MINI's registered to compete in the 2013 Targa Newfoundland: Doug Mepham/John Solecki 2006 Mini Cooper S JCW Don Sawyer/Skye Sawyer 2006 Mini Cooper S John Hume/Justin Crant 2013 Mini GP Craig MacMullen/Justin Russell 2013 Mini Countryman JCW Targa Newfoundland starts Sept 14 and runs till the 21st. We here at M/A will scour the interwebs daily to keep you updated on progress as best we can.
For reference once things get going, Mepham/Soleki and Sawyer/Sawyer are listed in the Targa Class while Hume/Crant and MacMullen/Russell are in Grand Touring.
Don is one of our customers and we wish him luck. A couple years ago he blew the clutch on day one and I flew to NewFoundland and put a new one in for him to finish the event. Just shows work can be fun as I got to see the event first hand and it is a lot different than we all think. Personally watching the Touring cars is boring. They are basicly just doing a TSD rally and don't have the chance to push the cars like the Targa class. Targa class is go as fast as you can on public roads that are closed.
Wet start for 12th annual Targa Newfoundland ST. JOHN’S (September 15, 2013) – Heavy rain showers affected the driving conditions for the start of the 12th annual Targa Newfoundland rally. The prologue in Flatrock, Pouch Cove, and Torbay was a total success. It prepared teams for the wet weather driving conditions, how their vehicles handle in both the wet and dry, and how to handle unexpected circumstances. A large number of spectators came out in all three communities to enjoy the motor sport action. Fans young and old enjoyed watching the 1965 Ford Mustang of Jack Rogers and CJ Strupp (Indiana) and the local team of Richard Atkinson and Kirk Tarrant of St. John’s in their 1995 Acura Integra skillfully attacking the steep hills and sharp turns of the northeast Avalon communities. The weather and road conditions did contribute to three incidents during the prologue stages. Two had mechanical issues. An engine failure which is being worked on to have the car at the start line in Conception Harbour/Colliers for the morning stage, and another mechanical issue leading to the car going off course causing it minor front end damage. No injuries were incurred by the driver, co-driver, or spectators in that incident. Another car also went off course, causing minor damage to the vehicle and no injuries to the team members or spectators. Former Open Division winners Jim Kenzie (Ontario) and Brian Bourbonnierre (Nova Scotia) in their Kia Optima, and Kia team mates Jacques Deshaies and Guy McKenzie (Quebec) in their Kia Forte Koup enjoyed today’s stages and found the driving conditions gave them a lot of information for the next several days of competition. The weather is always a variable while driving in Targa Newfoundland, adding to the thrill of the event. Monday morning will be the first transit stage when the cars leave the St. John’s area and venture out into the more rural setting of eastern and central Newfoundland. Stages in Colliers, Sunnyside, Port Blandford, and other communities await the teams, with a car show at the Gander Community Centre scheduled for 7pm Monday evening. The Gander area has always been a strong supporter of Targa Newfoundland, and it is expected to show this support over the next couple of days. Full scoring for the event will occur Monday, with valuable timing and safety points up for grabs for those teams who are able to complete the stage in the assigned times. The pressure, and the excitement, increases with each passing day of Targa Newfoundland. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Kzqz22DEg]Targa Prologue 2013 - YouTube[/ame]
Day 1 of Targa Newfoundland 2013 in the books Gander (September 16, 2013) - After dealing with heavy rain showers the previous day, Monday made for wonderful driving conditions in the 12th annual Targa Newfoundland. Sunny skies with brisk winds allowed for the competitors to enjoy the conditions and push their cars to the limits. The stages of the eastern part of the island was today’s backdrop for the race. Colliers, Sunnyside, and Port Blandford all had the competition drive through their communities and they saw an array of driving skills and incidents during the stages. During the morning, the John Curran Memorial Stage in Conception Harbour and Colliers gave the competitors the most challenge. Three cars had minor off’s but returned to the road and continued on in the event. The next stage however, Marysvale, was executed by all teams perfectly. In the afternoon stage of North West Brook the teams began the 29 km run quite successfully. However, one team left the road at about the 12 km mark damaging their vehicle. The crew, as precautionary measure, were taken to a local hospital for observation. The Port Blandford safety marshals realizing their stage would be delayed in order to wait for the ambulance to arrive (one is always on the stage or the stage isn’t run), advised Targa Newfoundland that there would be no issue with the delay. The stage was run approximately 35 minutes late and was completed successfully by all teams. Through today’s action the Classic standings have the British pairing of Gill/Didcock in their Ford RS 1800 Group IV having a 10 second lead over the Ford Mustang of Rogers/Strupp. Both teams are experienced rally racers and are expected to battle each other for the top spot in the division. In the Modern division standings there is a three way tie for first place. Colorado team of Aweida/Aweida in their Ford Mustang FR500S, the local team of Oldford/Oldford in their Subaru WRX STI, and the Mini Cooper S of Mepham/Solecki from Ontario are on the top of the charts. However, four other teams are within a minute of the top spot, so this division will come down to the wire to determine a victor. In the Open division there is also a tie for first place, this time between two teams. The Quebec duo of Bergeron/Kirby in their Subaru STI and the Ontario team of Davenport/Benson in their Subaru WRX are battling it out. Third place of the local team of Atkinson/Tarrant in their Acura Integra are close behind at only 10 seconds. This too will be a battle to the finish. In the Grand Touring division there is a four way tie for first place. McDonald/Fuller, Riddell/DeLange, MacMullen/Russell, and Trickett/Trickett are all going for the top spot. The fifth place pair of Bartlett/Picco are only 2 seconds behind making this a very tight group fighting it out for first place. The competitors and the cars are now in Gander to prepare for tomorrow’s 2nd day of stages. Two car shows that benefit the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador will occur, one tonight and the other tomorrow night at the Gander Community Centre. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBG0OBGL5V8]Targa Newfoundland Day 1 - YouTube[/ame]
Up’s and down’s for the second day of Targa Newfoundland Gander (September 17, 2013) - The second day of competition of Targa Newfoundland lead the event to the Exploits region of the island. Always a favourite of the competitors for its winding roads and long straight stretches, the day was quite successful for a number of competitors. This allowed for them to move up the standings in each of their divisions. In the Classic division, Gill/Didcock still lead the team of Rogers/Strupp by 10 seconds after two days of competition. Today’s stages did not change that fact. Modern division still has a tie for first place, but now involving only two vehicles. The American team of Aweida/Aweida and the local team of Oldford/Oldford are still at the top. The former first place team of Mepham/Solecki have fallen to fifth in the division, yet are only 7 seconds behind first. In the Open division, heartbreak for the former leading team of Bergeron/Kirby who are all but done with the competition with a blown piston in their Subaru’s engine. This has allowed for the Davenport/Benson team to take over first place. A surprising second place to the local team of Hiscott/Cline Abrahams who had to switch vehicle at the start of the event due to lingering engine troubles. Their Mitsubishi Evo is now a Toyota Corolla, which is allowing them to climb the division standings. Grand Touring division still has a four way tie for top spot, with the Bartleet/Picco team falling 3 more seconds behind to leave them a total of 5 seconds behind the top four. This division will probably come down to the last stage on Friday in order to determine a winner. Appleton, Point Leamington, Bobby’s Cove, Pleasantview, and Glover’s Harbour were once again held warm welcomes for Targa Newfoundland and its presence within the communities. A decent number of spectators came out during these mid-week stages to support the teams and witness exciting motorsport competition. The scenery in these communities is quite beautiful and allowing Targa Newfoundland to enjoy this scenery with its international competitors is truly a special experience for all involved. There was a negative to the ending of the day. The stages in Gander had to be cancelled due to safety concerns. The number of volunteer safety marshals were not at the level required to insure a safe event, for both spectators or the competitors. Also the factor of running the stages into the dust time period, reducing visibility for the drivers, was a concern. In the end, Targa Newfoundland did not feel a safe situation was at hand and the decision to cancel the stages was made. Tomorrow Targa Newfoundland will be heading towards the Bonavista Peninsula for the first time in its twelve year existence. The stages on the peninsula should be exciting for all involved. Teams are looking forward to seeing the new stages and the terrain they’ll be dealing with. The weather also seems to be working with us, since it is calling for sunny skies and mid-teen temperatures. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMK_hZ3IY6s]Targa Newfoundland 2013 - Day 2 - YouTube[/ame]
Two people involved in an accident during the first day of the Targa Newfoundland rally are back in the event. Don and Skye Sawyer crashed their Mini Cooper after it hit gravel on the side of the road in North West Brook on Monday. The driver over-corrected and ended up spinning out of control. The co-driver got out ok, but the jaws of life had to be used to get the driver out of the car. Targa says the Sawyers decided to use the family Volkswagen and enter into Fast Tour today, one of the three classes
Knocked down but not out, day three of Targa Newfoundland Clarenville (September 18, 2013) - Having a bad day usually means spilling coffee on yourself or the photocopier eating your documents. But what if your bad day included going off the road in your rally car, damaging it so badly that you can’t drive it anymore, and wondering what you’ll do next? Well, if you are Don and Skye Sawyer, you simply get the family Volkswagen, and enter the thing into Fast Tour, one of the three classes in Targa Newfoundland. Today, they did just that. Don and Skye had an incident on Monday during the North West Brook stage. They left the road and badly damaged their Mini Cooper, which cannot compete in Targa any longer. However, they still had the fire and hunger to finish the competition. The only option left to them, with approval from his wife and her mother, was to enter the family Volkswagen that she was driving around to see her family compete in. Now, it is car 2373. Fitting, since their original number was 373. They were the lead car in Fast Tour in today’s first stage on the Bonavista Peninsula, in Lethbridge. Fitting, a new start for the Sawyers, and a new start for Targa Newfoundland, being on the peninsula for the first time in its 12 year history. The communities of Lethbridge, Brooklyn, Trinity, Goose Cove, New Bonaventure, Port Rexton, and Clarenville welcomed us today with open arms. The majority of the stages were totally new to the competitors. Excitement had been building for some time to venture out and attempt these stages, and there wasn’t any disappointment for anyone involved. The weather was perfect and it greatly improved the mood of everyone. The meal prepared by the women’s group in Trinity was wonderful, and the scenery there is absolutely breathtaking. At the Goose Cove stage, a moose appeared at the start line, causing a delay of about 5 minutes in order to make sure the moose had moved on and it was safe to release the competitors onto the stage. Even the local wildlife wanted to watch the racing. In today’s results we continue to have the Gill/Didcock team leading the Classic division, this time by a commanding 5:52 lead over Rogers/Strupp. Their lead may continue to increase due to mechanical issues with the Rogers/Strupp Mustang that struck that team late this afternoon. Also, an incident with the Brunner/Laitenberg Mustang has knocked that team out of the completion, at least in the Classic division. They will now enter another Ford Mustang into the Fast Tour category just to finish the race and enjoy the drive and experience that is Targa Newfoundland. In Modern, the Targa Newfoundland rookie team of Aweida/Aweida maintain their lead over the rest of the division. Hume/Bartleet sit in second with Mepham/Solecki following closely behind in third. Another disappointing year for the Oldford/Oldford team, as their Subaru WRX STI had a catastrophic engine failure, which has knocked them out of the competition. The Open division still has Davenport/Benson at the top, but with the local teams of Atkinson/Tarrant and Hiscott/Cline Abrahams following close behind. This seems to be the battle that will maintain a strong interest with 2 days left in the competition. The shutout of penalties for the Grand Touring teams is over. Everyone was penalized today for at least one infraction. This now gives the lead to MacMullen/Russell in their Mini Countryman JCW, with the BMW 135i of Riddell/DeLange and McDonald/Fuller in their Audi A6 one and two seconds behind, respectively. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RteutDNnATU]Targa Newfoundland 2013 - Day 3 - YouTube[/ame]
Sunny skies and smiling faces light up Targa Newfoundland Marystown (September 19, 2013) - Another beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the high teens welcomed the competitors and volunteers to the Burin Peninsula for day four of competition. The weather has been absolutely fabulous so far this week during Targa Newfoundland. For late September in Newfoundland, this is quite a nice late summer. Volunteers were able to work on their farmer tans while working on the stages today. Stages today included Boat Harbour and Petite Forte. A couple lovely little community, some of it lying in the middle of a forest-covered valley, and the other part lying along the hills and coastline of the peninsula. These type of stages can cause competitors some trouble, with the blind turns, rolling terrain, and the spectacular views. Luckily there was no incidents on this stage or any stage today. Safety is Targa Newfoundland's number one priority. The late morning Mooring Cove stage was fast, but very straight forward for the competitors. The stage takes them right along the coast in this community. The first Marystown stage that occurred around the lunch hour was quite interesting. Most of the volunteers on this stage were high school students, who did not have school today so that the race could occur without issue in Marystown. But also, it gave them the chance to volunteer and earn high school credits towards graduating in respect to volunteer hours. A win-win situation. The evening stage was no different. A larger fan base came out to view the competitors and a strong volunteer presence was once again on site. The Burin stage was very special. It was the first time back for Targa Newfoundland since 2005. The community welcomed us with open arms. The lunch served by the community was extremely filling. Being able to view the harbour in Burin was truly a Newfoundland experience. But not only was this a unique experience, the chance for the competitors to drive the Burin stage once more is itself a very special. The rolling hills, the sharp curves, and the short speed areas make for exciting racing. I dare to classify this stage as one of the signature stages of Targa Newfoundland. The Frenchman’s Cove/Garnish stage is right along the flat coastline of that area of the peninsula. Add the strong winds off the water, and it is adventure. Today was no different, with pounding waves and fairly strong winds blowing the cars along the stage. There was however an incident where 2 dirt bikes driven by kids were crossing over the stage in the Garnish area. Local RCMP had passed along vital information regarding this which allowed for our incident response team to access the stage after the Grand Touring cars went through to insure the stage was secure and safe for other competitors. Targa Newfoundland would like to thanks these officers for their professional work. Results of the day include the Gill/Didcock team in the Classic division increasing their lead over the Wiltshire/Wiltshire team. With one day left in competition, it is almost a guarantee that Gill/Didcock will win the division. In Modern division, the rookie team of Aweida/Aweida still hold a fairly comfortable lead over Hume/Bartleet. With tomorrow being the last day of competition, this team will have to pull out all the stops to attempt passing the rookie team and steal the win in the division. Also, the Kia factory team of Deshaies/McKenzie had to withdraw from the event today after an engine failure on the first stage of the day. This leaves Kia with just the single entry of Kenzie/Bourbonniere representing the car maker. Davenport/Benson still lead in the Open division, and have a fairly comfortable lead over second place team of Hiscott/Cline Abrahams. This team will keep the pressure on tomorrow, with hopes of the veteran team weltering under the pressure. As well, another team had to withdrawal today due to mechanical failure. Pledger/Willett will now compete in a rental car in Grand Touring for tomorrow’s last day of competition. In Grand Touring, a change in the top spot means MacMullen/Russell is now in charge, with former leaders McDonald/Fuller falling into third. This division will most certainly have more changes by the last stage of tomorrow.
Awards, champagne, and a marriage proposal - Targa Newfoundland, Day 5 St. John’s (September 20, 2013) - The final day of competition in Targa Newfoundland was what most expected in the motorsport community. Competitors pushing themselves and their cars to the limits, an incident that took out a competitor, and division winners that came down to the final stage were all part of the last day of competition in the 12th annual Targa Newfoundland. The day started off chilly and overcast for the competitors as they pulled into Bay L’Argent for the first stage. Volunteers and teams could feel the tension as all knew this was the last day to make moves on the scoring charts. The first stage into Bay L’Argent was quite entertaining. A fairly long stage close to 15 km’s long, it provides for many chances of passing other competitors along the way. Several competitors were passed during the stage. This improved the times of those doing the passing. The length of the stage also allowed for competitors to test their skills and see how their cars would handle during this critical last day of stages. The pressure to improve positioning did cause a competitor to go off course during the Harbour Mile stage. The Porsche 944 of Bartleet/Picco was heavily damaged after it went off course and down a steep embankment while trying to maneuver around a sharp turn on the stage. Both driver and co-driver were not hurt in the incident. However, their chances of winning the Grand Touring division were erased with the incident. The cars then left the Burin Peninsula for the Baccalieu trail area of the island. Brigus was the first stop along this route. The gorgeous heritage homes and the lush vegetation of the area is quite stunning. Having Targa Newfoundland show up in the community does make for an interesting time. A large number of fans did come out to witness the Brigus stage and watch the cars “get air†as they crossed the bridge in the community. Many professional and amateur photographers set their camera views on the bridge to get the perfect action shot. It was then onward to Carbonear and Freshwater for an almost continuous stage through both communities, then finishing up by going through Carbonear one last time. Overall, even though the stage was delayed several minutes due to tapping and safety issues that needed to be resolved, the stages were a great success. After it was onward to the Keg, where a champagne shower was waiting for all the division winners. All competitors came out to congratulate each other on completing Targa Newfoundland. Everyone received their participate medals, while the formal awards will be given out Saturday night during the Award Reception. The winner of the Classic division was Gill/Didcock from the United Kingdom. They were able to beat second place by almost 16 minutes. They were thrilled with the win and look forward to taking the division trophy back to the United Kingdom. The Modern winner was Aweida/Aweida from Colorado, United Stages. This is the first rookie team to ever win a Targa Newfoundland competition division. They were thrilled at winning the division and thanked their support crew for all their hard work in maintaining the car in excellent working condition. In Open division, Davenport/Benson won with an almost 5 minute lead over second place. And in Grand Touring, the team of Riddell/DeLange won to maintain Team Hume’s dominance in the division for the couple of years. This division had several lead changes throughout the competition and came down to the last stage in order to decide a winner. In a very special moment for those involved, Skye Sawyer, the co-driver of the Sawyer/Sawyer entry in the Targa class that had a serious crash on Monday, got engaged Thursday night to her long-time boyfriend. Everyone in the paddock and with Targa Newfoundland couldn’t be more happy for the young couple, especially after the rollercoaster ride of emotions that the week has brought the Sawyer family.