Targa 2013 - starts at the Dotcom Mansion

[OLLIE 26]

So who's going to the Dotcom mansion for the opening of Targa 2013?

check it out - http://targa.co.nz/dotcom

[Phil-540i 166]

Funny - was just reading THAT in the paper a hour ago...........

Flyin / Fryin (aka as the Suuuper Hot MR2) will probably NOT be entering the Targa. You'll be so glad I didn't especially join the forum just to clarify THAT ae........

(Somewhere out there, is a 'retard breeding zone' going full swing, even outside reTardeme.......)

[Apex 693]

Will be there, a few members doing Targa this year.

[Phil-540i 166]

How long ya been doing Targa for Graham?? You on it in 08??

[Steve K-B 51]

Ill be there! Four KB BMWs this year

Its about a 3min drive from my place, Kim and I are pretty much neighbours so were pretty tight, hes waved to me a few times haha

[HappyH00ker 30]

I'll be there not in mine, but co-driving this time with Graham MacDonald in his E30.. Looking forward to it !

The beauty of our BMW Race Driver Series E30's is they are road legal, so all good for track and road racing.

If you haven't done Targa, it's a must for your bucket list.

Think of all those back road blasts that you wish you could do legally.. well imagine 200kph limit for 4 days across the Nth Island, you won't stop smiling

Great little towns open up to you for breakfasts & lunches, fantastic cars, picturesque scenery, Tui Brewery, late night rebuilds, early starts, adrenalin-all-the-way...

Come watch, then Do it.

[Apex 693]

How long ya been doing Targa for Graham?? You on it in 08??

Started in 2010 with absolutely no motorsport experience at all in a stock standard hatch back, got my Rally licence and managed to keep quite a few high end cars and drivers honest so decided to stick at it and develop the car, we have done a few events and have had a few drama's, we have learnt a lot and realized it will take many years to get the formula right!

last one we did was Targa Rotarua earlier this year where I crashed with a braking fault and damaged my car, my excellent crew patched it up and then i damaged it again the following day on bad tyres and bent suspension, was a hell of an event! We have been working away at fixing it for this event and have spent a lot of money, but alas we have run out of time and motivation (money) so withdrew for this year with the hope to develop the car for next year so we can put up a respectable challenge with the straight line pace we need. Our car is very slow in a straight line!!

I will be on event helping out where I can this year, also have my name down as a tentative co driver (I co drive a proper rally car in the proper gravel rally series), but that would depend on the driver and the safety of the car!

I'll be there not in mine, but co-driving this time with Graham MacDonald in his E30.. Looking forward to it !

The beauty of our BMW Race Driver Series E30's is they are road legal, so all good for track and road racing.

If you haven't done Targa, it's a must for your bucket list.

Think of all those back road blasts that you wish you could do legally.. well imagine 200kph limit for 4 days across the Nth Island, you won't stop smiling

Great little towns open up to you for breakfasts & lunches, fantastic cars, picturesque scenery, Tui Brewery, late night rebuilds, early starts, adrenalin-all-the-way...

Come watch, then Do it.

Well said.

It really is the most fun you can have in a car... bar proper rally on gravel!

Targa Tour is well worth doing, its 80% the fun with 100% less drama!

[HappyH00ker 30]

Same, after watching for too long, Robert & I entered our first event ever; the 2010 Dunlop Targa in a well sorted Peugeot 106 XSi. We shared the driving, goal was to finish the 5 days and secure a prized finishers medal, but we also won the Index of Performance - Modern.. In fact our whole team podiumed..

SInce then targa's have been too expensive (2010 cost ~$20k) so have been crewing. I bought my xTarga 2010 E30 for BMWRDS & like you dual-entered this year's Targa RallySprint, which was a blast. We were on the road ahead of you and in your in-car footage.

This is my first event with Graham, who still has his 106, races his E30 on the track in the BMWRDS & AkCarClub events, and competed in the Targa RallySprint.

Agree Targa Tour is a great way to also enjoy the same roads as we compete on, in any road registered car.

[Phil-540i 166]

Cheers Graham - I think it was the 08 Targa, from Huntly to Welly - I ran as one of the winch / recovery vehicles, so was just wondering if you'd been on that one. Certainly a fun event, bigtime......

I know that year, there was some crazy 'offs' that happened!!!

[Apex 693]

It is cool that there is multiple categories to compete in, performance index is a good one and winning that is something to be proud of!

Money is a big thing, like all rally’s it’s not the cost of the car it’s the cost of the event and the consumables needed to compete and be competitive, we have tried doing it on the cheap but its false economy, if you skimp anywhere it comes back to bite!

It would be great to see a few more single day events, it’s a lot more manageable cost and time wise, we did the Possum Bourn Memorial a month or so back and it was a great day event, some more Tarmac events like that would be cool.

There was a rumour Targa could be going to the South island next year, that is something I would be interested in, would put drivers on a more equal clean slate playing field and take in some awesome roads, would also attract international drivers I would think.

[Apex 693]

Cheers Graham - I think it was the 08 Targa, from Huntly to Welly - I ran as one of the winch / recovery vehicles, so was just wondering if you'd been on that one. Certainly a fun event, bigtime......

I know that year, there was some crazy 'offs' that happened!!!

Yep, unlike the race track, when you go off, its often big.

One small mistake and it can write your car off, something scary when you are doing 200kph down a narrow back road in the middle of no where with no pace notes blind! Its like running from the cops only legal and safe.

I thought I had driven fast and then I did Targa, I was caught on my first competitive stage by a competitor that started 30 seconds behind me in a slower car... still growing the balls needed to go flat out!

Always good to have you guys there ready to tow us out, luckily have only ever needed one tow so far!

[HappyH00ker 30]

It is cool that there is multiple categories to compete in, performance index is a good one and winning that is something to be proud of!

Money is a big thing, like all rally’s it’s not the cost of the car it’s the cost of the event and the consumables needed to compete and be competitive, we have tried doing it on the cheap but its false economy, if you skimp anywhere it comes back to bite!

It would be great to see a few more single day events, it’s a lot more manageable cost and time wise, we did the Possum Bourn Memorial a month or so back and it was a great day event, some more Tarmac events like that would be cool.

There was a rumour Targa could be going to the South island next year, that is something I would be interested in, would put drivers on a more equal clean slate playing field and take in some awesome roads, would also attract international drivers I would think.

Good for you, yes I missed out on the Possum Bourne Memorial tarmac day, will definitely budget for that next year. There will be other car club tarmac rally's around if I look harder..

Yes I heard that rumour too.. was in Wanaka this year skiing, so called over to check out Tony Quinn's Highland Motorsport Park @ Cromwell - awesome ! Spoke to Tony who repeated the rumour; NI & SI stages finishing at HMP ! Being the Targa 20th Anniversary, would be a huge event.

[Phil-540i 166]

Mmmmmm - just imagine Targa cars wound up bigtime on the straights on the Mainland, from Tekapo to Omarama....... that would be sweet

[HappyH00ker 30]

yes serious 200kph policing ! The TrackIt devices would be going off all over Canterbury !

[Apex 693]

Its not so bad in a slow car like mine, we only hit 200 maybe once a day if we are lucky! Must be painful in a 700hp Evo or 1000bhp GTR!

Have to buy a copy of Classic Car mag and check out the route for this year, AFAIK it ends on Taupo race track.

[HappyH00ker 30]

Its not so bad in a slow car like mine, we only hit 200 maybe once a day if we are lucky! Must be painful in a 700hp Evo or 1000bhp GTR!

Have to buy a copy of Classic Car mag and check out the route for this year, AFAIK it ends on Taupo race track.

ditto, my MONIT reports my E30 has hit 202kph somewhere, certainly wasn't in my hands over the past 2 years at Hampton or Pukekohe.. my guess was the 2010 Targa.

I've done a rough 2013 itennary mileage comparison to 2012 and each day total is different yet the o'nite venues are the same. Yes last stage is Taupo Motorsport Park.

[Apex 693]

Your car is not the Moro car is it? My wife (BBB at Frucor) knows you or the previous owner I think.

Your car must go O.K to hit 200 at either of those tracks, I cant manage that in my bloody thing.

[HappyH00ker 30]

Your car is not the Moro car is it? My wife (BBB at Frucor) knows you or the previous owner I think.

Your car must go O.K to hit 200 at either of those tracks, I cant manage that in my bloody thing.

Yes it's the Moro car, previous owner worked for Cadbury who sponsored a Top Gear Moro Road Trip..

I wish.. No the 202kph will have been 2010 Dunlop Targa with previous owner, as the E30 runs out of road at these tracks, don't know about Taupo which has longer straight..