Targa Newfoundland: A team competition

Please note: This article was written for a local motorsports club newsletter. Thus, Internet readers may find some of the references obscure, and the style occasionally too intimate.

The 2002 Targa Newfoundland was sanctioned by CARS (Canadian Association of RallySport). The five-day event was made up three separate performance rallies: for historic, classic, and modern cars, plus a TSD rally. There were 33 special stages covering 500km in the event. Unlike a regular performance rally, where the lowest absolute time wins, in the Targa a crew had to try to cover each special stage faster than the "base time" (handicap) set for their car’s age category. Base times were set for each of nine categories:

Targa Newfoundland Historic (1900-1946)

• Category 1 – all years in Historic

Targa Newfoundland Classic (1947-1976)

• Category 2 – Thoroughbred (1947-1961)
• Category 3 – Early Classic (1962-1965)
• Category 4 – Classic (1966-1971)
• Category 5 – Late Classic (1972-1976)

Targa Newfoundland Modern (1977-)

• Category 6 – Post Classic (1977-1981)
• Category 7 – Early Modern (1982-1990)
• Category 8 – Late Modern (1991-1997)
• Category 9 – Contemporary (1998-)

Our Porsche 944S2 was in Category 7, for cars built from 1982 to 1990. If we were faster than a particular special stage’s Category 7 "base time," then we would get no Targa penalty time for that stage. There would be no advantage for us to going faster than the base time. If we were slower than the base time, then our Targa penalty time would be the difference between the actual time and the Category 7 "base time."

For example, if a stage's base time for Category 7 was 5:12, and we completed the stage in 5:02, then our Targa Time would be zero (because we were faster than the base time). If another competitor (in the same category) went 5:14, then their Targa Time would 0:02 (the difference between their time and the base time).

Base times for more recent Categories were lower (harder) then base times for older Categories. This allowed cumulative penalty times for cars of different ages to be compared, to produce an overall ranking. In addition, all base times were to be harder to attain each succeeding day.

Road penalties also contributed to a crew’s ranking. These penalties occurred when a crew was early or late for the start of a Targa stage, or asked for the wrong time at controls, or used an extra tire, etc. (Modern cars were allowed four tires for the entire event. Classic cars were allowed six. Each additional tire used meant a one-minute penalty.)

While road penalties counted for rankings, they did not count for a crew’s eligibility for a silver Targa Newfoundland Plate. These plates were awarded for completing each and every special stage faster than its respective "Targa time." "Targa times" were higher (easier) than base times, and designed to be attainable by about one-third of the competitors. Thus, winning a Targa plate required speed and consistency, and was something people who didn’t want to go all-out could aim for.

Before the start of the event, our goal was simple: Win a Targa plate. Our goal changed somewhat once the event started. After the first day, it was obvious that the Targa times would be easily obtainable, i.e., winning a Targa plate would be more of a reliability challenge for the car than a driving challenge. Also on the first day, we lost our class competition, a Toyota Celica. This car was the 1982 Canadian rally championship-winner. However, a suspected cracked cylinder head in their TRD engine meant we had now won our Category, given we didn’t break.

Competition for the first couple of days was uneventful due to high (easy) base times. This changed on the third day. The last stage of the third day, Gander, proved to be the driver’s favourite stage of the rally. This 6.34km stage, run in a sub-division, unfortunately also saw the retirement of the odds-on favourite for the outright win, the Saxby/Rees 993 from Australia, with suspected valve-piston contact. The crew of Len and Gayle Cattlin from Melbourne, Australia, were fastest by 11 seconds. In the process, they also gained first overall. The Cattlin’s 1967 Mustang Fastback featured air jacks and a carbon fibre intake. Rumour was the Ford V8 had 485 – of both horsepower and ft.-lbs. of torque.

Cattlin/Cattlin ran a 4:49, a 79km/hr average. Churchill/Roxbury were next in the Viper at 5:00. Arnold/Hull rounded out the top three at 5:03 in the M-Coupe. Arnold said before the stage he "used to autocross a lot, and was pretty good at it back then," which no doubt helped the Californian almost make up a 200hp deficit. We finished fourth, at 5:09. R-compounds like the Cattlin’s had would have been a huge bonus on that stage.

Those were the real times. In terms of Targa penalty times, we were third – behind Cattlin/Cattlin and MacDonnell/Rasmussen (280Z). Churchill/Roxbury and Arnold/Hull were seventh and ninth, respectively. It was clear the category 8 and 9 base times were so low that no modern car could possibly win overall.

After Gander, the Cattlin’s were firmly in first place. With the handicaps, neither Arnold/Hull nor Churchill/Roxbury were in the top five. Classic/Historic-era cars dominated the overall rankings, and the M-Coupe was sixth, and the Viper, thirteenth. The top five overall were:

The results show experience counted. Cattlin/Cattlin and Lawson/Lawson were successful veteran Targa Tasmania crews. McGeer/Williams were reigning Canadian National Rally Champions. Hill was a veteran of Formula Atlantic. Newfoundlander and Targa co-organizer Giannou rounded out the top five, turning in an excellent performance in his first rally with veteran navigator Tim Winker (read about it at vintagerally.com).

We were far out of the top five in 14^th at the start of the third day. Running consistent fourth-fastest times (absolute, not penalty) on special stages, we finished the day in 11^th place, "passing" the Viper and a 280Z, and also taking advantage of the Buchanan/Wright mechanical problems.

Mechanical problems marked the start of day four as both the fuel system in the Churchill/Roxbury Viper and the ignition in the fifth-place Giannou/Winker 911 failed. Giannou had settled down after a short bout of over-exuberance early in the rally, and was challenging for second overall. The car that replaced Giannou in fifth place was the 1971 Volvo 142S of Targa Newfoundland "Founding Fathers" Doug Mepham and Jim Kenzie. At idle, the engine sounded sick enough that I asked what the problem was. Mepham explained, "With the cam, the motor runs so rich at idle that gas accumulates in the muffler and explodes every once in a while." This was not a typical Volvo.

We started the day 149 penalty seconds behind the Subaru Impreza of SCCA ProRallyist John Cassidy and MLRC member Steve Carrick. Just before lunch John cut a rear tire and lost the back end over a yump. The car just missed a rock wall, and survived with a broken exhaust hanger. Their tire-replacement penalty/delay moved us 62 penalty seconds closer. Again running consistently fourth fastest in absolute times, we finished the fourth day 53 penalty seconds behind them

Day 5, the last day, started cold and wet. The Osprey Trail stage claimed the 3^rd place Lawson/Lawson Alfa with engine trouble. The Alfa skipped the next few stages, and ran the last two special stages on five cylinders to win the Targa Newfoundland Historic, and finish 11^th overall.

The Targa Newfoundland Classic competition mirrored the overall standings, with the first Modern car now in fifth – the Arnold/Hull M-Coupe. Bill Arnold, Tamara Hull, the M-coupe, and a full roof rack came to Targa Newfoundland from California via the One Lap of America.

With Cattlin/Cattlin way out in front, the battle to watch on the last day was between McGeer/Williams and McNeely/Hill. McGeer/Williams started the day in second overall – 12 penalty seconds in front of McNeely/Hill. There was no base time difference between these two cars, so penalty time equalled absolute time. Early on McNeely/Hill were faster, but this was irrelevant as both crews met the base time. The third-last special stage of the day, Petty Harbour, was the first chance McNeely/Hill had to gain on McGeer/Williams. Over the 7.56km of Petty Harbour, McGeer/Williams averaged 125km/hr, but McNeely/Hill averaged 128km/hr. McNeely/Hill had gained back half their deficit. They were now only six seconds behind McGeer/Williams with two special stages left.

The second-last special stage was Witless Bay, a short 3.7km stage. Both crews ran fast, but McNeely/Hill gained back four more seconds on McGeer/Williams. Going into the last stage, McGeer/Williams remained in front by only two seconds.

The last special stage was Bay Bulls, an almost ceremonial stage of only 1.12km. McNeely/Hill tied for fourth-fastest absolute time, obtaining the lowest Targa penalty of any car on the stage, seven seconds. Tom McGeer spun the Falcon and lost the battle. McNeely/Hill moved into second overall; McGeer/Williams finished third.

We started the day in 10^th. Retirements moved us to 8^th, and we were able to catch the Subaru to finish 7^th overall. The advantage of different base times meant that, although we were only 18 seconds faster than the Subaru over the day in absolute terms (taking third-fastest time in a couple stages, averaging 129 km/hr at Petty Harbour), we ended with 63 less penalty seconds.

As for our goal of winning a Targa plate, that proved to be a reliability trial. Over half the starters either DNF’d or missed stages. Of the remaining twelve crews, nine received Targa plates:

Note the first digit of the car number gives the Category.

Plates were also awarded to top finisher in each Category. Beautiful Trophy sculptures were awarded to the top-finishing Modern- (1977-up cars), Classic- (1947-1976), and Historic-era (1900-1947) crews.

The Targa competition format was interesting. Like the autocross PAX (performance index) system, it enabled a wide variety of cars to compete with each other. However, like the PAX system, it did not equalise differences between cars. One wants the best possible car within age category, all-wheel-drive if possible, preferably a modified 911 twin-turbo all-wheel-drive. The preparation and displacement classes are irrelevant as base and Targa times only vary by age category.

"Best possible" also means a well-prepared, reliable, car. Five days of competition (plus a prologue day and a demonstration day) stresses cars. I thought our car was reasonably ready, but we suffered numerous minor and one major mechanical breakdown. It was only because Porsche had sent Rick Bye to the event that we weren’t a DNF. (Rick is an amazing guy, as many of you know.) He un-jammed our transaxle on the first night of competition (late on the first night). Thank-you! I think he ended up spending more time supporting our 944 and the Giannou/Winker 911 than the press car!

People also had trouble due to the rough roads. I was wondering about whether I had wasted my money on skid plates – until we bottomed out on the skid plate protecting the fuel and brake lines. Other than protective and safety gear, the 944 was totally stock, right down to the OE rims. I think I would have preferred if the suspension was about twice as stiffly sprung, and it would have helped if the alignment had been set-up to rotate in 2^nd-gear corners (90-degree turns in intersections).

What really, really, helps is a great co-driver, and I’d like to thank Jim Morrow for that. It is said the driver/co-driver relationship is like a husband/wife one. All I know is that at one point in the rally Jim called me "Jeannie," and that once, while she was driving, Jeannie called me "Jim." We had great support from Jeannie’s friend Sharen, and Craig and Karen Hamm. Also, thanks to Corey Groves for wiring, Mike Rouleau for the Baldhead racing logo, Rob Microys for his trailer, Rennlist for hosting this site, Talon Tire, and the people behind Targa Newfoundland.

See you in September 2003!