Twenty-two years ago in September 2002, the first Targa Newfoundland hit the roads of The Rock. It was modelled after Targa Tasmania in Australia which inspired Doug Mepham and Jim Kenzie after they raced there and had an amazing time. On their way home, they mused about where a rally like that could be staged in Canada. Jim wrote about it in the Toronto Star and Doug suggested the idea to his friend, Robert Giannou. A year-and-a-half later, Robert had made it happen. The rest is motorsport history. (Read Jim Kenzie’s account here.)

Below is a firsthand account of that inaugural rally, written by Tim Winker, who was the co-driver in a 1976 Porsche 911 S that was driven by Scott Giannou, Robert’s son. This piece originally appeared on VintageRally.com and can still be seen there. Winker also competed in 2003 and 2004.

Targa Newfoundland 2002

By Tim Winker, Co-driver, Car #502, 1976 Porsche 911 S

Driver Scott Giannou and co-driver Tim Winker raced this 1976 Porsche 911 S in the first Targa Newfoundland in September 2002.

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002

I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun… and the Targa Newfoundland rally hasn’t even begun yet!

As with any new event, there seems to have been a wait and see attitude among potential competitors. There are only 25 teams entered for the Targa stages, consisting of 35 stages over five days of rallying, all on paved roads. An additional 11 teams will run the closed roads as a TSD rally, getting to experience the driving pleasure at a sedate speed. In all the course is 2200 kilometers long, with 450 km. of stages!

But there are several teams from Australia who are veterans of Targa Tasmania, the event that Targa Newfoundland is patterned after. Jerry Churchill is here with his One Lap of America Dodge Viper. There is a 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia Spyder, the only Historic category car on the list. Just over half the entries for the Targa Stages are in the Classic category, up to 1977; several Ford Falcons and Mustangs, Porsches, Volvos and a 1967 Acadian Canso (the Canadian version of the Chevy II Nova). Among the Modern cars is one with true rally history, Taisto Heinonen’s 1982 Toyota Celica, driven here by Ralph and Diane Grant.

Rally cars on display at Mile One Stadium in St. John’s, NL. Doug Mepham’s Volvo 142, Edison (The Faster Pastor) Wiltshire’s 1951 Citroen Traction Avant, and the 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia Spyder of father and son John and Andrew Lawson of Australia.

Organizers have not gone into this lightly. They have the backing of the Provincial government and a long list of sponsors. Over the past few weeks, they have trained 1800 volunteers about how to work a rally. That is no misprint… 1800 volunteers! It has been a very long time since there has been motorsports on The Rock and the residents want to be a part of the action.

Friday and Saturday were arrival and registration days. Most of the cars were scheduled to arrive on the overnight ferry from Nova Scotia, in time for registration on Saturday morning. However, Hurricane Gustav postponed the ferry for about 12 hours, so the bulk of the cars did not arrive until late Saturday. There was some scrambling to get through registration and tech inspection so teams could participate in the welcoming reception thrown by the host city of St. John’s. Lots of local delicacies among the hors d’oeuvres… ever tried Cod Tongue?

The crowd mills prior to the Demonstration.

Sunday was the first competition, though not really part of the overall competition. Called “Demonstration”, it was a 1.8 km. stage around the Confederation Building. Several streets were closed off, the local Police did a pre-opening sweep of the course, then the assembled 36 teams took a couple of laps of the course. Each driver had to complete five runs of the autocross-style course to demonstrate to the officials that they were competent to run the rally.

Mark Williams’ 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint.

Five-time Canadian Rally Champion Tom McGeer left them wondering when he slid co-driver Mark Williams’ beautifully prepared 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint wide at the finish line, hit a curb and put the car up on two wheels. That ended the McGeer/Williams effort for the day, but hopefully not the rally. The body damage was minimal, but a rumored broken rear axle could keep the team up very late making repairs.

Jud Buchanan’s Acadian Canso

There were no other incidents, and the remaining cars made it back to Mile One Stadium for some TLC and close-up viewing by the public. Most were bathed then locked up for the night, while others were given some last minute attention.

Organizers had scheduled a barbecue at a local restaurant, just one more item on the seemingly full schedule for the rally competitors and workers.

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 8.95 km, the second 6.77 km. In between is a two hour lunch break at Beachy Cove School.

Monday, Sept. 16, 2002

Today turned out to be rather stressful for our team — Scott Giannou and myself in Scott’s 1976 Porsche 911 Targa. It began by attempting to fit the sensor for the Terratrip. This was an ongoing task, having begun several days prior but put aside for other … more important … tasks, such as making sure the intercom worked. With the assistance of Gary Ball, a suitable bracket was fabricated, then modifed several times, and eventually the display showed that pulses were being generated.

Then the cable that connects the intercoms disappeared. We still have no idea where we might have misplaced it.

Finally, at 11 am, the cars were supposed to leave Mile One Stadium to begin the first of two “Prologue” stages to determine seeding for the first day of competition on Tuesday. However, the start was delayed about 10 minutes as the Premier of Newfoundland dropped by to wish rallyists well on their visit to the province.

There was a light rain as we headed north out of St. John’s. A mere 17 kilometers and we were at the start of Prologue 1, an 8.95 km section through a semi-rural community. Despite the rain, many homeowners sat in their front yards and watched as the 24 Targa competitors and 11 TSD Trials teams made their way past.

Chip “CJ” Jones’ Ford Falcon delights the kids at Beachy Cove Elementary School.

Then it was off to a two hour lunch break at Beachy Cove Elementary School, where rallyists were greeted by the full enrollment of 1st through 6th graders cheering and waving pom-poms. While the rally teams lunched in the school gym, students got a chance to see the cars up close. As the drivers and co-drivers made their way back out to the foggy parking lot, they found pieces of paper and pens thrust in front of them and most spent nearly an hour scribbling their autographs for admiring young fans.

The students at Beachy Cove provided their pre-event interpretation of what Targa was all about.

Prologue 2 was about 20 km back toward St. John’s and then along the coast. Though less than 7 km, it still presented a challenge with plenty of never the same curves and elevation changes. A Sunbeam Tiger fell prey to the wet road surface and slid up an embankment, but neither driver nor co-driver were injured (though they went to the hospital for a checkup… just to be sure).

Two Australian teams, both veterans of Targa Tasmania, are quickest. The AWD Turbo Porsche of Mark Saxby and Martin Rees was the clear standout, setting fast times on both Prologues. The mighty Mustang of Len and Gayle Cattlin was 2nd, despite running autocross tires on the slippery roads.

Several teams who look like contenders for overall were obviously sandbagging, as the slowest teams will start first. Slow in the Prologues means better road position on the first day of competition. It may work to their disadvantage as well, as they could catch slower cars on the stages, which would cost them time.

There are eight stages scheduled for Tuesday, but the final one of the day, the longest at 32 km, will be shortened due to a misunderstanding with some businesses that front the intended course.

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2002

The first day of the Targa Newfoundland began poorly. There was some light rain and fog, enough to make the roads a little slippery. As we waited at the start of Stage 1, word came down that Car 0, the course opening car, had gone off a few kilometers into the stage. Another car swept the course and the rally was finally underway a few minutes late.

We — Scott Giannou and myself in Scott’s Porsche 911 Targa — started 10th on the road. We passed the stricken Car 0 — a new Jaguar X-type AWD sedan loaned by a local dealership — and a few turns farther were waved down by the team in a Mustang that started just ahead of us. They were not having a problem but were slowing traffic for another incident. The Volvo P1800 of Stephen and John McCrory that started a few ahead of us had spun off the side of the road with the front end still sticking out onto the roadway. But before the team could get their warning triangles out, an Austin Healey 100 driven by Michael Salter and Richard Paterson came around the corner and t-boned the Volvo. No one was injured in either incident, but two cars were badly damaged and unable to continue. As the second car upon the scene, we made sure everyone was okay, then proceeded on to the finish to report the incident.

Before the word got to the stage start about the Volvo/Healey crash, the 2000 Honda Civic of local drivers Ken Batstone and Adam Sparkes slid off the road and badly damaged the rear end.

Most teams stopped to assist at the Volvo/Healey incident, so scoring the leg was nearly impossible. Organizers wisely chose to drop it from scoring.

The weather began to clear and the roads to dry, so there were no further incidents blamed on damp tarmac. That does not mean there were not incidents. But those were later in the day so let’s move on chronologically.

Everywhere the Targa Newfoundland went, there were people standing along the stages and the transits, taking photos and waving. Many stages started or ran through small towns, and it seemed as if the entire population had taken the day off to watch the rally cars. There were people sitting in lawn chairs in their driveways watching this major motorsports event taking place right in their little town… and they didn’t have to pay $50 apiece for tickets… it was FREE!

One of the last minute details that we needed to take care of on the Porsche was to install the probe for the Terratrip. Unfortunately, the bracket was flexing a little too much and the distances were inconsistent… long on the transits and short on the stages. Consequently, I could only make educated guesses as to where the instructions were executed.

In the long run it didn’t rally matter as Targa timing is based on beating a target time, known as the Base Time. When you beat the Base Time, you get a zero. Lateness is 1 point for each second, early is 100 points per minute. The Trophy Times are generally achievable by driving at a quick, but not full-out pace. Except possibly for the Edison Wiltshire, Targa’s resident Chaplain, piloting a 1951 Citroen Traction Avant; he’s pedalling that French beastie for all she’s got.

The final stage on Tuesday was Osprey Trail West, a 32 km. stage that had to be shortened to 26 km. due to some local misunderstandings over when the rally was to run. There had been delays at the start of most stages, but this one was an additional hour. Still, it did not seem all that long as the teams chatted and joked while waiting for the stage to be cleared.

Just prior to the start of Osprey Trail, Ralph Grant pulled the ex-Heinoen Celica into a service station. The rented Toyota had not run right from the time Grant picked it up. Initially the problem was thought to be finnicky fuel injection, but the indication now was a blown head gasket.

We finally got the word that the stage was ready, and we were off to our cars. Our turn came and we took off down the stage. The instruction at 6.16 km was a long hairpin left, with the admonishment “CAUTION! – Tightens”. Scott came into it too fast and was not prepared for how much it tightened, and the Porsche drifted toward the guardrail on the outside of the turn. I could see it coming but knew it would be a light kiss so I barely puckered. The car hit parallel, so the damage ran from front to rear, but not enough to stop us. Scott did slow a little for the remainder of the stage, but not much.

The Dent!

Porsche repaired and ready for another day of Targa.

We arrived in Clarenville, our overnight stop, and pulled the car into the local hockey arena, our garage for the evening. Within a few minutes one of the local volunteers, Dwayne Eddy, a body shop mechanic, was working his magic. With a pair of hammers and some blocks of wood he had all of the big dents removed within a half hour. Fine finishing would have to wait until another day. Then he set off to make us a new bracket for the odometer probe, something of thicker metal to avoid “flexible kilometers”.

As Jean-Georges Marcotte was in charge of scoring (Marcotte handles scoring for many performance rallies in the U.S. and Canada), it wasn’t long before scores were posted. So far there are nine teams with a clean sheet … including us!

[ Scores are posted HERE. ]

But it had been a long, tiring day, and tomorrow looked even longer, so most drivers turned in early. Those who didn’t, got Screeched. Screech is a Newfoundland tradition… Screech is a strong rum that goes back to the sailing tradition. Following copious amounts of Screech and a secret ceremony that involves kissing a cod, one may be allowed to become an official Newfoundlander.

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002

All has gone well today. There was a two and a half hour transit south to the Burin area where we ran three stages, had lunch, then ran the same three stages backwards. One of those was through the town of Marysville, a bit controversial because one resident was dead set against the rally passing through town. In response, organizers put a cap on speeds with serious penalties for those who exceeded them. Residents were a bit disappointed at not getting “the full Monty” but were thrilled to see the cars in action nonetheless. There were no serious offs on any of the stages, an occasional missed left at sideroad but no visits to the ditches.

But the PEOPLE! Hundreds of people lining the streets of the towns we raced through. This might as well be EUROPE! Think of famous tarmac rallies such as in Ireland, Corsica and San Remo! Zipping down a one lane alley with buildings on either side, past houses, churches, schools, grocery stores, and flocks of people lining the roads. At the lunch break there were so many people crowded around, especially around Jerry Churchill’s Dodge Viper, that it was nearly impossible to see the cars. Did I mention there are a LOT of spectators?

And Marshalls. It seems like there are more marshalls on Each stage than at some entire rallies in the U.S. The organization has treated them well, providing caps and jackets for all, and giving them plenty of training. There is still some confusion, but as the days progress, the timing crews are more efficient.

Crowds of people lined the roads.

Churchill’s bright red Viper probably gets the most attention as it has been modified to nearly full race trim. Every place it stops for a few moments, adolescent boys call to one another, “Oooo, a Voipa.” One marshal said there was a pair of youngsters near where she was standing, and when Churchill’s machine bottomed out on a rough section, one turned to the other and said, “He scrope it!”

Two memories really stand out from the Burin stages. One was on the Frenchman’s Cove-Garnish stage, where someone was in a boat on the lake alongside the road, standing up, taking our photo. The other was along the waterfront in Burin – a sharp right turn along a cliff with a long plunge into open water if you missed the turn. There were two Coast Guard boats just below, one with divers at the ready. Amazing!

Thanks to the new sending unit bracket fashioned by Dwayne Eddy, the Terratrip was correct all day long. That has built confidence on both sides of the car. Tonight Dwayne is modifying a set of just arrived brake pads that were a little thick for our 911’s calipers. We are looking good for the remainder of the rally.

After yesterday’s little bash against a guardrail, Scott and I had a discussion about finishing this event. After all, we are in a 26 year old car and there are still four days of rallying. He says he has already considered that, plus his rookie status, and will try to quell his enthusiasm at the wheel.

Fortunately, our revised strategy is working as we had a clean run and no missteps. As of this point we are among six teams who have no penalties. Many teams, however, have picked up road points checking in to stage starts (ATCs) due to confusion over the scoring and timing system.

We have four stages on the way to Gander on Thursday, with a final 6 km stage in a suburban housing development within the Gander city limits.

A member of the law enforcement community watches with interest at the beginning of a stage.

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002

Leg 3 – Clarenville to Gander

Five stages today, all north of Clarenville and finishing off with a stage within the Gander city limits. They ranged in length from 4.34 km. to 11.73 km.

The transit followed the Trans Canada Highway through Terra Nova National Park, exiting at Gambo to follow the “Road to the Shore”. From the time we hit the Road to the Shore there were people in all the towns waving us on… on the transits! Driving through Gambo I was particularly impressed at all the employees in their uniforms standing outside a supermarket, and ladies wearing aprons and hairnets in front of a bakery. It seemed as though the whole town had taken a few moments to cheer us on.

It was that way in all the towns up to the stages, it even looked like school had been let out just to see the Targa Newfoundland Parade as there were supervised groups of children waving and cheering.

A stop at a gas station had dozens of people, especially adolescent boys, crowding around and asking questions. It was all the competitors could do to fuel up quickly and hit the road again.

The day’s second stage, Musgrave Harbour, was a medium-fast through a heavy residential area. It was fairly rough, especially in our lowered Porsche. It was also the first stage where the Base Time was virtually impossible to meet, meaning we – and virtually all other teams – picked up our first penalties.

Then it was on to lunch at the Muddy Shag Lounge. It was a fairly typical rural tavern, a community unto itself.

The Muddy Shag Lounge.

The scoring team – Frank and Jean-Georges – set up in a corner of The Muddy Shag.

The stage in Gander was UNBELIEVABLE! The 6.34 km stage was held in a housing development… yes, your average suburbia, where you would normally see minivans, bicycles and kids playing street hockey (this is Canada, after all). Banner tape was stretched along the front yards and we were allowed to have a go. You’ll have to see the photos.

Two contenders for the overall big bore win went out on the Gander stage. Jud Buchanan’s Acadian lost the clutch and was seen parked in someone’s driveway along the route. The Porsche AWD Turbo of Mark Saxby and Martin Rees blew an engine on the stage; though they say it never revved over 5000 rpm.

Friday, Sept. 20, 2002

The Targa teams began to leave Gander at 8 a.m., but two cars were not among them.

The supercharged Mustang V8 of Rick Squires and Albert Kenny was nearing the end of a head transplant which had begun at 8 pm the night before. Squires had apparently over-revved the engine as it was suffering from stretched valves. The work was completed about 9:30, too late to compete in the morning’s stages, so they met the group at the lunch break.

Another late starter was Jerry Churchill, whose Viper refused to start. The problem was eventually traced to a fuel pump, which was replaced and the mighty V-10 fired up again. Churchill hurried to catch up to the rally, a little too much perhaps as the RCMP clocked him at 188 kph. The arresting officer was lenient, however, and the fine was only $140 CDN.

Viper driver Jerry Churchill signs another autograph while a young fan looks on.

Today’s course took us north, with stages through Norris Arm and Botwood, then on the only road to Leading Tickles, a small fishing community. That solitary road was closed to regular traffic for the competition. The fastest cars were able to reach speeds up to 230 kph (140 mph) on the straights.

John Cassidy had a moment near the end of the stage when a tire on his ProRally Subaru blew and he spun onto the gravel shoulder. A few feet either way and he might have had to return to Clarenville on the back of a tow truck. Fortunately, he did not hit anything and limped the last km. or so into the finish.

Lunch in Leading Tickles was strictly local fare. The options were:

• Jiggs Dinner – a boiled dinner with potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and salt beef as the meat.
• Fish and Brewis – salt cod, soaked overnight to remove some of the saltiness, and cooked with hard bread (hard tack).
• Fish and Chips – fresh, not frozen, North Atlantic Cod, battered and deep fried, with skin-on French fries.

Premier Roger Grimes (center) dines on Fish and Brewis in Leading Tickles.

The main tourist attractions in Leading Tickles are whale and iceberg watching. The rocky coast reminded me of parts of Maine, Oregon or even Minnesota along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

After our three hour stay in Leading Tickles, the road was again closed to traffic and the Targa cars raced south. The remaining two stages were the other two that had run in the morning, in reverse direction.

Our car, the 1976 Porsche 911 Targa, let us down on the first of the day’s stages. The engine suddenly died on a corner. While we quickly ascertained that the problem seemed to be a distributor cap that had fallen off, it took awhile to get the car re-fired, long enough that we reached maximum lateness. Consequently, we did not run the morning’s three stages and took a 30 minute penalty.

We did run the three in the afternoon — without penalty — and should be able to complete the event. One concern is the inside right constant-velocity joint, as the boot has ripped and grease is leaking out. With assistance from Rick Baye of Porsche North America, the boot has been packed full of CV grease and we should be good to go for the final day.

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2002

Leg 5 – Southern Avalon

The final day was also probably the most brutal. Eight stages and over 500 km of driving. Most positions were secure, only mistakes would change the standings.

Unfortunately, that was the case with the Datsun 280Z of Jack MacDonnell and Carson Rasmussen. They were a DNF on the day’s second stage. The final 2 km of the 7.5 km stage were run through the town of Placentia. The last instruction before the Flying Finish was a sharp right with the warning “Caution! tightens. Sea wall barrier on outside.” MacDonnell came in too fast, locked up the brakes and slid straight into the curb and the sea wall. The left front strut folded under and the front end hit the metal barrier. Were it not for the sea wall, the “Zed” would have gone into the water.

Another late near retirement was the 1938 Alfa Romeo of father and son John and Andrew Lawson of Australia. The engine began to spew oil after the day’s first stage and the diagnosis was a holed piston. The Lawsons skipped a few stages but went on to the final two short sections held in towns, thereby classed as a finisher. Theirs was the only car in the Historic classification, so they take home the honor of being the first in that class to win Targa Newfoundland.

Today also saw the longest leg of the rally, 43.21 km. It began with a short blast through the streets of Branch, then followed the coast road to North Harbor. There was a substantial penalty for averaging over 132 kph (about 80 mph) on any stage, and with only sweeping turns on the road, it was quite easy to travel at 150 to 200 kph. Consequently, many teams slowed or stopped near the finish to keep from coming in too early and collecting the penalty.

The final two stages were short, in town demonstrations. Witless Bay was 3.74 km and base times were generous so the teams would not have to push hard to achieve a zero score. It was still quite technical and kept Targa co-drivers busy reading instructions. The run through Bay Bulls was only 1.16 km, but still a challenge as the base times had been set to ensure penalties. With such a short stage the penalties would be minimal, not enough to matter at the end… except in one case.

The Falcon of Tom McGeer and Mark Williams led the Mustang of Jeremy Hill and Lennox McNeely by only two seconds in the battle for second position overall. Both knew that they could not lollygag through the stage. McGeer was out first, but what Hill would not know until the stage was finished was that he spun the Falcon, losing about 26 seconds. Consequently, Hill also attacked the section and captured second overall on the final stage.

There was a moment as the cars pulled into Park Expose at Bay Bulls that is so euphoric. Each driver and co-driver was welcomed by the others as they pulled in. There was much shaking of hands and hugging. We had done it! We had survived a week of Targa Newfoundland… the 1ST Targa Newfoundland. Only this elite group would ever be able to say that.

Tim Winker,
Co-driver, Car #502
1976 Porsche 911 S
1st in Category 5
12th overall 

Targa Newfoundland 2002 Scores

Targa Newfoundland has updated the rules for 2025 to enhance safety while keeping the event exciting and challenging for entrants of all levels of skill and experience.

The most significant changes are in the Targa 1 division. Top speed has been increased to 155 kph in Targa 1 and cars entered in this competitive category must now have a minimum of a single hoop rollover protection. Removable roll bars are acceptable. Targa allows this so teams can return their cars to stock appearance after the rally.

Roll bars have long been required in every division for open and convertible cars like the Team Jellybean Beaumont shown below. Roll cages are optional in Targa 1 and mandatory in Targa 2.

With the top speed in Targa 1 increased to 155 kph, the executive team decided greater rollover protection was necessary for this competitive class.

• The single hoop is intended to protect the driver and co-driver in the event of a rollover.
• The dimensions of the bar are based on the weight of the vehicle.
• Bars can be mounted permanently or removable (all or sections).
• The roll bar hoop and all braces must be made of seamless or ERW or DOM mild steel tubing or chrome molybdenum alloy steel such as SAE 4125 or SAE 4130.
• The rollover hoop must meet the following vehicle weight specifications:
  

Open and convertible cars like Team Jellybean’s Beaumont have long been required to have a roll bar in every division. New in 2025, all cars entered in Targa 1 will need roll-over protection.

Lessons from Targa Tasmania

“Targa Newfoundland has worked hard to achieve an exemplary safety record and this is still our number priority. Over the past 10 events, we and our competitors have successfully reduced our incident rate to almost zero. In fact there have been only a couple of minor off course excursions in recent years,” says Targa chairman Robert Giannou.

Targa Newfoundland saw what happened at Targa Tasmania in Australia where there have been fatalities in recent years.

“The Targa executive team made these adjustments after studying the experiences of Targa Tasmania, which has been doing this even longer than us. We want to ensure Targa Newfoundland continues to be competitive, challenging, and exciting while also being as safe as possible for teams in every division.”

Cars competing in Targa 2 must have a full roll cage like the one in Savage Rallysport’s Ford Fiesta.

Rule changes for all divisions

Other changes for all divisions concern recce runs and pace notes. Recce (i.e., reconnaissance) runs won’t be allowed once a leg has started for a given day. Pace notes are not permitted in the rally. Detailed route books are provided prior to the start of Targa.  

Rules and Regs

Sadly, we lost another member of the extended Targa Newfoundland family this week. Ken Simmons was a respected journalist and long-time fan of motorsports and car culture. He competed in three Targa Newfoundland rallies as a co-driver, earned a certificate from the Bridgestone Racing School at Ontario’s Mosport track, and wrote a weekly column in The Telegram newspaper in St. John’s (later the Saltwire Network) about cars and racing. On the artistic side, Ken taught himself to play guitar, paint and create stained glass pieces for family and friends.

This is how we was described in the newspaper below his column: Ken Simmons, The Telegram’s new media editor, breathes exhaust and exhales clean, fresh air.

“Ken was way ahead of his time,” says Targa founder Robert Giannou. “When he worked with the Telegram he pushed motorsports as far as he could even when he was sports editor. He was a serious friend of the event. He will be missed and our sport has lost a serious and dear friend.”

He passed away on November 17, 2024. He was 62. We offer our condolences to his family and friends. You can read his obituary here and below.

Kenneth Simmons

March 20, 1962 – November 17, 2024

Ken Simmons passed away peacefully on November 17, 2024, aged 62 years old. His final days were spent surrounded by a revolving door of family members, longtime friends, and treasured colleagues. Ken has joined his beloved mother Pearl, who passed last December. In a strange twist of fate, Ken and his mother are reunited almost 11 months to the day.

Left with a lifetime of precious memories to cherish forever – his loving wife of 30 years Karen, son Johnathon (Hayley), daughters Wendy and Sherry (Ronnie), granddaughter Lily, sister Jennifer, father Bruce (Pearl), and sisters-in-law Beverly (Roland) and Coreen (Alvin).

Ken wore a LOT of hats: father, brother, grandfather, uncle, cousin, journalist, reporter, photographer, editor, musician, singer, motorcycle enthusiast, avid book collector, stained glass artist, and race car driver (well, navigator, which he would argue is an important distinction), but you most often would see him rocking his Tilley hat… Even though he was more likely to be watching Jeopardy than watching birds.

A peep into Ken’s jam-packed home office will give you a lot of insight into who he was as a person. Amongst a billion books, comics, music gear, and car-related stuff, family photos are tucked in absolutely everywhere – a physical reminder that his deep love for his family was immeasurable, and that he always wanted to keep us near him (even if he was hiding from our shenanigans in his basement refuge).

A glimpse at Ken’s social media will show you a lot of pictures of “smiley dog” Lola, pictures from jams with friends, posts about car and motorcycle culture, love and support for local arts and artists of all disciplines, with a good few anti-capitalism or cheeky political memes sprinkled throughout.

Ken will be remembered by many as someone who could always bring laughter into a room, with his big booming laugh, wide smile, loving demeanor, and big bear hugs. He’ll also likely be remembered for his quick wit and mild sass – With over 40 years in media, it’s no surprise that he had a way with words… to make you laugh, to inspire you, or just to make you think. He’ll also probably be remembered for his ever-expanding collection of ridiculous t-shirts featuring awful puns – a true Dad in purest form.

Visitation will take place in Hickey’s Funeral Home, 570 Conception Bay Highway, Conception Bay South on Thursday, November 21 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a service in Hickey’s Memorial Chapel at 6:30 p.m. To send a message of condolence, please visit www.hickeysfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of donation, Ken’s children request that you take time to call your dad, or another loved one. Life is precious and fleeting – Celebrate those little moments of joy, love, and connection whenever and wherever you can.

Tom Clenche of Petley on Random Island, NL joins an exclusive group of volunteers who have been awarded the Spirit of Targa trophy in recognition of their work to support Targa Newfoundland. Only nine volunteers have received this award over the rally’s 22-year history.

For the past two years, Tom, together with his son, Thomas, ensured that the north side of the Random Island stages, which run through the communities of Lower Lance Cove, Britannia, Petley, and Aspen Cove, were properly taped off and that residents were made aware of Targa’s timetable.  

Tom ensured his sons and their friends were on deck early on “Targa Day” and started taping off the stage even before our set up team arrived on scene. After the stages ran, they removed all the tape and Tom took it upon himself to conduct a survey of the residents of these four communities to ensure all had a say on the event. The results of his survey were excellent with virtually all saying they enjoyed watching the day’s fun from behind the safety tape. 

Shell collector and naturalist

When Tom isn’t helping Targa, he’s an avid naturalist and shell collector. He also collects coins and stamps from around the world.

“I love to boat, fish, swim and snorkel and take photographs of all the flora and fauna of my home island,” says Tom.

He has an impressive collection of shells from Newfoundland and around the world that he studies and catalogues. “I have been a life-long shell collector and have a lot of different species. Salt water, fresh water and land shells are all collected, when I can find them.”

Volunteers wanted

Tom is already busy planning ahead for the rally next fall and recruiting other volunteers on Random Island.

If you’d like to be part of the action too, volunteer for Targa 2025.

Apply to volunteer.

We’re expecting a competitive field for Targa Newfoundland 2025 based on strong, early demand. No sooner had the checkered flag waved on the exciting 2024 edition of the legendary tarmac rally and competitors were clamouring for spots in Targa 2025.

Fifteen teams have registered already with more lining up. That includes five teams so far in Targa 2, the fastest division for cars with full roll cages, and seven in the Targa 1 competitive division. We also have teams signing up for the non-competitive Targa Tour adventure, which provides a memorable motorsport experience on the same amazing stages as the competitive divisions.

“We’re thrilled to see several returning teams, including a couple that are moving up from Targa Bambina in 2024 to the full eight-day Duemila competition,” says Joe Dowden, Targa president.

If you’ve always dreamed of racing the real roads of the Rock, 2025 is your year! What are you waiting for? Apply now for the ultimate tarmac rally experience!

Targa Newfoundland 2025 is set for September 11-18, 2025.

Registration is now open.

Targa Newfoundland 2024 was kind of boring for Ryan Burrill and Elizabeth (Liz) Sullivan but in a good way. The two doctors enjoyed their time at their first Targa, making sure everyone was safe, watching the cars flash by, and driving from stage to stage of the rally. But they were quite happy their medical services were not needed.

Targa Newfoundland has a safety record second-to-none in the world of rally racing, but organizers never leave that to chance. Once again, there were no injuries in the 2024 event though the two doctors were on hand throughout the rally just in case something happened. Both are experienced at providing medical care at the highest levels of motorsports, so Targa competitors were in excellent hands.

A lifelong racing fan, Ryan is an ER doctor in Liverpool, Nova Scotia who now also provides medical services at Formula One, IndyCar and Canadian Superbike motorcycle races. “I wanted to incorporate my love of racing into my job.”

When he’s not practicing medicine, you’ll find the racing doctor behind the wheel of his own race-prepped Miata at a track or driving his Subaru WRX rally car on dirt roads at speeds that blur the trees.

What attracted him to Targa?

“I grew up watching Targa on videos so it was something I wanted to do, and it is as insane as I thought it would be. On the logistical side of things, I’m not sure how they continue to pull this off year after year,” said Ryan.

“I thought we should be here so I reached out to Rob (Giannou, Targa founder and chairman) to come and then we were able to get Liz on after chatting with her program director in IndyCar in Toronto.”

Liz is an emergency room doctor in Indianapolis, Indiana, home to one of the most famous races in the world, the Indy 500. In addition to working on the medical team of the IndyCar Series, travelling to races across North America, she works with several other series.

“I’m an ER doctor and then I decided I’m not done with school yet so I’m doing a motorsports medicine fellowship. With that, I work on the medical team with the IndyCar Series and I get to play with lots of other racing series, which is how I ended up here. I work with lots of others – WRC USA Rally, NHRA and NASCAR and soon IMSA and USAC as well – a whole bunch of different kinds of racing.”

Which one is most challenging?

“Rally by far is the craziest medical safety wise,” she said. “It’s just so much fun to be a part of it and see if we can make it better in some way, shape or form.”

Did they mind not having much to do during Targa Newfoundland?

“We like to be pleasantly bored watching cars go fast,” said Dr. Sullivan with a broad smile. 

“We’re just trying to make things as safe as possible,” added Dr. Burrill.

Both of the racing doctors plan to come back to Targa. We might even see Ryan as a competitor someday.

Targa Newfoundland 2025 is set for September 11-18, 2025.

Registration is now open.

The new registrar of Targa Newfoundland is no stranger to the famous rally. It’s in his blood. Wayne Lorenzen has done it all when it comes to Targa. He has been a co-driver, crew member, marshal, volunteer, and spectator since Targa first raced through his hometown of Gander more than 20 years ago. 

“Targa went right by home,” says Wayne, who continues to live in the Newfoundland town. “I’ve always been a rally fan. I watched Targa for six years then volunteered for a couple more before I was asked to be a navigator.”  

Wayne did a certified course in Ottawa in order to race in Targa as the co-driver for Sideways Motorsports with Brad Melendy in a 1986 IROC Z race car for several years. “We never had an off but once blew a motor and had to install a new one in Marystown after shipping it from Gander.” The pair raised over $30,000 for Central Health over the years they raced together and established an auto slalom event in Gander called Fly Your Car In Gander, which continues to this day. 

After Sideways Motorsports he established a new team call MaxZen Racing with Gordon Maxwell. They raced for several years in various Targa events and raised funds for autism and epilepsy.    

Growing up in Gander, famous for its airport and role in taking in thousands of stranded travellers grounded there after the 9/11 attacks, it’s perhaps only natural that he worked in the aviation industry for 37 years. That included stints with Transport Canada, NAV Canada, and a local flight school.  

“Aviation is all about safety and logistics which also crossover to racing,” he says. “I helped NAV Canada develop a culture of safety. The same mentality applies to racing.”  

He also served as national vice president of Local 2245 Air Traffic Services for the Canadian Autoworkers (CAW) and was a town councillor.  

“That leadership position helped me with conflict management and thinking outside the box,” he says. “My strengths are optimism and keeping an open mind. The only bad idea is the one you don’t discuss. Even a ridiculous one could have some value.”  

Teaching has been a significant part of his professional and personal life. Wayne taught ground school to private pilots, operated a martial arts school for over three decades, and assisted in a training program for drivers and navigators in Targa Newfoundland.  

He’s a true motorhead with diverse interests that include all motorsports, sports cars, motorcycles, photography, remote control planes, and playing guitar. He’s the proud owner of a 1983 BMW 320i (E21), a couple of antique Kawasaki motorcycles, and a BMW sport touring bike.  

What has kept him involved with Targa Newfoundland all these years?  

“I love Targa. It’s such a unique, dynamic motorsport event. The location on the island of Newfoundland makes it different. It’s not just about the stages and closed roads, it’s the adventure, the scenery, and the people – the whole package. You’re not going to find this situation anywhere else in the world.” 

As registrar, Wayne oversees the registration process for Targa entrants and addresses participants’ inquiries and issues related to registration, event details, and logistics.   

Wayne (in red racing suit) with Andy Proudfoot (left) and Brad Melendy (centre), his former racing partner.