No speeding tickets in Leading Tickles: The Targa Newfoundland street race is ready to roll

With engines roaring and tires screeching, Targa Newfoundland an eight-day car rally that spans the island is in full throttle.

Teams come from all over the province to drive in the 2,000-kilometre rally, which will take them through the winding and narrow public roads of rural areas and outport communities.

"We created it as a bay race almost," said Targa Newfoundland founder Robert Giannou.

The race itself officially begins Saturdaybut teams start in St. John's to learn about this year's course.

The race is divided into two events: the two-day Bambina and the six-day Duemila competition. The Bambina is an introduction to the competition. Duemila is the complete course.

Both events have four divisions: Fast Tour, Grand Touring, Targa 1 and Targa 2.

The Fast Tour is non-competitive. There are two subcategories of the division: ICE touring class, designed forowners of classic and exotic cars to drive the way they were built to be driven within limits provided by the event; and EV Touring class, a new non-competitive tour that focuses on electric vehicles.

The Grand Touring division is a scored competition for vehicles not prepared for racing.

The Targa 1 division is competitive for various non-caged classic, modern, hybrid and electric cars. The Targa 2 division is similar but focuses on caged vehicles.

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Targa Newfoundland, a car rally spanning the Avalon Peninsula and part of central Newfoundland, is on until Sept. 19. The CBCs Jeremy Eaton talks to some teams ahead of the races.

The race has four legs, which will start in St. John's and finish in Gander.

This year, 18 teams are participating in the rally, with competitors coming from all over Canada and the United States.

Luona and Kurt Penner, a team from British Columbia, are driving a 1965 Beaumont Sport Deluxe convertible. It's their first time in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Driving across Canada has been a bucket list thing for a long time. Targa has been on the radar seriously for the better part of five years," Kurt Penner said. "It just seemed like the ideal car guy adventure, and so I figured this is a good year to do it."

For Newfoundland and Labrador participants, Giannou said, racing Targa is a lifelong dream.

"The people who've always viewed it as a bucket list, it's like all of sudden, there's the bucket and I'm in it, going, 'Whoopee!'" he said.

Devon Knight of Corner Brook said he grew up watching the race on television. This year, he's driving.

"As long as I can remember. I wanted to race Targa," Knight said.

Giannou said he's delighted to see the province's younger racers participate. Anyone with a valid driver's licence is eligible to apply for Targa.

"They're coming in hard going. They're excited, we're excited to see them and we're excited to teach them how to do it right," he said.

Targa started 22 years ago. In two decades, Giannou said, the rally has travelled through 125 different communities.

Targa Newfoundland began Thursday and runs until Sept. 12-19, 2024.

Knight's teammate, Logan King-Gaudon, said his excitement outweighs his nervousness.

"Definitely excited for an adrenalin rush going through the city streets," King-Gaudon said.

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