Targa Newfoundland: Five carmakers seek coveted Targa title in Newfoundland classic

ST. JOHN’S (August 31, 2009) – Two experienced hands, a returning sophomore, a highly anticipated U.S. entry and a smart new name will fill out the roster of auto manufacturers converging on Targa Newfoundland 2009 in search of one of Canadian motorsports most elusive titles.

No fewer than five automakers have registered for this year’s grueling five-day challenge. And while no manufacturer-supported entry has ever won the overall Targa competition, Division, Class and Category wins aplenty show that international car-makers are just a whisker away from capturing the ultimate prize. And to keep the competitive juices flowing, the SIRIUS Satellite Radio President’s Cup intramural competition for manufacturers is also up for grabs.

Long-time Targa supporters and competitors Subaru Canada Inc. and BMW Group Canada’s MINI division will both return with high-powered entries backed by experienced crews hungry for success.

For the seventh year in a row, a factory MINI Cooper S will take the ceremonial start on the St. John’s waterfront on Sunday, September 13. And while the brilliant red MINI Cooper looks nearly identical to the popular car that twice won the prestigious Open Division and has been a Targa stalwart since 2004, this is an entirely new car. Targa Newfoundland co-founder, auto journalist and seven-time Targa veteran Jim Kenzie of Milton, Ontario, will debut a new 2009 MINI John Cooper Works Challenge car in this year’s event with regular co-driver Brian Bourbonniere of Halifax calling the signals as co-driver.

The new car was purpose-built to take part in the John Cooper Works Challenge road racing series for identically prepared cars in Europe and been adapted to rally competition for Targa’s grueling Open Division. A second factory MINI Cooper S Clubman entry, driven by Tom Thornton and Ron Bartleet of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, will compete in Grand Touring under the banner of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.

Subaru, the other seven-year Targa supporter, returns with a familiar car and a new team behind the wheel. A highly evolved Subaru Impreza WRX STI will be entered in the Modern Division of the Targa competition, with automotive journalist Marc Lachapelle of Montreal behind the wheel and Keith Townsend of Toronto in the co-driver’s seat. Among the most popular cars in all of Targa, the blazing blue Subaru has been optimized for Newfoundland’s paved roads and boasts an improved powertrain for 2009. Lachapelle will make his third Targa start after moving over from last year’s class-wining hybrid entry, while Townsend makes his first Targa appearance as co-driver after two very successful years as a driver – in a Subaru, of course.

Almost as popular as the car is the Subaru support team which not only keeps the car in fighting trim for the week but also helps out teams of all stripes with service, parts and advice while delighting children all along the route with a seemingly endless supply of posters, decals and autographs.

Returning for a second year under the Audi Canada banner is the “awesome Audi” of Frank Sprongl of Georgetown, Ontario, and Rod Hendricksen of New Jersey. A genuine fire-breathing, ear-piercing, pavement churning monster from the 1980s heyday of the Group B rally cars, the Audi is making a second appearance at Targa as part of the German company’s celebration of 100 years of history and heritage. Last year, driver Sprongl and co-driver Hendricksen captured Targa’s rugged Open Division with the car, muscling their way past modern competitors and amazing fans along the route.

The entry reunites Sprongl with the marque that made him famous. Driver Frank, of Georgetown, Ontario, and co-driver/brother Daniel Sprongl dominated Canadian rallying with their multiple championships and countless competition wins in a series of Audi cars. Indeed, Frank won the famous Mt. Washington Hillclimb in the car that will make the trek to the start of the 8th Annual Targa Newfoundland.

Two newcomers with very different approaches will join the field when it takes the ceremonial start in St. John’s.

Perhaps the most anticipated entry of 2009 is the Nissan North America-supported Nissan GT-R from California motorsports specialists Stillen in cooperation with Road & Track magazine. Driver Steve Millen has a long list of race and rally victories and championships, and his company (Stillen) is converting the powerful and sophisticated Nissan for Targa competition and chronicling the effort for the magazine’s readers and for its website http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=21&article_id=8014. The GT-R now weighs about one hundred kilograms less than stock, sports carbon ceramic brakes and makes over 600 horsepower.

Millen, and R&T feature editor/co-driver Mike Monticello, are a new partnership for Targa. Both men are from California. Millen has run in the annual Targa New Zealand in recent years but the 2009 Targa Newfoundland will be a first for both men.

But the biggest surprise – and the entry sure to be a fan favourite – is the 2009 smart fortwo cabriolet entered in the Grand Touring competition by Mercedes-Benz Canada. Likely the smallest car in the event, the versatile smart will play host to a rotating crew of drivers from a variety of media outlets during the week. Although the roster of drivers hasn’t been revealed, the diminutive smart is certain to attract attention for its clever design and surprising performance. The list of drivers will be unveiled before the start of the event.

Targa may be the first Canadian motorsport outing for the smart and an unexpected entry in this kind of event, but its compact dimensions, deft handling and fuel efficiency make it a good choice for a competition like Grand Touring, where the emphasis is on precision.

In addition to their Division and class battles, all of the manufacturer-sponsored cars will also compete for the SIRIUS Satellite Radio President’s Cup, a prestigious award for overall results covering all vehicle classes. This competition was first sponsored by SIRIUS Satellite Radio in 2008, when Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada won the inaugural prize.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 8th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 12, 2009, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 19, and will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of the island of Newfoundland, including up to 400 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages. Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first seven editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

From Doug Mepham / MacDonald & Co.