Porsche is the Honoured Marque this year, and there are a flock of those as well, and the whole event will be preceded by a Porsche Cayenne SUV as Course Opening Vehicle.

Australian Ralph Grant is entered again, though this time it’s in his own Volvo 142. Canadian Jodie Shay is Grant’s co-driver. Bill Arnold won the Modern class in his BMW M Coupe in 2002, but he’s back in a 1972 BMW Bavaria sedan in the Classic division, though the powerplant is a much newer “M” six cylinder. Jeremy Hill and Lennox McNeely return in Len’s 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, hoping to better their runner-up finish of last year.

A couple veterans of Mexico’s La Carrera Panamericana made the trip to eastern Canada this year: Tom Silver and Dave Fuss in another ’65 Mustang Fastback, and Tom Hayes and Andy Vann in a highly modified ’53 Studebaker.

Today’s action consisted of the Demonstration, a nearly 2 km blast around the Confederation Building in St. John’s. It begins with a parade of the competing cars from Mile One Stadium in downtown to the complex of government buildings up on the hill. After a couple of parade practice laps to familiarize competitors with the course, they hit the track individually. The idea is for the event stewards to get an idea of driver ability… or lack thereof. Despite a few spins and some mechanical failures, there were no big incidents.

Action really begins on Monday with the Prologue stages. Results on these two stages will help organizers seed the drivers based on their ability. The first is 4.62 km, the second 7.06 km. In between is a two hour lunch break at Beachy Cove School.

We Got Screeched!

There is a tradition in Newfoundland to welcome visitors. It involves a sharp tasting rum called Screech, kissing a cod fish, and reciting a phrase in your best attempt at a Newfie dialect.

Following the Sunday evening dinner, Captain Merle showed up to tell a few stories about life in Newfoundland, and to baptize those “not from around here”. We kissed the cod (in this case, a slice of salt cod), gulped the Screech, and did our best recitation, and Captain Merle passed among the throng with oar in hand, tapping the newly-Newf-ed on the shoulder.

When one thinks of Newfoundland in September, one thinks of cool days and chilly nights, possibly rain and fog. Bright sun and high temperatures are unheard of… until this year. The Time and Temp clock on a local bank read 33 degrees, and that’s in Celsius, my son. (I’ve only been here a couple of days and I’m already picking up Newf chatter). That same clock registered 93F.

Today there were two stages, both considered “non-competitive”, but more like qualifying to establish position on the road. The slower cars start first, and the start intervals are only 30 seconds in order to keep the field bunched up.

The first was a short dash (less than 5 km) in a semi-rural area called Flat Rock. No big incidents, some spinning of tires, a few missed calls.

Lunch was a two hour break at Beachy Cove Elementary School. The students were given a reprieve from their studies to take a look at the fifty or so cars parked in the school’s front parking lot, while drivers and crews grabbed a bite in the gymnasium. As teams wandered back to their cars they were beseiged with requests for autograhs. Many came prepared with hero cards and decals (pronouced “DECK-els” in these parts, as opposed to the U.S. pronounciation of “DEE-kals”).

Then it was off for the other stage, a 7 km affair along Marine Drive. Several teams erred on this tight and twisting stage, including the favored Mustang of Formula Atlantic race driver Jeremy Hill and car owner Lennox McNeely. A front brake pad became dislodged as the car entered a right-hander and it left the road, eventually stranded with tail in the air and nose in the ditch. It is hoped the car can be repaired for Tuesday’s start, but the extent of damage had not been determined as of this writing.

John and Clark Paynter quickly established themselves as the front runners in the Subaru Canada Rally Team WRX wagon, setting fastest times on both Prologues. Bill Arnold was quickest in the Classic category in his BMW Bavaria, which hides a much newer “M” six cylinder under the hood. Daily results are posted at RallyScoring.com.

The real competition begins on Tuesday, with seven stages. The longest – Osprey Trail West – is 33.19 km, the shortest – Traytown West – is 3.84 km. Totals for the day: 360.80 km Transit, 77.46 km Stage. total 438.26 km.

Leg One – Persona North Avalon

Targa Newfoundland ’03 started out much like TN02… unfortunately. Two cars crashed out on the first stage, a short jaunt through a semi-rural neighborhood near St. John’s. The Cobra replica of Mark Armstrong came into the final turn at the Flying Finish a little too fast and went out of control, eventually landing in a ditch. Ken Bavis came into that same corner wa-a-ay too fast and rolled his Honda Civic. As a result, most cars had to transit the stage and it was not scored.

The damaged ’65 Mustang Fastback of Jeremy Hill and Lennox McNeely showed up for the start, looking a little battered and reportedly a little out of kilter underneath. They made it through the day without taking any points, however. The popular Mustang will make its way to a body shop in Gander (tonight’s overnight stop) for some frame straightening.

One of those favored to make a run for the top finishing spot was the mustard yellow Ruf Porsche GT of Gary Church and Bob Miller. However, the car did not make it to the final stage of the day due to a blown radiator hose. Jack MacDonnell and Carson Rasmussen thought they were out of the running before the first stage when the hydraulic clutch system on their Datsun 280Z failed. They were able to make repairs and rejoined the event for SS2. Since SS1 was dropped from scoring, they were allowed to continue without penalty.

There were no serious incidents on any of the remaining six stages. Several teams collected their first points on SS2, including the Subaru Canada Rally Team WRX of John and Clarke Paynter (1), and the Vermont Sports Car prepared WRX of Jerry Churchill and Jim Roxbury (4).

Targa Newfoundland scoring favors cars in the Classic category, requiring those who compete in Modern cars to work a little harder. The base times for each class are listed on the Individual Stage Scores, along with the penalty time over that base, and the time over the Targa Trophy Time.

Leg 2: CHC Exploits – Gander to Gander

Seven stages again today, including the now popular run to the little village of Leading Tickles. The first of the day began with a high speed section leading to the village of Norris Arm, with some tight twists through the streets and alleys of the town, and another fast stretch back out to the main highway.

Botwood traveled mainly through the town, with lots of quick turns on the town’s streets, and a long high speed stretch at the end.

There is only one road to Leading Tickles and it is closed to the public for the running of stages to the town and back again. The stage actually starts in the town of Point Leamington, then travels on the road to Leading Tickles, eventually ending up with a few hard turns in the town itself. The total stage length is nearly 30 km. Service crews are allowed to pass once the last car has cleared the stage.

This is followed by traditional Newfoundland lunch of Jiggs Dinner, Fish and Chips or Moose Soup. The break is welcome as the competitors get a chance to view the beauty of the area. Weather is sunny and hot once again, with temps ranging into the 30s C / 90s F. Those who make the climb to the top of the ridge report seeing whales off in the distance.

While part of the beauty of Targa Newfoundland is the scenery, eventually we all must climb back into the cars for the trip back to Point Leamington, again 30 KM, followed by the Botwood and Norris Arm stages in the reverse direction.

The final stage of the day is the run through a suburban housing development in Gander. Look for photos at www.targanewfoundlandgander.com. Only the Porsche 944 S2 of Craig Seko and Steve Carrick failed to complete the course, due to an electrical failure just meters from the finish.

Two more cars have suffered the ravages of Targa Newfoundland today: The Mini of Jim Kenzie and Gabriel Gelinas and the Citroen DS20 of Edison and Marg-O Wiltshire. The Mini had been prepared by a race shop, with low suspension and tires with very short sidewalls. It suffered two flat tires when Gelinas, who was driving that section, hit a pothole near the start of the 30 km run to Leading Tickles. With only one spare on board, it was determined that the long run would not be good on the car or rim, and they are out of the running for Targa, but will return in the Touring category.

The Wiltshire’s Citroen had a spark plug blow out of the head. They were able to limp back to Gander where a Heli-Coil was installed and they will be back on the road tomorrow.

Leg 3: Subway Kittiwake – Gander to Clarenville

The day opens with another run through the streets of Gander, this time in the opposite direction. Base times have been lowered, so drivers are concerned about picking up their first points, however, the stage is apparently quicker in this direction and twelve of the cars are able to beat their base time.

Following Route 330 north, there are several stages in the Kittwake peninsula. Davidsville, SS 3.3, is pretty straightforward, a 4.42 km fast stage on some bumpy pavement. The road from Fredrickton to Carmanville is next, 10.4 km with some tight turns in each town and some long fast stretches in between. Several teams pick up more points, some because of minor off-road excursions.

The rally takes a quick run through Musgrave Harbour before the lunch break at the Muddy Shag Lounge.

A new stage this year is in Greenspond, a typical Newfoundland fishing village a ways off the main road. As the route travels through the streets there are some very tight turns, some very steep uphill sections, and a very fast run to the finish line. It is here that Alan Ryall’s Subaru meets its end. Just after crossing the line at speed, Ryall let up on the accelerator and the car spun off the road, did a couple of endos and came to rest. Ryall and co-driver Glenn Hamilton were unhurt, though they were taken to a hospital to be checked out. Since the car is no longer driveable, they plan to return tomorrow for the Touring class in their service van.

The final two stages of the day, Traytown East and Port Blanford, are both about 4 km long and relatively fast.

The other casualty of the day was the Porsche 911S of Scott Giannou and Tim Winker. Giannou entered a marked right hand bend on SS 3.3 a little too quick. It turned out to be downhill and a little off-camber. He let up to scrub a little speed and the back end of the Porsche came around, coming to rest with the right rear fender pinched under a guardrail. The damage turned out to be all cosmetic and the team were able to continue following the lunch break. The team had been without penalty up to that point.

Leg 4: Thrifty Car Rental Heritage – Clarenville to Marystown

It’s a long two hour drive from Clarenville down the Burin Peninsula to the day’s first stage through residential Marystown. Once there, Targa drivers are treated to a course that travels past family homes, apartment buildings and some light industrial areas. At one point the route passes under a bridge packed with spectators, from which much of the course can be viewed.

The next stage has long flat stretches where cars can be wound out in top gear, but with a couple of tight turns in the villages of Garnish and Frenchman’s Cove. Stage 4.3 is 11 km of driving along a road cut into the rock face next to the ocean, ending with a drive through the town of Burin. Lunch is at the Old Colony trust building there, another great meal of typical Newfoundland fare.

After lunch we ran back out on the same stage that brought us into Burin, ending in Mortier. That was followed by two very tight town stages in Grand Bank (6.6 km) and Fortune (4.4 km). A feature of the Grand Bank stage is a short jaunt along the wharf where fishing boats tie up to unload their catch. Several cars oversteered onto the wharf, bumping rear tires against the concrete barrier that keeps things from rolling into the harbor. The BMW 2002tii of Jarvis and Jarvis slid straight into that barrier and bent the front suspension; the tii was out for the remainder of the event, but the team returned in a BMW X5.

The final two stages of the day were 4.2 and 4.1 run in reverse, ending at the hockey arena in Marystown.

It has been a day where mechanical fatigue is showing on many of the cars. Goeff Fowlow’s Jaguar XK-120 has suffered a water pump failure, and the alternator has given up on Ben Thomas’ Saturn. Both are able to make repairs and return later in the day, but have missed several stages and taken timing penalties. Tom Silver’s 1965 Mustang and Rick McLeod’s supercharged 2000 Mustang both show indications of blown head gaskets. Sean Hyland’s 2001 Mustang sounds like hell due to a hole in the headers. Jerry Churchill missed a turn in Marystown and has crunched up the front air dam on his Subaru WRX. The Honda CRX of Ian Crammond and Branko Brkovitch became locked in 2nd gear and the engine balked at running in the upper revs for long distances, eventually putting a connecting rod through the block. Several teams are having to replace expensive alloy wheels damaged by hitting curbs.

Local garages look like some sort of automotive triage, and many crews worked late into the night to stay in the running for the final run to St. John’s.

Leg 5: Goodyear Tire South Avalon – Marystown to St. John’s

Repairs have been made to most of the cars that suffered problems on yesterday’s run. Tom Silver’s Mustang has new head gaskets, but the team discovered a hole in a piston. Without sufficient time or parts to make proper repairs, the team has chosen to run the car on seven cylinders, disconnecting the spark plug wire on the damaged cylinder. The Brkovitch/Crammond Honda CRX has had an engine/gearbox transplant.

The final day of an endurance event like Targa Newfoundland is probably the most difficult. The target times have been lowered to be unreachable in most stages, so fatigued drivers have to push their fatigued cars as hard as possible to maintain position, or to move up. There is a tight battle at the front of the field between several teams, with only seconds separating them. Bill Arnold has the lead in his BMW Bavaria, but is pressured by the ’65 Mustangs of Jeremy Hill and Tom Silver, and by the ’67 Acadian Canso of Jud Buchanan.

It begins with a two hour transit back up the Burin Peninsula and a reverse direction run at the 36 km Osprey Trail stage from Leg 1. Then it’s down the Avalon Peninsula to Placentia for another run through the streets. The course is a bit different this year, with an added loop so speeds will be slower coming into the tightening right hander that took out the Datsun of Jack MacDonnell against the seawall last year. MacDonnell and most teams make it through relatively unscathed, though the Acura of Brian Oldford and John Harris collects a stop sign post with the bumper. Ralph Grant’s Volvo is temporarily sidelined with a broken throttle cable, costing Grant and co-driver Jodie Shay their plate for finishing all stages within the prescribed time. The Ruf Porsche of Gary Church suffers a suspension failure and is out of the event. Jerry Churchill’s run also comes to an end, as his Subaru WRX falls victim to mechanical woes.

Jack MacDonnell and Carson Rasmussen may have gotten past their bugaboo in Placentia, but the engine of the 280Z chose to give up a short time later on the long, fast stage to St. Bride’s.

The first stage after lunch is the longest of the event at 43 km. It is also very quick, with fast curves and mild hills, so the big concern is exceeding the 130 kph limit for average speed. A speed trap in mid stage catches a couple of cars for added penalty points, but all make it through no more teams dropping out. Another 12 km stage without incident, and it’s on to the final stage, the one that could decide the top five finishers.

The final stage is run partially through the town of Petty Harbour. The target times have been lowered so no one should be able to beat them, but they could come close. Jeremy Hill comes closest with on 8 second penalty in the Mustang, while Bill Arnold crosses the final Flying Finish with :11 in his Bavaria. In the final tally, only five seconds separate the two cars after five days of rally; Arnold with :38, Hill with :43. Jud Buchanan had been in second place going into the Petty Harbour stage, but 20 seconds of penalty time drop him to third in the overall result (:53), ten seconds behind Hill/McNeely and three seconds ahead of Silver/Fuss (:56). The top four are all in the Classic Category. Ernie Jakubowski and Scott Gerard round out the top five with 1:02, capturing first in the Modern category (1977 and newer).

The remaining cars regroup at Cape Spear, the easternmost point of North America, drivers congratulate one another on finishing, and all parade the 15 km back to St. John’s for prize giving. All teams who make it to the finish are given medals, those who have completed all stages in the prescribed time get plates. Most teams begin to make plans for 2004.

Epilogue: Targa Newfoundland 2003

TN03 lived up to expectations, and in some cases exceeded them. There were few problems, and with the second running, Targa Newfoundland can now rightfully be called “Annual”. Plans have already begun for TN04, both on the part of organizers and competitors. There has been plenty of discussion among those who have been a part of the first two blasts around the rock, most of it centered around the proper strategy to be competitive on the week-long event, as well as how Targa could be tweaked to make it better still.

There are, of course, a few local naysayers, who were quick to point out the first day crashes and opined that all that display of speed would only lead to aggressive behavior on the highways by non-rallyists. Same can be said for aggressive behavior in hockey, football, baseball, or most any sport. Heck, even golfers, tennis and chess players get a burst of adrenaline once in awhile!

The numbers tell the story. Sixty competing teams, eager to complete the course at all costs. Teams who suffered terminal damage to their cars quickly regrouped and came back with service vehicles, running the remainder of the event as part of the Touring category, but running nonetheless. Thousands of people coming out to see the cars, on the stages, at the overnight stops, parked along the transit sections and waving as the parade of numbered machines drove past. The provincial government of Labrador and Newfoundland is happy to sponsor the event as it will bring an estimated five million dollars in tourism money to the area. And those motorsports fans who watch the one-hour TV program in Canada and on SPEED channel in the U.S. will get a chance to see the beauty and the friendly folks that are standard fare in Newfoundland.

There really is no event quite like Targa Newfoundland. It is part rally, part race, part scenic tour, part car show in action, part floating party. It’s sort of like running an entire season of amateur competition in one week. Targa Tasmania and Targa New Zealand have been around long enough that they are now dominated by a few teams with lots of money and support, but Newfoundland is still new enough that any amateur motorsports team can be competitive. Sure it takes a fast, reliable car, an able driver and an equally able co-driver, but at the end of the week most novices can easily see where they could run with the front pack with a bit more work.

And everyone starts to make plans to be back next year….

Complete results at RallyScoring.com

The year was 2009 when a fire-breathing orange monster called Godzilla descended on the peaceful island of Newfoundland and attacked the roads of the Rock.

IMSA legend Steve Millen from New Zealand brought a 620-hp 2009 Nissan R35 GT-R to take on Targa Newfoundland with Road & Track editor Mike Monticello as co-driver. With 15 psi of boost from the turbochargers, the car could hit 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and do the quarter mile in 11 seconds. The pair easily hit over 200 kph on the Targa stages.

Godzilla came with a long list of modifications including a full roll-cage and a pair of racing seats, carbon fibre hood and trunk lid, new downpipes, intake system, an electronic boost controller and a pair of blow-off-valves, coil-overs with Eibach Race Springs, adjustable sway bars and endlinks, AP Racing carbon-ceramic brakes, and wide Bridgestone tires. It was a beast.

Despite never driving Targa before, Millen and Monticello took first place in Modern Division. Monticello wrote a magazine article in Road & Track about their adventure. Here is an excerpt:

“The second to last to start the stage, Millen launched the GT-R with fury into the waning light, carbon rotors a-glowing, belching blue flames from the exhaust and sending onlookers scattering for cover, the GT-R was in its element. And so was Millen, 4-wheel-drifting through corners with near reckless abandon while I tried to keep up with the pace notes…”

– Mike Monticello, Road & Track

“Even though we didn’t win the Targa overall, we had a great time here in Newfoundland,” Millen told Road & Track. “The GT-R worked fantastic the whole week. Whether it was rough and bumpy or cold and rainy, the GT-R shined. Unfortunately our overall result is not indicative of our actual performance.”

No civilians or infrastructure were harmed by Godzilla’s attack.

Photos: Stillen, Road & Track, Grassrootsmotorsports.com, topspeed.com, Modified Mag, motorauthority.com, Warwick Patterson

https://blog.stillen.com/steve-millen-racing-heritage/

You can watch some videos of them in action below:

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