Rana, of Calgary, has entered the 2012 Targa Newfoundland in the Fast Tour category with the same Ferrari Enzo that became a world-wide sensation when he and co-driver Roland Linder of South Carolina, slid off the road on a Targa stage in Marystown and ended up in the river leading to Mortier Bay. Captured on video, the incident, the subsequent recovery of the car and thoughtful interviews with Rana and Linder were posted on YouTube and seen around the world. Rana was inundated by media and interviewed for print and broadcast stories about how a rare, $2-plus million Ferrari nearly floated out to sea.

Not only are Rana and his car coming back for Targa Newfoundland 2012, he’s updated the Ferrari with even more radical looks and increased power. The car was transported to a specialty shop in Germany almost immediately after its unscheduled plunge into the salt water, where the crash and water damage were repaired and the modifications completed. “It looks obnoxious,” Rana confides.

Rana’s candor about the incident is refreshing. “I learned a lot,” he says. “Obviously, it was unexpected. As a driver, I’ve had incidents on racetracks and that’s normal. But I wasn’t attuned to the changing nature of the roads in Targa. At first, I couldn’t believe this was something I didn’t control. But I’ve come to understand it and I’ve learned from the experience. It was a little miscalculation that made me famous.”

In fact, the exposure was actually good for his Calgary exotic car business. “It cost me $500,000,” he quips, “but it made me famous.” Early in December he released a DVD on his adventure which is now available through his website at ZRAuto.com.

He also approaches the 2012 event knowing what he wants. “These are fabulous cars,” he says. “The sound, the acceleration, the handling – unbelievable. But you don’t have to drive them absolutely flat-out all the time to thoroughly enjoy them. Just driving these cars on these roads gives me pleasure.”

Not only is Rana returning with the Ferrari Enzo in FXX trim, he’s bringing a posse of exotic car owners to join him. Far from dissuaded by his adventure, the group, including Rana’s wife, are eager to experience what he describes as “the best time you can have in the automobile world.”

“Not coming back never entered my mind,” he says. “I loved the experience. We made new friends, we drove through beautiful country that needs to be seen to be believed, we met the best people in the world – I was inspired!”

And when he gets to that fateful corner in Marystown that made him famous?

“I’ll be ready!” says Rana.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 2012 competition starts in St. John’s on September 8 and concludes back in the capital on September 15. The 11th annual rally 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.

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The annual fall classic will kick off with registration and technical inspection on the Saturday, followed by the traditional ceremonial start and Prologue on the Sunday (September 9). Five gruelling days of competition start from St. John’s on Monday (September 10) and conclude back in the capital on Friday, September 14 with the awards gala on Saturday, September 15, 2012.

The event format and route will be similar to past events, says Targa organizer Robert Giannou. Overnight stops along the route will again include Gander, Clarenville and Marystown.

“Each year, we build on the success of the previous year and incorporate the lessons we learn along the way,” says Giannou. “Targa 2011 was the largest and most hotly-contested event in recent years, but also one of the most difficult for our organization. We’ve committed to make Targa 2012 better in every way.”

Work started on the 2012 event the week after the 2011 event ended, Giannou adds, with an innovation from this year expected to be popular next year.

“The new Fast Tour attracted some pretty exciting and exotic cars, and that gained a lot of attention,” he said. “We don’t expect to see another Ferrari in the water any time soon, but we do hope to see more exotic cars from all over the continent on the roads of eastern and central Newfoundland for a week next September.” A rare Ferrari Enzo from Calgary participating in the 2011 Fast Tour ended up in the river in Marystown. There were no injuries but the resulting video was seen by millions around the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMkT1Dk6xQ.

The Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador is the official charitable partner of Targa Newfoundland.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 2012 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.

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The names conjure visions of the greatest sports cars of the century – Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. And although it’s the first time most of their names have appeared on the Targa Newfoundland entry list, group organizer Zahir Rana thinks a visit to Newfoundland is overdue.

Rana, principal of ZR Exotic Auto of Calgary and self-described car-crazy, believes that the world’s most sophisticated cars are meant to be enjoyed on some of the world’s most challenging roads. Rana’s company sells, services and modifies exotic cars, and in between time organizes driving adventures for customers who share his belief that fine cars are only appreciated when they’re driven. Rana views the five cars coming to Targa 2011 as the vanguard of a legion of exotic car owners who are looking for opportunities to see interesting places from the driver’s seat.

The roll-call of cars coming to Targa reads like every car aficionado’s lottery-win wish list: a pair of Ferrari F430s (a Spyder and a 707 hp coupe from tuner Novitec Rosso), Lamborghini Murcielago LP750, Saleen S7, Maserati MC12 (one of just 50 in the world), and what Rana determines is the world’s fastest Ferrari Enzo. Each is a coveted supercar in its own right and worthy of a magazine spread.

But while their collective value is greater than the national debt of several small countries, Rana says the cars’ owners are remarkably down-to-earth. “They’re really normal folks who really love cars. They’re enthusiasts, and they own terrific cars, but they’re just like passionate car fans everywhere. They want to enjoy their cars and I make sure they do.”

Rana organizes several trips a year, and has taken his followers through exotic locations in Canada and the US. He’s organized charity events, and generated considerable attention last year when he staged a race between his exotic Ferrari and a Canadian Forces CF-18 jet on the runway at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta.

“We have fun,” he grins.

“We just love the idea of coming to Newfoundland,” Rana says. “Last year, a group of us went to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI and had a terrific time. We said, ‘One day, we should do Newfoundland’. Then I saw the Targa show on TSN and said, ‘Wow! That’s us’!” In addition to the drivers and navigators and service crew for the cars, Rana has invited a video crew and some media from Germany to capture the story.

The visit to Targa is also a fact-finding mission for Rana. The cars will be part of a separate touring event that is not included in the regular competition – a chance, he says, to better understand the event and prepare proper competition cars for next year.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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Two Canadian Forces combat veterans wounded in battle are gathering their troops and planning their second attack on Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event, part of an extended campaign to raise funds to help with the rehabilitation of their injured comrades.

Corporal Andrew Knisley and Master Corporal Michael Trauner have their sights set on raising $100,000 for the Soldier On Fund by completing the rugged five-day, 2,000-kilometre Targa Newfoundland international car rally. The Soldier On Fund is 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.

It is Knisley’s second trip to Targa and the first for Trauner. Both men were severely wounded serving in Afghanistan, suffering injuries that have left them with an array of disabilities that might consign some men to the sidelines of a sport that demands fitness, endurance and discipline.

But last year, the Soldier On boys proved conclusively that they aren’t taking a back seat to anyone – in motorsport or anywhere else.

Knisley will drive the Acura TL SH-AWD performance-luxury sedan he shared with co-driver Master Corporal Jody Mitic last year when the pair scored an impressive seventh place finish and class win in the Modern Division. Mitic has retired from the Forces and Trauner has stepped in as navigator for 2011. The Acura is provided by the Acura Dealers of Canada and is equipped with an automatic transmission that can be controlled by paddle shifters. The car has been constructed to permit both men relatively easy access to the cockpit.

Knisley is doing double duty as both driver and team manager, gathering funds and assembling a group of support people to propel the effort. Colleagues in the military have stepped up to provide technical support at the event and the service battalion in St. John’s will help with logistics.

“Last year, Lew (Major General Lewis MacKenzie, Ret’d.) did all the heavy lifting to get us organized and there, and I’m following his battle plan,” Knisley says. “We still need a team manager, but the other things are falling into place.”

He already has the car committed from the Acura Dealers of Canada, support from Michelin and a substantial private sponsorship. RSP Motorsports of London, Ontario, will help with pre-event preparation and tuning.

What won’t change, says Knisley, is their approach to the event. “We’re not going to change a lot,” he says. “We’re going to drive quick and be consistent. We know the value of discipline. You don’t have to be the fastest car every day to move up the standings, but you do have to be smart.”

The Targa adventure is a logical extension of what Knisley and Trauner have done together in professional, sports and fund-raising activities. Both serve in the Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa and work together helping other injured veterans. Working together as driver and navigator “just feels right,” Trauner says, despite his lack of rally experience. “But,” he warns, “when we do things together, generally we come in first.”

The team is encouraging Canadians to contribute to Soldier On through tax-deductable donations made to the organization’s website, www.SoldierOn.ca . Last year’s campaign is still bringing in donations, and the team hopes to match the $100,000 raised in 2010.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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It will be the ninth start for a MINI Canada entry in the event, a record no other manufacturer can touch. And if driver Jim Kenzie and co-driver Brian Bourbonniere can pull off a fourth victory in the tough Open Division competition, it will be the best performance by far for any manufacturer in the event’s 10-year history.

Kenzie, of Milton, Ontario, and Bourbonniere, of Lawrencetown, N.S., are back to defend the Division title after a win in 2010. They already have three wins, a second and a third in Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event. Kenzie is one of just a handful of competitors who have contested every Targa Newfoundland for the past 10 years.

The team’s history at Targa includes the first win for MINI in an international rally since its re-introduction in 2002, and the brand’s long association with the sport going back to victory in the Monte Carlo rally in the 1960s has made the popular MINI a fan favourite as well as a regular contender in Newfoundland. And with the company committed to a campaign in the World Rally Championship beginning next year, the strong, fast and nimble cars are closely associated with a sport that tests durability and reliability as well as outright speed.

The team will be managed by Alain Lauziere of Montreal, a regional executive with MINI and himself an accomplished competitor in Canada’s top sedan racing series in – yes – a MINI. The Targa team is supported by Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc.

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.

“The MINI and the team delight fans everywhere they go. Jim and Brian have made friends and fans all across the province, and they continue to post results that are the envy of every team here,” enthuses Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “They are terrific ambassadors for MINI and we’re delighted to have them back.”

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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Chrysler executive Ralph Gilles, a contender in three previous Targa events, will spearhead the assault on the 10th annual September classic and lead a team of U.S. and Canadian drivers in the largest single manufacturer team to take on Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event.

An acclaimed automobile designer, former head of the Dodge brand and newly appointed president and chief executive of the company’s SRT (Street and Racing Technology) brand, Montreal-raised Gilles will be behind the wheel of a Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR. Gilles, of Auburn Hills, Michigan, is teamed with another experienced Targa competitor, co-driver Jen Horsey of Toronto.

The thundering Viper has been called the ultimate North American supercar. The Viper SRT10 ACR-X is a factory-prepared 640hp competition car replete with FIA-approved roll cage created by the company to compete in Dodge Viper Cup road racing events. The Viper SRT10 is a keystone element in the company’s recently announced revival of the SRT brand.

The second Chrysler entry will be a new Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 helmed by U.S. comedian and TV show host George Notaras of Los Angeles with co-driver Nick Chambers of Wenatchee, Washington, who will compete under their stage names MotoMan and Winachee. The Challenger SRT8 will take on the tough Targa course in virtually showroom stock configuration. Notaras will document the team’s experiences at Targa both in upcoming TV broadcasts as well as daily updates direct from the event.

Canadian race driver and previous Targa competitor Rob Paccione of Toronto will drive the third car, a brilliant lime green Dodge Challenger SRT8 first driven by Gilles at Targa in 2008. A fan favourite, the car went on to entertain auto and industry show audiences in the U.S. and Canada. Co-driver of the car will be Brian Maxwell of Toronto.

“Ralph has been a tremendous supporter of Targa from his very first time here in 2005,” explains rally organizer Robert Giannou. “In fact, he was the one who coined the phrase ‘The iron man of motorsports’ to describe Targa. He was quick to recognize what success at Targa can mean for manufacturers looking to make a statement about performance and durability in the real world. He’s also a fierce competitor, and very popular with the other teams and fans. It will be a grand Newfoundland reunion when he arrives.”

The company has entered a Chrysler 300C SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Dodge Caliber SRT4 and the popular Challenger in previous Targa events, and last year took a retro approach with support for a restored ’70s Dodge Dart muscle car driven by previous winners Roy Hopkins and Adrienne Hughes of Rochester, New York.

After a difficult period, Chrysler is riding a wave of sales success in both Canada and the U.S., Giannou notes, and the cars always draw adoring fans.

A strong entry is expected for the 10th running of Targa Newfoundland. Competitors have come from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, the U.S. and from across Canada for the first nine editions of the nation’s longest and toughest motorsports event.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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The Targa Newfoundland Next Generation Challenge will be a competition-within-a-competition that pits cars of up to 1.6-litres displacement against each other in a contest that puts the spotlight on the coming generation of appealing, sophisticated, fun-to-drive cars available in North America.

The Next Generation Challenge will be part of the 10th annual Targa competition this September, Targa organizer Robert Giannou announced.

“We want to provide a distinct competition for these sporty, fun-to-drive cars that are quickly becoming a major factor in the market. It will be a platform for manufacturers to demonstrate the performance attributes and sporty personalities of this appealing generation of new models, and an opportunity for their owners to share the spotlight with the great sporting cars that annually come to Targa,” said Giannou

The Next Generation Challenge will be a two-year trial and will be open to production cars of 1.6-litres displacement or less, sold in North America since model year 2009. Entries must comply with the rules of either Modern or Open Divisions within Targa, and will compete on an equal footing (no handicap). Entries will also score in the Divisions where they are eligible to compete. A separate Next Generation Challenge award will be offered and other rules will also apply.

A dozen small, sporty models are potentially eligible for Next Generation Challenge, including cars from Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, MINI, Nissan, Suzuki and Toyota. Eligible new cars will be added to the list as they become available in North America.

“We believe that car manufacturers will see Next Generation Challenge as a terrific opportunity to demonstrate that there are dimensions to these cars in addition to their attractive fuel economy,” Giannou adds. “We welcome them to Targa.”

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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The route for the 2011 rally includes 44 closed-road Targa stages and features a mix of long-time competitor favourites and new stages, and embraces 70 communities over six days. Included in the roster are 14 stages from the inaugural Targa Newfoundland in 2002 that have been in every event since, testament to the strong relationship the rally and its international cast of competitors has built with host communities over the years, Targa organizer Robert Giannou says.

“Our competitors just love to come back to the stages that have made Targa such a memorable even- and such a sporting challenge,” Giannou says. “Over the past nine years, we have run hallmark stages like Marystown something like 18 times and Gander 14 times. Competitors love these communities and these stages, and have talked about them around the world. We’re celebrating that amazing relationship in 2011.”

Some 63 different Targa stages have been run over the first nine years of the competition for a total of 363 stages since 2002, Giannou says.

New for the 2011 event is a four-kilometre hillclimb near Clarenville, one of the four overnight stops for competitors.

“There’s always a dynamic to the layout of the route,” Giannou explains. “Not every stage can run every year, so the list of stages and communities changes every year. It’s gratifying that so many communities from the first Targa Newfoundland are still with us for the 10th annual event.”

Entries for the 10th annual event are arriving daily.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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When a special offer to returning competitors concluded last week, more than 50 entries had already been received, organizers said, with more entries arriving daily.

“The entry list so far includes a lot of familiar names of great competitors from the first nine years of Targa,” said rally organizer Robert Giannou. “But there are also some new names – people attracted to the 10th Anniversary of a great event who want to be here for the celebration.”

“The Targa office has reached out around the world to competitors from 10 countries to invite them to our anniversary and the response has been amazing,” Giannou added.

While he won’t predict the total number of competitors that will take the start on the St. John’s waterfront next September, Giannou won’t be surprised to see the largest field in Targa history lined up for the flag.

“We have at least two corporate entries so far, including one that’s sure to be a surprise,” said Giannou.

An ‘early bird’ discount rate is in effect for entries received before the end of January.

Competitors have come from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, the U.S. and from across Canada for the first nine editions of the nation’s longest and toughest motorsports event.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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The event is contacting each of the more than 400 previous competitors in an effort to stage a reunion in St. John’s when the annual fall motorsports classic kicks off on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

Competitors have come from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, the U.S. and from across Canada for the first nine editions of the nation’s longest and toughest motorsports event.

“We’ve made friends all over the world, from every walk of life, in the first nine years of Targa,” says rally organizer Robert Giannou, “and they’ve become ambassadors for Newfoundland and for our event in every corner of the globe. We’d love to have them back for a celebration of the 10th Annual Targa Newfoundland in September.”

Four teams from Australia were in the field for the first Targa in 2002, cementing the rally’s reputation as an international motorsport and North America’s only internationally recognized long-distance tarmac rally in the grand tradition of Italy’s storied Targa Florio.

“With an extended family of competitors, supporters and fans around the world, we are looking forward to a grand reunion in September,” adds Giannou. “It’ll be a terrific party!”

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 10th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 17. 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.

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