Driver: Randy Pobst
Co-driver: Paul Abbott
Vehicle: 1989 Porsche 911 Targa
Country: Canada/USA
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.
