ANNIVERSARY EVENT SET TO SHINE
Targa New Zealand’s 25th anniversary has arrived and it’s set to be our best event ever!
Welcome to the 2019 Targa New Zealand event. Who would have thought way back in 1995 that Targa would become the premier tarmac rally in New Zealand? While there have been many changes over the years, the ethos remains the same: get a group of mates together, find a car that you enjoy working on, and then come and give it a go!
There is a place for every make and model of car, be it an old classic or a vintage car, where you can test your accuracy at maintaining the nominated average speed though the closed road special stages in the Vintage Car Club (VCC) Time Trial, or a more modern car in the Targa Tour, where you get the opportunity to develop your driving skills with a controlled group of like-minded individuals, following the same route as the full-on competition vehicles.
The main attraction will always be the Targa Competition, where vehicles are further subdivided into categories that reflect the amount of development as well as age to cater for the diverse array of competition cars that make up the fleet of ‘hybrid’ vehicles for which New Zealand is renowned. By ‘hybrid’, we mean engine swaps rather than petrol/electric — such as the famed Ford Escort powered by a three-litre V6 Turbo Nissan engine owned by Clark Proctor, and the introduction of the Proto-r VW Polo of Jason Gill, being powered by a 2-litre Turbo Mitsubishi Evo X engine.
In the Modern Competition, there has been a shift to the latest production models, such as the BMW M2, Audi RS5, and Porsche 991 GT3, as these vehicles really only require a roll cage to be fitted and they are ready to go.
However the benchmark remains unchanged: a well-prepared car, a good support team, and a well-tuned crew who can get the best from the car will always be hard to beat. Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn are that team as they approach this year’s event as reigning four-time champions, looking to make it five in a row.
In the Classic Competition, there is an even stronger hold as the Kirk-burnnard family, which has been involved from the start, has shared the spoils among themselves so many times it is hard to keep count. Uncle Barry and nephew Mark both use similar BMW E30 M3s, and they usually make it to the podium — with occasional interruption from one of the V8-powered Holden drivers such as Tony Butler, Bevan Claridge, or Ross Graham.
The camaraderie among the entrants is the glue that keeps these teams coming back, as there will only be a few winners but they all get to enjoy the fabulous roads New Zealand is renowned for.
Nobody embraces this concept better than Mike Lowe in his 1964 Fiat Abarth Corsa 1000, as he returns with ‘Barty 1’ after giving it a small rest over the past few years while he was using its big brother ‘Barty 2’, a 2008 version. Mike is one of the originals from the first Targa New Zealand event in 1995 and has had support from the same sponsor, Enzed; he has made the little car world famous, as he always punches above his weight and is very fond of passing Porsches.
A special thanks goes out to the many thousands of people who make this event happen — from the landowners and residents along the route to the local community groups and schools; the volunteer motor sport officials and, of course, the local councils that facilitate the road closures; the entrants; our full-time office staff; and our event partners that fund and help balance the many moving parts required to put a marathon multi-day rally together.
Thank you all for being part of this occasion. We look forward to bringing you another 25 years of motoring pleasure.