Two good actors best known for playing bad boys will get behind a great cause when Trailer Park Boys principals J. P. Tremblay and Robb Wells turn up at the starting line for the 9th annual Targa Newfoundland on September 12.

Tremblay and Wells, who play the characters Julian and Ricky in the wildly popular television series, will drive a 2010 Porsche Cayman S with Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador identification. The team is entered in the very competitive Grand Touring competition of the five-day rally.

It is the first time the two actors have entered Targa Newfoundland and their first motorsport adventure.

The Autism Society is the official charitable partner of Targa and the focus of the event’s fund-raising efforts with competitors, fans, sponsors and the communities in the Targa family.

Fans of the iconic Canadian comedy series shouldn’t expect to find Julian and Ricky in the new Porsche. Tremblay and Wells will not be ‘in character’ for the week-long rally as it makes its way through the towns, villages and small communities that dot the 2,200-kilometre route.

“To me it’s about finally fulfilling a 15-year-old dream of JP’s and mine to compete in – and finish – a rally race,” says Wells. “At least one of those dreams will come true in Newfoundland, two if JP can keep the car on the road.”

“It’s such a beautiful province and the people there are the kindest and friendliest in the world. It’s the perfect place to host the only event of its kind in North America,” he adds.

Wells admits they are a little short of rally experience, but believes they can overcome that with help. “We really don’t have a lot of experience with racing yet,” he confirms. “We’ve both driven cars on local race tracks a few times and we may have run from the cops once or twice and got a hell of a lot of speeding tickets, but that’s it,” he grins, sounding more like Ricky than Robb. The team will attend the Targa school prior to the start of the event and be tutored by veteran Porsche driving instructor Rick Bye. As an entry in the Grand Touring competition, the car is not permitted to reach the high speeds regularly seen by cars in the Targa class.

Both of Wells’s parents are from Newfoundland and he still has family scattered across the island. Their push for the Autism Society is particularly apt: Wells has a cousin who has the condition.

With co-star Mike Smith (Bubbles), Tremblay and Wells captivated Canadian and international television audiences from the show’s debut in 2001, and have added two successful movies (Trailer Park Boys: The Movie in 2006 and Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day in 2009) to a growing body of work that has both a unique Atlantic Canada flavour and its own booze-fueled humour.

And while the actors won’t be portraying their Trailer Park Boys characters, they will still be in front of the camera as the focus of a special TV documentary planned for their Targa adventure. The show will be produced by Bradford Productions, producers of the acclaimed Motoring magazine-format series that has aired nationally for 23 years on TSN.

Their car is expected to be a worthy co-star of the show. The sophisticated Porsche Cayman S not only strikes a dramatic pose with its clean lines and strong, athletic profile, its light weight and its 3.4-litre, 320 hp midships 6-cylinder engine will deliver an impressive performance for the actors. The car is provided by Porsche Cars Canada.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

One of the most successful and popular cars and teams to compete in Targa Newfoundland, from one of the event’s most dedicated supporters, will return for 2010 with some unfinished business at the top of the agenda.

The brilliant red MINI John Cooper Works Challenge car that debuted in the 2009 event, helmed by driver Jim Kenzie and co-driver Brian Bourbonniere, will return for Targa 2010, the team announced.

The MINI Challenge car is a purpose-built competition car, created by the company as the basis of a one-marque road race series in places like the U.K., Australia and continental Europe. Race suspension, improved brakes, an on-board air-jack system and dazzling aerodynamic kit including front splitter, rear diffuser, and high-downforce adjustable rear wing make the little red rocket a serious contender.

Kenzie, Bourbonniere and the MINI Challenge car nicknamed Frankly Scarlet spent much of the 2009 event coming to terms with adapting a car built for road racing to the rigors of rally competition, finally finishing second in the competitive Open Division. But with a year of experience with the new car, the team has recalibrated its expectations.

“The car looks fantastic and goes like stink,” said Kenzie. “Last year was the MINI Challenge’s first attempt anywhere at rallying, and we learned a few things about the car.”

Added Bourbonniere, “The suspension couldn’t have been stiffer if we’d given it a Viagra the size of a hockey puck. That’s great for road racing, but for rallying, especially in the wet that’s always a threat at Targa, you want a bit more compliance, and that’s what we’ve gone for.”

Like many competitors, Kenzie and Bourbonniere struggled in the heavy rain of the last day of the 2009 event. Planned revisions to the car’s suspension should help eliminate those concerns this year. Last year’s tires were also not ideally suited for the wetter-than-usual weather. The team has switched to Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 ultra high performance tires for 2010. Hugo Boss has also joined the team in a sponsorship role.

“MINI Canada has been at every Targa Newfoundland since 2003,” says Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “The MINI is a fan favourite, and has surprised a lot of competitors with some great results. Jim and Brian are terrific ambassadors for the car and for Targa. It’s like a family reunion whenever they come back.”

The team also has a pretty good track record at Targa, with two wins, a second and a third on their scorecard in the Open Division.

MINI Canada is the first manufacturer to announce an entry in 2010. More announcements are expected in the days leading up to the event.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

Two Canadian soldiers wounded in action in Afghanistan are marshaling supporters and equipment for an assault on Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event, a campaign they hope will raise funds and awareness for a cause close to their hearts.

Master Corporal Jody Mitic and Corporal Andrew Knisley will team up to compete in September’s Targa Newfoundland international rally under the banner of the Soldier On Fund, a trust fund of the Canadian Forces established to improve the quality of life of ill and injured soldiers through active participation and peer interaction in fitness and sports.

Mitic and Knisley know the cause all too well. Both suffered devastating injuries in combat that have left the pair with just three arms and one leg between them.

In 2007, Mitic was on patrol in Kandahar Province when he stepped on a buried mine. Both of his legs were blown off below the knees. Less than two years later he competed in a half-marathon in Ottawa.

He was on a patrol in 2009 when Knisley passed a mud wall where two artillery rounds were buried. The rounds were detonated by remote control and the resulting explosion cost Knisley his right leg below the hip and partial use of his right hand. Less than a year later he entered a 5 km fund-raising event.

Both men are now role models for seriously injured soldiers and actively involved in raising money for the Soldier On Fund. They have set their sights on Targa Newfoundland as a keystone project that will both showcase the recovery that’s possible for wounded Canadian Forces personnel, and to gather contributions to fund the recovery of their returning comrades.

The pair’s determination, discipline and stamina are tailor-made for Targa, a grueling six-day, 2000-kilometre motorsport challenge that cris-crosses eastern and central Newfoundland from September 11 to 18, 2010. Since 2002, racers and automobile adventurers from around the world have accepted the challenge that has earned Targa the name “the ironman of motorsports.”

“We start every day with the belief there’s nothing we can’t do,” says Mitic, who will share the driving chores with Knisley. “We want every soldier going through what we went through to have that same determination. We want to show them what’s possible.”

“This may be one of the most important teams to ever grace Targa Newfoundland,” says Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “We have a deep affection for our men and women in uniform in Newfoundland and Labrador, and a very special place in our hearts for the soldiers who come back wounded, and the families whose soldiers have not come back at all. This province will open its heart to Jody and Andrew.”

With the help of Major General (Ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie, one of Canada’s best known military figures, active race driver and a former Targa Newfoundland competitor, the team is putting together the car and equipment necessary to succeed in the highly competitive Modern Division of the very fast Targa competition. An announcement is expected shortly on the team’s choice of car.

“Targa’s tough. We know that,” says Knisley. “We don’t expect to win in our first attempt – no one’s ever done that – but we don’t expect to lose, either!”

Both men have already graduated from the Motorsport Club of Ottawa racing school and will be tutored at a special Targa Newfoundland school run by former Targa winner Glen Clarke.

They are also planning a fund-raising drive that will help them collect donations for Soldier On. Tax-deductable donations to the Soldier On Fund can currently be made through the organization’s website. The word “Targa” should be entered in the comment box.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

The council of a town that is arguably more famous in New York City than in Canada has voted to join the Holyrood Stage of the 2010 Targa Newfoundland. The stage will be renamed as the Holyrood Harbour Main Stage.

The town council of Harbour Main – representing the communities of Harbour Main, Lakeview and Chapel’s Cove — approved a four-year contract with Targa this year as the three communities welcomed Targa Newfoundland back to their roads. They were among the first to host Targa stages in earlier years.

Since the turn of the last century many folks from the communities of Harbour Main, Lakeview and Chapel’s Cove have journeyed to work in the city know as “The Big Apple”. Where they went to work is more fascinating than why: They virtually all went to work on high steel as joiners, fitters and erectors for the skyscraper buildings of Manhattan and played a major part in building the city.

The men, seasoned by years at sea in schooners or on the local fishing grounds, took so naturally to high steel work that they became renowned and were so sought-after that they even created their own local of the Steelworkers Union in New York. As time passed more and more people from the Harbour Main area relocated their families to New York. Some of the families have had four generations that have worked high steel.

According to a recent history on the New York high steel aired on CBC Radio by Christopher Brooks, men from the bottom of Conception Bay can actually claim that one of their number “topped” the Chrysler and Empire State buildings in the Thirties, and the World Trade Center in the Seventies. They literally put the roof on what is arguably one of the world’s tallest cities.

The three communities, forming the larger town of Harbour Main, have each retained their individual identities and reside next to Holyrood. Lakeside is inland while Harbour Main and Chapel’s Cove are directly on the sea.

The 12 kilometre long competition stage starting in Holyrood and ending in Avondale will be held on Monday, September 13t, event organizers have announced. The stage will begin in Holyrood and travel along the Conception Bay shore, providing competitors with some of the most scenic vistas in Newfoundland. The stage will be new, and has been designed to set the tone for the first day’s competition for both the Targa and Grand Touring categories.

“We appreciate that these towns are bringing Targa Newfoundland back to their streets, and we wish to thank the mayor and council as well as their staff for the working with us to accomplish this,” said Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “The first stage of the event is very important as it not only starts the competition, but it whets the competitors’ appetite for the event. It also allows them to find a rhythm for the long and sometimes grueling week ahead.”

“Throughout the years, Targa has demonstrated tremendous effort in supporting various charities and this year we are pleased to be associated with them in their partnership with the Newfoundland Autism Society,” said Mayor Raymond Parsley. “In addition, this event will once again add to our local tourism potential in our three communities and surrounding area.”

“We look forward to seeing Targa back in Harbour Main, Lakeview and Chapel’s Cove and we extend an invitation to all the people from the surrounding communities to come and join us at this event,” said the mayor.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

Marystown, the home of three of the most popular competitive stages in the annual Targa Newfoundland and the headquarters for the Burin Peninsula leg of the international motorsport event, has confirmed its participation in Targa for the next four years.

At its regular meeting the Marystown council approved an agreement that will welcome Targa competitors and fans back to the community for the next four years.

Marystown is the hub and central service community for the southernmost peninsula of Newfoundland and the traditional start of the frantic final day of the week-long Targa challenge. It numbers among its benefits a spectacular ice-free deep-water port which is home to such facilities as a major offshore oil servicing and fabrication base, a marine shipyard and dry-dock facility, as well as a major seafood processing plant.

In the nine years since Targa started, Marystown has hosted more competitive Targa stages than any other community.

The three Marystown stages and nearby Mooring Cove stage are the pivotal points in the 11-stage, two-day Burin Peninsula competition that will see the competition run throughout the key towns and communities of the area. In addition, Marystown will host the competitors and service crews for an overnight stay in the town and treat its citizens and those of the surrounding area to an “after the event” evening car show at its local arena and sports complex. The evening car show is held in support of the area school lunch program and the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador’s local chapter.

The two 6-kilometre Marystown stages and their 2.5 km long Mooring Cove sister stage will be held in the early morning and late in the afternoon on Thursday, September 16, event organizers have announced. The stages will be the same as previously run and will set the tone for what is arguably the event’s most difficult day of competition for both the Targa and Grand Touring categories.

“We truly appreciate that Marystown is continuing its key role in the Burin by bringing Targa Newfoundland to its streets, and we wish to thank the mayor and council as well as their staff for the working with us to accomplish this,” said Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “This day is most critical to the success of the event and our competitors love it. Marystown is important because it sets the tone for the balance of the competition. High praise is due to retired teacher Robert Lymburner, who runs the three stages, and to Derrick Hanrahan who coordinates the Newfoundland Autism Society’s projects in the area. They really deliver for their community, its people and our competitors.”

“Throughout the years, Targa has demonstrated a tremendous loyalty to Marystown and we look forward to supporting the new partnership which Targa has created with the Autism Society this year,” said Marystown mayor Sam Synard. “We are pleased to be associated with them.”

Targa organizer Giannou presented Mayor Synard with two numbered collectors plaques from the Targa Competitors from 2009.

Mayor Synard in turn presented one of the numbered plaques to Mr. Lymburner in recognition of his work for the town. “Mr Lymburner is a credit to Marystown, his work for the Targa event, and for the other organizations he supports through the community Lion’s Club should be recognized.” said Mayor Synard. ” Targa has given our area and our local tourism efforts an international flavour due to the fantastic media coverage the event attracts. It has made Newfoundland and the event more widely known than we ever expected. We look forward to seeing Targa in Marystown for the next four years and extend an invitation to all the people from the surrounding communities to come and join us at this year’s arena car show,” added the mayor.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

The town council of the town made famous by the traditional Newfoundland folk song “The Ryan’s and the Pitman’s” has decided once again to join the Targa family of communities. Holyrood, a town nestled at the end of a deep bay under its equally famous mountain top cross is welcoming Targa Newfoundland back to its roads in 2010. Surrounding a spectacular deep water port which was the actual home of the squid jigging ground, Holyrood also counts a beautiful marina, a sea-side board walk, and the new to be opened ocean front Marine Institute building as some of its prime attractions. Targa Newfoundland will be added to this impressive list in 2010.

Hosting one the first stages in the early years of Targa, Holyrood will again become the first stage of this year’s event. In addition, the town will welcome the competitors and crews to breakfast before the start of the stage that begins this week long endurance classic.

The approximately 8.00 kilometre long competition stage will be held on Monday September 13th, event organizers have announced. The stage will begin in Holyrood and travel along the Conception Bay shore providing competitors with some of the most scenic vistas in Newfoundland. The stage will be new, and has been designed to set the tone for the first day’s competition for both the Targa and Grand Touring categories.

“We appreciate that Holyrood is bringing Targa Newfoundland back to its streets, and we wish to thank the mayor and council as well as their staff for working with us to accomplish this,” said Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “The first stage of the event is very important as it not only starts the competition, but it wets the competitor’s appetites for the event and allows them to settle down for the long and sometimes gruelling week ahead”.

“Throughout the years, Targa has demonstrated tremendous effort in supporting various charities and this year we are pleased to be associated with them in their partnership with the NL Autism Society”, said Mayor Gary Goobie. In addition, this event with once again add to our local tourism potential in Holyrood and surrounding area. “We look forward to seeing Targa back in Holyrood and we extend an invitation to all the people from the surrounding communities to come and join us at this event” indicates the Mayor.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

One of the most popular stages in the history of Targa Newfoundland will return to the September motorsport classic next year, rally organizers have announced.

The 4.99-kilometre Targa stage through the Town of Clarenville will cap the critical third day of the competition for the 2010 event. Clarenville town council approved a motion to host Targa at a meeting December 8, 2009. The event will be returning to the town after a one-year absence. It is the eighth year that Targa Newfoundland has included Clarenville in its schedule.

The event will have an overnight stop in the town at the conclusion of the stage on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, culminating with the traditional evening car show and other Targa activities at the newly opened Clarenville Events Center.

The stage is much-loved by veteran competitors for the physical demands of its challenging route and its enthusiastic fans. In previous years, the results of the stage have also influenced the outcome of the Targa competition.

“We appreciate the efforts of the community to bring Targa back to Clarenville, and to the mayor and council for the thoughtful deliberation that went into this decisions,” said Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “We know that Targa has a positive economic impact on the communities along the route, and we are pleased that Clarenville will take advantage of our long relationship.”

“The thousands of Clarenville and Bonavista peninsula spectators and fans who traveled to Clarenville to watch and enjoy the event are part of the Targa family,” Giannou added, “and we are happy to be back among our friends.”

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 9th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 18. The competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, Germany, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

Bookmark to:

They may be separated by miles of ocean, but the islands of Barbados in the southern Caribbean and Newfoundland in Canada have linked hands in a cooperative effort that could see the winner of the keystone motorsports event in each location take part in the other.

The agreement between Sol Rally Barbados and Targa Newfoundland to provide a free entry as a prize to the winner of each other’s event is part of a promotional drive by the two organizers to solidify a base of high quality tarmac rally competitions in North America.

Sol Rally Barbados has already taken the first step. The Caribbean’s largest international motorsport event was completed May 31 and a representative of the Barbados Rally Club will carry the flag of that nation at the 2009 Targa Newfoundland. Northern Ireland’s Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle won the grueling three-day contest in a Subaru Impreza WRC S9. Because of a scheduling conflict, Meeke and Nagle cannot make Targa Newfoundland but donated their entry to the Barbados Rally Club, which will send a top finisher in their stead.

The winner of the eighth annual Targa Newfoundland will get an invitation to next spring’s Sol Rally Barbados in return.

“Until recently, tarmac rallies have been a bit of a curiosity in much of North America,” explains Targa Newfoundland organizer Robert Giannou. “But that is about to change. With long established events like Rally Barbados and Rally Jamaica at one end, and eight years of successful Targa Newfoundland at the other, we are starting to see more paved road rally events turn up around North America. With at least two events in Canada and two in the U.S., there are enough tarmac rallies to create a terrific season for competitors.”

Sol Rally Barbados organizer Barry Gale agrees. “Our event has attracted an international field of competitors for years, proving that high quality tarmac rallies have appeal no matter where they are. To have a calendar of great events in North America – even as far apart as we are – is an important step in developing the sport.”

History buff Giannou points out that linkages between islands of the Caribbean and his home in Newfoundland run deep. “We have been trading partners for years, going back to the days of rum and salt exchanged for cod and timber,” he says. “Our histories are intertwined. Getting together with Sol Rally Barbados is like catching up with old friends.”

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. The competition 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.

Bookmark to: