Targa Rotorua

[MN]

One MX5 entered and one MX5 finished - unscathed.

Excessive servicing required - cleaned the windscreen, checked the fluids, kicked the tyres!!

The rally had a better selection of stages than the Targa Tauranga last year, although 75% was the same, several new to Targa or old Targa stages or old stages amalgamated resulted in more stages with a better mix of tight and fast.

Got around 20mpg overall and reached 180kmh several times which was faster than we acheived last year.

[zorruno]

Hi Mark - not knowing much about Targa, and what you can/can't do - can you give us a bit more of a rundown? e.g - do you use multiple/different tyres? What about vehicle modifications allowed?

How far/how many stages? Do you use a trip computer or anything?

Most importantly - roof down?!?

cheers

[MN]

Zorruno,

There are a number of different classes and sub classes generally based on vehicle age. An NA will be in the "early modern" but the NB probably in the "modern". If there are enough of a specific make/model then the organisers will create a seperate subclass as they have done for the Peugot 106 ie class 7b.

There isn't any real recognition of standard v's modification except if the car starts performing well above others in its class because of the modifications then the organisers will put it into another class. Any level of modification you like can be done, there is no restricition. My motor is standard (doesn't even have a cone air filter or different headers - yet) but I could do anything to it and remain in the class except forced induction which would probably put me into super-classics or Allcomers depending how well it went. If I put an 1800 into it, I would probably also stay in the modern class as I'd be able to point out it would still hardly be much competition to a late 80's M3 or Porsche. As its a proper MSNZ speed event (national rally license is a minimum) a full roll cage is required (my front hoop is removable in about 20 minutes so its still fine for normal road use).

Tyres are restricted to Dunlops except in very special circumstances. For the Dunlop Targa there is a 6 tyre restriction and for the other 2 Targa events 4 tyres only. The Formula R's and the more recent replacement are just brilliant and better than any road tyre you're likely to use. A set of 6 will last a year of competition easily (well mine have, in fact I leave them on for normal road use now).

I run the stock 1600 discs but have Mintex racing pads which are brilliant. They don't need to be warmed up before use so are fine around town too. I know a lot of people replace their 1600 discs for the larger 1800 but unless there are significant engine modifications, eg forced induction, I thinks its a waste of time; suspension and power changes are more important but you must have the best pads possible. I would not brake any later than I am now if I had the 1800 discs. I can brake from full noise at the 50m board on the front straight at Manfield and into 2nd for the first corner, I'm just not brave enough to go later than that.

The car is also eligible for the other tarmac rallies in Taranaki and Waitomo so its not just limited to targa events. In fact 2 NA's competed at Taranaki this year. They run in the 1300-1600 2wd class where again modifications aren't an issue as long as the cc rating isn't exceeded.

There is generally around 240km's of specials per day whether it be targa or Taranaki. Generally the special stages are around 7-35km in length. Taranaki and Waitomo allow pace notes (which we don't use and they are definately not essential) but Targa doesn't allow them. You don't have to have a special trip meter and the occassional person doesn't, but really I wouldn't advice not having one. Every instruction in the route book will have an arrow or marker board on the road but really at speed the driver needs to know how far to something, especially cautions, and sometimes you are concentrating so hard you miss the first warning marker.

No issues over roof down, in fact several open top cars compete. I have only run with the top down once - it got to cold - and a wind blocker isn't convenient because it would prevent you putting the helmets on the parcel self between stages. Also the car is faster (supposedly) with the top up.

Just to add some controversry I'll say that if you want to find out how good a driver you are tarmac rallying is the only way to find out. Circuit racing is pretty hoo humm after a road race where every corner is different, the road surfaces and conditions change, there aren't any big run off areas, reaction time is critical and you won't be on that piece of road again until next year.

GIVE IT A GO

[Bob K]

Thanks for your interesting posts. Were you the silver Targa NA at Taupo last month?

As a suggestion, and especially for a first timer, I highly recommend the associated Narva Tour.
I completed the week long tour last year in my 1989 NA. It was the best fun I've ever had driving! and to quote Possum Bourne "the best fun you can have with your pants on"!! You get to drive on most of the closed stages and stop at others to watch the main Targa entrants pass through. We also completed 4 laps each of Pukekohe and Manfield.
The tour drives in a convoy with no overtaking permitted and we were to keep to posted legal speed limits. This did not reduce my enjoyment one bit! at 70 or 90k on back country roads in 2nd and 3rd gear it was FUN!!
My co-driver tells people that we drove that little car at 7000rpm all week!! Well.... we certainly did on the closed stages. And our major repair costs..... $3.50 for a tail light bulb. Oh, and we washed the car once and kicked the tyres a couple of times. All this in an old MX5 with 160,000 on the clock.

Go to www.targa.co.nz for details.