Father and son trade two wheels for four to take on Targa
John Hueston and his son Brett have years of experience racing motorcycles and bicycles, but the lure of Targa Newfoundland inspired them to try their hand at a car rally.
John raced motocross in the 1970s and ’80s, including a factory ride with Yamaha. Both he and Brett have raced mountain, road and track bikes as well. But Targa will be their first time racing a car in a tarmac rally.
John and Brett have followed Targa since seeing early coverage in the Toronto Star and on SpeedVision years ago. Both decided one day it would be great to compete, especially after seeing the scenery in Newfoundland.
“The event has appealed to us since its founding,” said Brett. “We’ve been talking for too many years about ‘next year, we’ll do it’. We’re finally committed. The roads look like fun, the event sounds great, and the scenery is amazing. It’s an opportunity to explore the capabilities of enthusiast cars on real roads, and what talent we wish we had.”
The challenge was finding the right car. At 6-foot-1 (John) and 6-foot-4 (Brett), choosing a car largely came down to fit. “Thankfully, the Subaru, which seemed like a perfectly balanced car for Targa, came without a sunroof and a couple small ‘Gurney bubbles’ so we will be snug with helmets on.”
John and Brett are the third and fourth generation in the family business, Aylmer Express Graphics Group, their commercial printing and publishing company in Aylmer, Ontario which traces its history back to 1880. Their Subaru will proudly bear the company logo as they blast through the Newfoundland landscape this September.
We lost a beloved member of the extended Targa Newfoundland family earlier this year. Roger Hodder of Georges Brook-Milton, NL was a long-time member of Team EZRA with the Faster Pastor, Edison Wiltshire.
A master mechanic, Roger helped prepare and maintain the 1977 Citroen CX GTi that Edison and his wife Margo ran in Targa in 2006. From his experience at Import Specialties, Roger was no stranger to European cars having worked on Citroens, Renaults, Jaguars, Fiats, BMWs and Mercedes over the years. Roger was proud to be part of the only Targa team from the Clarenville area.
He died suddenly in March 2024 at the age of 69. Our condolences to his family and friends. You can read his obituary here.
Targa Newfoundland 2024 ended a week ago and I am still buzzed from driving in the rally for the first time. Six days of driving, 2000 km of fun and challenging roads, gorgeous scenery, and wonderful people adds up to an unforgettable experience.
I saw the coverage of past Targas years ago and it left an indelible impression. When I moved to Newfoundland and Labrador and discovered Targa was still running, I eagerly offered to volunteer. I’ve been writing about this legendary event since March as the media relations manager but writing about Targa and experiencing it firsthand are two different things.
Sharing driving and navigating duties with Targa veteran Wayne Lorenzen, we lead the non-competitive Fast Tour as the guide car in my mostly stock 2015 VW GTI. It was the thrill of a lifetime for me. I’m hooked.
Driving fast on a closed, roller coaster section of coastal highway on the Cape Shore with two BMWs close behind; blasting through the streets of Gander and Bay Bulls at speed with crowds waving and cheering; and finally, navigating the tight, winding lanes of historic Brigus in the rain – it was an amazing, incomparable experience for a gearhead like me. It was like living out scenes from the movies “Gumball Rally” about a cross country road race or “The Road Warrior”, minus the hordes of feral gangs of course.
My fast and trusty, nine-year-old VW GTI (“Heidi”) performed flawlessly. I wish I could say the same about me. It was the best time I’ve ever had in a car – well, driving anyway.
If you’ve never been to Newfoundland and Labrador, put it on your “must visit list” as it’s truly a spectacular, enchanting, and special place – the scenery, the people, the history, and the food.
If you’ve always wanted to drive in Targa Newfoundland, the only tarmac rally of its kind in North America, what are you waiting for? Put that on your “must do list” and apply now.
After six long, grueling days, 2000 km of stages and transits across the island of Newfoundland, and variable weather conditions, the final stage in the historic town of Brigus decided the winners of Targa Newfoundland 2024.
Standings in the competitive Targa 1 division were tight all week with different teams grabbing the lead after different stages and some others running into mechanical woes.
Team Targa Tackles Targa with racing legend Randy Pobst from Atlanta, Georgia and Paul Abbott, his co-driver from St. John’s, took the lead after the Random Island stages in a vintage 1989 Porsche 911 Targa.
They faced tight competition from several teams, including Rob Thompson and Justin Ronayne of Newfoundland MotorHead Racing in a wickedly fast Lachute-modified Subaru STI; the surprisingly quick Mercedes C43 AMG of N*Synchro teammates Corey Finkelstein and Tom Pokorny; Justin and Erin Crant of Husband + Wife Racing who were flying in their winged BMW 135; and Targa newcomers Brett and John Hueston of Aylmer Express who were impressive in their Subaru BRZ. It was anyone’s rally to win.
The final day of competition greeted teams with steady rain and standing water. That didn’t seem to slow them down as they charged along some of the most difficult stages of the week including narrow, twisty and rain-soaked roads through Colliers, Conception Harbour, Marysvale, and Georgetown.
But the most challenging stage of all was the final one in Brigus with a winding course through streets barely wider than the cars, past unforgiving stone walls, over a one lane bridge, around tight turns, and up and down hills. The Crants faced an extra obstacle with a puncture that knocked them down the standings but a tire change in record time got them back in the rally.
After three hot, timed laps through town past some drenched but enthusiastic spectators, Pobst and Abbott claimed a well-earned victory in the competitive Targa 1 division. Team Newfoundland MotorHead Racing took second place while Husband + Wife Racing clawed back from fifth to third.
This is the second Targa 1 title for Randy Pobst, who adds it to his impressive collection of about 100 professional race wins in a variety of sports car classes over his illustrious career. This is Paul Abbott’s fourth Targa and second win.
“Paul invited me to drive his vintage Porsche 911, and it was fantastic,” says Pobst. “There is nothing else like Targa Newfoundland. It’s the thrill of the open road at speed. It’s a unique thrill and experience that you can’t find anywhere else.”
The Targa 2 title for cars with full roll-cages went to the Prince Edward Island team of Keir Pollard and Lance Campbell in their first Targa Newfoundland. They raced a rally-prepped 2006 MINI Cooper S JCW that once belonged to Targa co-founder Doug Mepham and never put a wheel wrong.
“I want to thank the volunteers and all the organizers for doing a fantastic job and making this a real pleasurable experience,” says Keir Pollard. “Lance and I (had) the time of our lives.”
Drivers and co-drivers from across Canada, the United States, and as far away as Germany competed on 18 teams this year. They included competitors from four states – Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey – and five provinces – British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, PEI, and across Newfoundland and Labrador.
Registration is now open. Do you have what it takes to compete?
There is nothing else like Targa Newfoundland. It’s the thrill of the open road at speed. It’s a unique thrill and experience that you can’t find anywhere else.
Randy Pobst, sports car racing legend and multiple Targa Newfoundland winner
Corner Brook team fulfilling childhood dream to race Targa.
For Devon Knight from Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Targa bug bit him early. He’s wanted to race Targa ever since he was a kid. From a young age he watched Targa on the Speed Channel and dreamed of competing.
“I got to watch the stages around Gander one year when I was in middle school and absolutely loved it,” says Devon.
After high school he moved to the Toronto area where he took driver training and spent most weekends taking part in track days on various road courses around southern Ontario. He also started competing in autocross events there and once he returned to the west coast of Newfoundland, he helped start autocross there with the Western Speedpark group.
Co-driver Logan King-Gaudon is from Black Duck Siding near Stephenville. Both work at Long Range Outdoors in Corner Brook. Logan has been racing autocross since it started on the west coast and has always ridden hard on snowmobiles and dirt bikes. He is a mechanic which could come in handy during Targa.
“The car we will be racing is my 2015 Mustang GT. Overall the car is fairly stock but has some suspension work such as sway bars, poly bushings, subframe bracing, and more from when I used the car on road courses. The thousands of kilometres I have put on it in autocross and road courses definitely help for entering Targa,” says Devon.
Local team eager to push their limits in Targa Bambina.
Cameron Combdon has always been a car and motorsports enthusiast. He started with a 1988 Fox-body Mustang (which he still has) and learned (and is still learning) to drive, modify and maintain cars for their intended purposes. Cameron has 4+ years of experience racing autocross with his local club, Western Speedpark on the west coast of Newfoundland. He’s competed in the “Fly Your Car in Gander” autocross event three years in a row, taking home first place this year in his Toyota GR Corolla.
“This will be my first time racing Targa and I am excited to learn new driving techniques, meet new people, and have fun pushing the limits of my car over the Newfoundland roads in a controlled environment,” says Cameron.
Co-driver Andrew Keeping is also a die-hard enthusiast who has taken the local autocross community by storm with his impressive driving and navigation skills in only his second year participating. They have similar car interests and are looking to be a strong contender for the event.
They’re certainly committed to Targa. “I purchased this Evo solely to build and race it in Targa this year. My goal is to make it as unique as possible and have it remembered locally as ‘the Targa Evo’”, says Cameron.
This year they’re racing in the Bambina event but already eyeing the full event in future.
Team Bakery Garage brings international flavour to Targa.
Team Bakery Garage is a cross-continental team driven by two cousins, Ralph Wiesbrock of Canada and Matthias Boemke of Germany.
After conquering the Alps and the Autobahn in 2019, the teammates have decided to reprise their adventure in the form an epic Targa Tour.
Ralph is a retiring architect who spends a chunk of his time off playing at Calabogie Motorsports Park and racing his temperamental Miata.
Matthias is a retired engineer with millions of kilometres under his belt unwinding his Miata on the German Autobahn.
Making the journey from Ottawa, Ontario, and Diez-an-der-Lahn, Germany, the duo hopes to encounter wild landscapes, exciting roads, good people, and good cheer. Instead of their Miatas, the pair will bring a 2017 BMW M2 for this motoring adventure.
What inspired the unusual team name, Bakery Garage? “I’m an architect and my wife is a baker,” says Ralph. It’s appropriate that the team sponsor is Sweet Sigrid Nordic Baking.
Team Bavarian Brothers bring the ultimate driving machine to the ultimate road rally!
Brothers – Don and Frank Bray – aren’t actually Bavarian but they are fans of the ultimate driving machines from Germany, and they will race a 1999 BMW M3 this fall in Targa Newfoundland.
Don and Frank were born and raised in Atlantic Canada and have been car enthusiasts for their entire adult lives. Starting in the 1980’s they were hooked on British sports cars including Triumph Spitfires, TR7s, and MGBs. A few American muscle cars followed and then onto BMW and Porsche as they (somewhat) matured.
Frank has some auto service experience from early in his career, and extensive experience in automotive sales. Don pretends to be a “shade tree mechanic” in his spare time and has done a couple of High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) weekends, but neither brother has any (legal) racing experience. They both love driving, tinkering with cars, and experiencing the beauty that Atlantic Canada has to offer. This will be their first time at Targa Newfoundland, and both very much look forward to the experience.
“We were both aware of the history of Targa Newfoundland but really hadn’t thought about taking part until this year,” says Don. “The stories and videos from previous competitors were overwhelmingly positive which definitely drew us in. When combined with the culture, lovely people, and beautiful scenery of Newfoundland, the opportunity was hard to pass up.”
Targa Newfoundland a racing homecoming for Florida brothers
Targa Newfoundland a racing homecoming for Florida brothers
We’re excited to welcome back Rick and Sam Marshall to Targa Newfoundland for a second year. The racing brothers hail from Florida, U.S.A. but they have strong family ties to Newfoundland.
Rick and Sam’s grandfather was born in St. John’s and emigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s. Family reunions and Targa have provided an opportunity to come back and connect with relatives and to make a new Targa family.
As members of Gulfcoast Autocrossers, they enjoy competing in autocross and running fast laps at Sebring. They raced Targa Newfoundland 2023 and are looking forward to returning in 2024. Their goal is to successfully navigate the twisty scenic roads and finish all of the stages!
Their vehicle of choice to race the “Rock” is a slightly modified 2016 Subaru STI. To make it speedy they added an IAG long block, FP Blue Turbo and front mount intercooler. To make it stop: some EBC Red Stuff brake pads!
“The first year we were attracted to racing through beautiful towns and the scenic transits between them. Returning, we are most looking forward to spending time with the Targa family,” says Sam.
Team Targa Tackles Targa in classic Porsche 911 Targa
What better car to race Targa Newfoundland than one called Targa? Racing legend Randy Pobst from Atlanta, Georgia returns to the Rock this fall to defend his Targa 1 title but this time he’ll be behind the wheel of a classic 1989 Porsche 911 Targa, owned and navigated by another Targa class winner, Paul Abbott of St. John’s, NL. And their tongue twisting team name says it all: Team Targa Tackles Targa.
Randy won Targa 1 with Craig MacMullen and John Hume Sr. of the Hume Media team in 2023, adding to his long list of racing victories. Randy is a two-time winner of the grueling Rolex 24 at Daytona, winner of over 90 pro road races including factory contracts with Porsche, Audi, Mazda and Volvo and a member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Hall of Fame. His impressive racing resume also includes four World Challenge GT championships, two IMSA driver’s championships, and two North American Touring Car championships. He also set the modified electric production record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid.
“It’s the thrill of the open road at speed. That’s what I like about Targa Newfoundland,” says Randy. “It’s only in a place like this could you have an event like this where they close public highways and we go tearing across the countryside and end up in a fishing village on the coast at speed. It’s a unique thrill and experience that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Co-driver Paul Abbott of St. John’s has competed in Targa three times including twice as a driver, winning Class 8 Modern in 2009, and once as a co-driver in Open Class. Paul is a past autocross champion in Vinland Motorsport, a racing club in Newfoundland, and an active member of the Porsche Club of America, Acadia Region. The car he and Randy will race this fall is his beloved stock, air-cooled 1989 Porsche 911 Targa.
The first time Paul heard about Targa Newfoundland and saw it for himself was in Flatrock, Newfoundland. “It was year one and I watched it from my driveway!” He spent the next few years as a volunteer and liaison between Targa and Vinland Motorsport, which provided marshals, timing people, and radio operators.
What draws him to Targa? “Targa is my ‘home track’ and I like to showcase what we have to offer here.”
The real question though is do you think you can beat Randy and Paul?
Update:
Randy Pobst and Paul Abbott claimed a well-earned victory in the competitive Targa 1 division in a vintage 1989 Porsche 911 Targa after a tight battle in the 2024 edition of the rally. This is the second Targa 1 title for Pobst, who adds it to his impressive collection of race wins in a variety of sports car classes over his illustrious career. This was Paul’s fourth Targa and second win.
