Rallying

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The 2024 Targa Newfoundland is less than two weeks away. (Photo-Ralph Saulnier)

By: Targa Newfoundland
September 3, 2024

We’re less than two weeks away from the start of Targa Newfoundland 2024 with a great field of competitors and cars from across North America.

We’re pumped about the return of defending Targa 1 champ and racing legend Randy Pobst from Georgia with co-driver Paul Abbott of St. John’s in a 1989 Porsche 911 Targa. Randy won Targa 1 with Craig MacMullin and John Hume in the Team Hume MINI GP last year and has won just about everything in his illustrious sports car career. Their team name? Team Targa Tackles Targa. They chose that tongue-twister because they’re racing Targa in a Targa, get it? Oh, nevermind.

Here’s a quick look at some of the other teams racing this year:

Team Satish and Savera - Veteran rally champions Satish Gopalkrishnan and Savera D’Souza from New Jersey won the Grand Touring title last year in their 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG and in the process fell in love with the province. They return this fall to defend their title.

Team Newfoundland MotorHead Racing - Rob Thompson and Justin Ronayne, both living in St. John’s, are bringing a modified 2020 Subaru STI. Rob has wanted to do Targa since watching the cars race past his house years ago while Justin, a champion autocrosser, is a veteran of the rally.

Team M2 Strategies - Brothers Sam and Rick Marshall from Fort Myers, Florida return to Targa for the second year in a row in their 2016 Subaru STI. Their grandfather came from St. John’s and they still have family on the island.

Team Spud Performance - Targa first-timers Keir Pollard and Lance Campbell from PEI are bringing a fully-caged 2003 Subaru WRX to challenge the legendary rally.

Team Aylmer Express - Father and son, John and Brett Hueston of Aylmer, Ontario, are new to rallies but have years of motorcycle racing experience. They’ll be racing a 2024 Subaru BRZ TS - possibly on two wheels at times.

Team n*synchro - The Eh! Team is back with a new name and different car. Corey Finkelstein and Tom Pokorny of Ontario live and breathe car culture in their work and personal lives. They’ll add Italian flavour to the mix with a 1998 Fiat Coupe.

Team WSP Motorsports - Avid autocrossers Cameron Combden and Andrew Keeping from Corner Brook, Newfoundland will get their first taste of Targa in a 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V bought especially for this event.

Team Bavarian Brothers - Don and Frank Bray, brothers from New Brunswick and PEI respectively, will race a 1999 BMW M3, the “ultimate driving machine” from Bavaria, in the ultimate tarmac rally.

Team Bakery Garage - The intercontinental team of Ralph Wiesbrock of Ottawa, Ontario and his cousin Matthias Boemke of Germany have tackled the Alps and Autobahn together and now will challenge Targa in a 2017 BMW M2.

Team Knight Motorsports - Another new homegrown team from Newfoundland, Devon Knight of Corner Brook and co-driver Logan King-Gaudon of Black Duck Siding, will bring some American muscle in a 2015 Mustang GT. Devon has dreamed of racing in Targa since he was a kid.

Team Jellybean - Husband and wife pair, Kurt and Lu Penner, get the prize for driving the furthest just to get to Targa. They are coming all the way across Canada from Langley, B.C. in their restored classic 1965 Beaumont Sport Deluxe Convertible and then they plan to drive back through the States. They’re halfway across Canada now and reporting on their progress on Facebook.

Team Faster Pastor - A fixture at Targa since the rally began in 2002, Pastor Edison Wiltshire from Clarenville, Newfoundland is back with his grand-daughter and co-driver Olivia Wiltshire-Ryan in a 2007 Saab 93 V6 Turbo. Rev. Wiltshire once performed a wedding during Targa.

Team Rumble Strip - Sportscar enthusiasts and racing fans Dale Levandier and Frances Markel from Massachusetts are fulfilling a longtime dream to take part in Targa Newfoundland as well as explore the beauty of this province.

And more to come …

We’re looking forward to a great rally with these teams. Don’t suffer from FOMO.

Apply now for 2025 and save your spot!

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The Targa Newfoundland works hard to keep drivers, volunteers and spectators safe. (Photo-Ralph Saulnier)

By: Targa Newfoundland
August 19, 2024

Targa Newfoundland has a safety record second to none and goes to great lengths to keep everyone involved with the rally safe. Safety is our top priority. Targa Newfoundland has been running for over 20 years, and we take pride in our enviable safety record, one of the best in our sport. There have been no major incidents in the last three events. The 2024 rally runs September 12-19.

“Targa has worked hard to achieve an extremely low incident record,” said Targa Newfoundland President Joe Dowden. “We do everything possible to minimize risk. We provide training for the teams, marshals and volunteers, carefully select and inspect the stages, and keep communities well informed. We want everyone involved, including competitors, marshals, volunteers and spectators to have a safe and fun event.”

Safety Measures

Targa organizers choose the stages carefully and drive them multiple times in advance to identify any potential issues and then include those in the route book. Speeds are limited for each division and the technical advisor inspects each car to ensure they are safe to compete. The racing only happens on the closed sections of road. Competitors adhere to posted limits for the transit sections. Spectator areas of the closed stages are taped off to keep people at a safe distance and rally officials drive the course ahead of the racing to ensure they do. Targa will have medical personnel on site to respond should anything happen.

Safety Equipment

All competitors, drivers and co-drivers, must wear approved helmets. Fire resistant racing suits are required in Targa 1 and 2 and recommended for other divisions. Roll bars are required for open cars in all divisions and recommended for all cars in Targa 1. Vehicles in Targa 2, the fastest division, must have a roll cage. All vehicles must be equipped with a fire extinguisher(s) and safety triangles.

Driver and Co-Driver Training

The specially created Course Familiarization Program (CFP) prepares drivers and co-drivers before the rally begins. The Targa Driving Skills Review and Practice Session on Day One is mandatory for all teams new to the event. Returning teams are welcome but do not have to attend. Our course is designed for this event to teach each team member their roles and interrelation with each other, hone their teamwork, test their skills, and help them become comfortable in their car.

Day Two is the Stage Review and First Responders and Competitors Meeting, which is mandatory for all teams. During this full-day session, all teams come together to understand the course and the communities they will visit. Each stage is explained in detail, with a focus on their roles and duties as a first responder team that arrives at the scene of an incident. They will also be introduced to the event officials, who will brief the participants on start and finish protocols, good sportsmanship, and the Targa behaviour expectations.

Targa Newfoundland 

Since 2002, Targa Newfoundland has attracted professional and amateur racers from around the world.  Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of only three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world and the only tarmac rally in North America. This year’s event runs Sept. 12-19, 2024. Visit the Targa Newfoundland website for more information about the event including the stages.

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The 2024 Targa Newfoundland runs September 12 - 19.

By: Targa Newfoundland
July 22, 2024

Targa Newfoundland, North America’s ultimate tarmac rally, has chosen exciting stages for this year’s event that racers and spectators won’t want to miss. The course will test teams' mettle as they put the pedal to the metal. From Sept. 12-19, 2024, competitors will drive over 2000 km (about 1240 miles) including about 500 km (310 miles) of closed courses on winding, narrow, public roads through spectacular scenery, towns and outports.

“This year’s rally will take teams across our beautiful island of Newfoundland from St. John’s to Leading Tickles and dozens of places in between,” said Targa Newfoundland President Joe Dowden. “Stages include old favourites we haven’t raced in years as well as familiar but challenging ones. Racers will tackle countless turns, straights and elevation changes on these coastal roads. If you’ve only raced on a track before with the same turns over and over, this is way beyond that.”

The Targa experience starts with the Course Familiarization Program in St. John’s prior to the event to prepare drivers and co-drivers for the rally including a driving skills review, stage review, and practice session.

The first rally stages will be held in beautiful Bay Bulls and Witless Bay, known for whale watching and colonies of sea birds. The next stages on day four are in the Placentia Southern Avalon Peninsula area through Cape Shore, St. Bride’s, Fox Harbour, Ship Harbour, and Long Harbour with a particularly challenging run along the narrow road to the Cape St. Mary’s bird sanctuary.

Teams then head to Gander for the special Come From Away Memorial Stage where they’ll race through the streets of the town for the first time in years. This stage is a favourite with racers and fans alike. From there, the rally winds through the towns and outports along Notre Dame Bay from Glenwood to Leading Tickles including Pleasantview, Point Leamington and Glovers Harbour before concluding in Appleton. The next leg heads along the Eastport Peninsula on Bonavista Bay known for rugged coastline and sandy beaches through Eastport, Happy Adventure, Salvage, Burnside, and Port Blandford.

Day seven will take place in multiple stages on Random Island in Trinity Bay through the outports of Weybridge, Hickman’s Harbour, Lower Lance Cove and Petley. On the final day of competition in the Conception Bay area, teams will race through Conception Harbour, Colliers, Marysvale, Turks Gut, and Georgetown. The last and possibly most challenging course through the narrow streets of historic Brigus will really put their skills to the test.

Just completing Targa Newfoundland is an accomplishment. Winning is an achievement. Check out more details and view the map of all the stages on the Targa website, www.targanfld.com.

Targa Newfoundland 

Since 2002, Targa Newfoundland has attracted professional and amateur racers and adventure seekers from around the world.  Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of only three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world and the only tarmac rally in North America.

This year’s event runs Sept. 12-19, 2024. Competitors will cover over 2000 km (about 1240 miles) including about 500 km (310 miles) of closed courses through spectacular scenery, towns and outports. Targa Newfoundland is divided into two events – the two-day Bambina and the six-day Duemila competition. Both include the Course Familiarization Program. There are four divisions in the rally: Fast Tour, Grand Touring, Targa 1, and Targa 2.

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The Black Bear Rally podium.

By: Eastern Canadian Rally Championship
August 12, 2024

Six weeks after the Rallye International Baie-des-Chaleurs in Québec, Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) teams were back to competition in Ontario to contest the Black Bear Rally. This event was won by Ontarians Trevor Pougnet and Ryan Rouleau, with their Subaru WRX STI, their first victory of the season. They became the fifth different overall winners in the six rallies contested so far in the 2024 ECRC.

Held under sunny skies and on dirt roads in the Catchacoma region, a two-hour drive northeast of Toronto, the event saw the Ottawa duo of Pougnet and Rouleau lead from start to finish. They did have to face serious competition, as evidenced by the four different winners on the first four stages! After Trevor Pougnet and his co-driver took the lead at the end of the first competitive stage, Zachary Bourassa, co-driven by Érika Séguin in a Subaru WRX STI, won the second stage. Then it was the turn of the experienced Leo Urlichich and Sam Roxon to set fastest time on the third stage with their Ford Focus ZX3, before seeing Yohan Tessier and Marie-France Desmarais-Trépanier, in a Subaru from the multi-champion Test Racing team, follow suit by winning the fourth stage. At the halfway point of the rally, the top six crews were separated by less than a minute.

The second half of the event saw Trevor Pougnet et Ryan Rouleau pick up the pace and win the final three stages, to claim victory with a lead of 18.7 seconds ahead of Urlichich/Roxon, who also won 2-wheel drive class. The Top 3 overall was rounded out by Tessier/Desmarais-Trépanier, ahead of Jonathan Drake and Ian Lantz (Subaru Impreza) and Olivier David/Leah Brisset (Subaru WRX STI).

Sixth overall, Mathieu Royer and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy also finished in second place in two-wheel drive, with their Nissan Sentra. For co-driver Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy, her weekend was particularly busy because right after the Black Bear Rally podium, she hit the road for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, where she was participating in the 54th edition of the event, as a driver in a Super Production Challenge race. She also contested the GP3R practices on Friday, under the rain, before heading to Catchacoma!

Andrew Miller, co-driven by veteran and former Canadian Champion Mike Koch, finished in seventh place with their Subaru, ahead of American and series regulars Margaret Sharron et Jennie Holden (Subaru WRX STI). The overall Top 10 was completed by Martin Donnelly/Brandon Pace (Subaru), followed by Mark Toufanov/David Bell, who also finished third in 2WD class with their Toyota GT86.

It was a disappointing day for Zachary Bourassa and Érika Séguin, who suffered mechanical problems, and for Jon Desgroseilliers/Audrey Godin, who were competing with a BMW 128i 2-wheel drive. These two teams were the only ones to not finish the 2024 edition of the Black Bear Rally, which started with 17 teams.

The East Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) is comprised of nine rounds this season, spread out Between Ontario and Quebec. The following event will take place on the 7th and 8th of September, as part of the Rallye Défi Petite Nation in the area of Outaouais.

For more information, please consult the website www.ecrc-crec.ca

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Samuel Joyal and Philippe Poirier took captured the 2024 Rallye de Sanair (Photo-Clément Tavernier)

By: Eastern Canadian Rally Championship
April 21, 2024

Included in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) calendar for the second time in its rich history, the Rallye de Sanair took place this past Saturday at the St-Pie-de-Bagot motorsports complex in Montérégie (Québec) and was claimed by Samuel Joyal and Philippe Poirier in a Test Racing Subaru WRX STI.

Former Canadian co-driving rally champion, Samuel Joyal was contesting his first rally as a driver, on the asphalt of Sanair. 32 years after his father Yvan Joyal also won this event as a driver, Samuel put his skills behind the wheel to the test and came out victorious. With the experience of Philippe Poirier at his side, he had to exhibit patience as he won only two of the fifteen competitive stages but finished in the Top 5 on each.

Despite a thirty second penalty for bumping into chicanes throughout the course, the Joyal/Poirier duo won the rally by a margin of one minute and eighteen seconds over last year’s overall winners Kurtis Duddy and co-driver Danny Hudon, in a Nissan Sentra. This team had received a penalty of one minute and fifteen seconds, which proves how much more intense the battle was than the gaps portray in the final standings. For Duddy and Hudon, the second-place finish overall was in addition to winning the 2-wheel drive class ahead of another Nissan Sentra of team Mathieu Royer and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy. They finished 34 seconds behind Duddy/Hudon.

Under sunny spring skies which were accompanied by a strong and crisp wind, the 2024 Rallye de Sanair was difficult for many mechanics, starting with those of Vincent Lalande and Matthieu Toupin. Winners of February’s Rallye Perce-Neige, the young (16 years old) Vincent Lalande was hoping to take advantage of his 2023 season on asphalt and in Canadian road racing (Nissan Sentra Cup) to go head-to-head with some of the best rally specialists. Second fastest on the first stage (behind Duddy/Hudon) and fifth on the second, Lalande/Toupin then saw their hopes come to an end on the third stage after suffering mechanical problems with their Subaru WRX STI.

The duo had to miss one competitive stage, which incurred penalties that put them out of contention for the podium, but Lalande and Toupin nevertheless won seven of the eleven stages to finish in 11th spot overall.

Fourth overall and second in 4-wheel drive, Gabriel Monette and Alexandre Sr-Arnaud (Subaru) started the event cautiously before closing in on the leaders. Their consistency and complete lack of penalties, an uncommon feat at this event, was a testament to their performance.

At the wheel of a Mini Cooper S, Olivier Corbeil and co-driver Véronique Di Palma completed the 2-wheel drive class podium and also rounded out the Top 5 overall. This was a promising finish for a team new to the series.

Very impressive throughout the entire rally, Réjean Perron and Alexandre Marcoux drove their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to a sixth-place finish and captured third place in 4WD. They finished ahead of Michel Drapeau/Jean-Sébastien Delisle (Subaru), Carl Damphousse/Dany Plante (Dodge SRT4), Éric Dufour/Cezary Maciocha (Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Philippe Normandeau/François Darcy (Honda Fit).

Eighteen teams were registered in the 2024 Rallye de Sanair 2024. 17 took to the start and 14 completed the event. Included among the teams that did not finish is Olivier David (co-driven by Simon Decosse in a Subaru), winner of the Rallye de Shannonville two weeks ago.

This season, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) is comprised of nine rounds, spread out between Ontario and Quebec. The next event will take place on May 25th as the very first edition of the Rallye Vallée de Beauce, on the south shore of Quebec City. ECRC competitors and fans are already anxiously awaiting these extraordinary gravel roads.

For more information, please visit the site www.ecrc-crec.ca