Targa events or other tarmac rallies...
Discussion
Who's done one or done some research on it and wouldn't mind explaining to a numpty?
I come from a road rallying background in the UK (earliest memories are being dragged around the Welsh mountains in the back of a Granada service barge chasing a series of MkII Escorts and Sunbeam Lotus that my father was driving), so the mysteries of Targa timing are probably the least of my worries.
More interested in, what events there are, best way to build experience towards a license, best car, mods required, sourcing co-drivers, service barges, tyre usage etc etc
I come from a road rallying background in the UK (earliest memories are being dragged around the Welsh mountains in the back of a Granada service barge chasing a series of MkII Escorts and Sunbeam Lotus that my father was driving), so the mysteries of Targa timing are probably the least of my worries.
More interested in, what events there are, best way to build experience towards a license, best car, mods required, sourcing co-drivers, service barges, tyre usage etc etc
Targa West is on this weekend http://www.targawest.com.au/
Basically they are tarmac only rallies held on closed public roads with everything from Vintage / Historics through to the latest Skyline GTR or Italian supercars entering.
I'm not sure what the scene is like for tarmac rally outside of the targa series.
If you are interested in doing the targa events then put some serious cash away and sign up for next years event now! I know entry fees aint cheap and running costs for the weekend are massive. You could reduce costs by entering the touring class for cars without roll-cages and the like but they are limited to 130KMH.
I had a chat with someone that often does Targa West a while back, he said that 'bending' the rules is common across all classes so its best not to take the competition element to seriously and just enjoy the thrill of running flat out on public roads.
Basically they are tarmac only rallies held on closed public roads with everything from Vintage / Historics through to the latest Skyline GTR or Italian supercars entering.
I'm not sure what the scene is like for tarmac rally outside of the targa series.
If you are interested in doing the targa events then put some serious cash away and sign up for next years event now! I know entry fees aint cheap and running costs for the weekend are massive. You could reduce costs by entering the touring class for cars without roll-cages and the like but they are limited to 130KMH.
I had a chat with someone that often does Targa West a while back, he said that 'bending' the rules is common across all classes so its best not to take the competition element to seriously and just enjoy the thrill of running flat out on public roads.
Dutton Rally is the biggest in NSW and looks like a lot of fun. Love to do it at some stage
http://www.duttonrally.com/
http://www.duttonrally.com/
Thanks, running costs were what I was interested in, particularly trying to compare is $/km vs track days and sprints.
Entry fee etc I can get my head around, broken bits and bent cars are what they are.
So fuel, tyres (a set per day if you're running something sticky? running PSC2's or P Zero Corsa's), pads and discs? a set for the event think dealer will do lend these to me, and put together a spares kit. So probably need another 1-2 sets of wheels.
Then for servicing, would need service barge (rent I guess), plus a couple of guys (maybe one mate and one paid for), co-driver etc.
As for pace notes, are they allowed? Is there enough knowledge of the route to give time for a recce or do people use previous years? Is the road book detailed enough if you just wanted to go med-hard?
Seems to be getting quite expensive quite quickly!
Entry fee etc I can get my head around, broken bits and bent cars are what they are.
So fuel, tyres (a set per day if you're running something sticky? running PSC2's or P Zero Corsa's), pads and discs? a set for the event think dealer will do lend these to me, and put together a spares kit. So probably need another 1-2 sets of wheels.
Then for servicing, would need service barge (rent I guess), plus a couple of guys (maybe one mate and one paid for), co-driver etc.
As for pace notes, are they allowed? Is there enough knowledge of the route to give time for a recce or do people use previous years? Is the road book detailed enough if you just wanted to go med-hard?
Seems to be getting quite expensive quite quickly!
They do pace notes and with Targa West you are allowed to recce the stages a few weeks before the event. They always say that during the recce to drive within the law as local residents are sensitive about the road closures during the event as it is....I'm told that most of the stages get a layer of rubber 'on line' around the same time as the recce 
The front running guys go seriously hard (Peter Brock was killed on Targa West a few years back) and on the abrasive country roads here I would think a set of tyres per day would be needed. Bear in mind the rain can be torrential here so a set of wets should be kept on hand.
As for the $/KM ratio...Its not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but there is a lot of history in Aus Targa events. They are some of the last events of their kind in the world and in Aus is an opportunity to stick 2 fingers in the air and drive as quick as you dare on the public roads. For anyone that is involved in motorsport a Targa event is a 'must do' and can be compared with Bathurst, Le Man or a weekend at the 'Ring.
Watch "love the beast' to get an idea of what its all about. Most of the targa events release a DVD not long after the event to so you could pick a few of those up.
The front running guys go seriously hard (Peter Brock was killed on Targa West a few years back) and on the abrasive country roads here I would think a set of tyres per day would be needed. Bear in mind the rain can be torrential here so a set of wets should be kept on hand.
As for the $/KM ratio...Its not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but there is a lot of history in Aus Targa events. They are some of the last events of their kind in the world and in Aus is an opportunity to stick 2 fingers in the air and drive as quick as you dare on the public roads. For anyone that is involved in motorsport a Targa event is a 'must do' and can be compared with Bathurst, Le Man or a weekend at the 'Ring.
Watch "love the beast' to get an idea of what its all about. Most of the targa events release a DVD not long after the event to so you could pick a few of those up.
Exactly what I had in mind.
UK had a huge culture of this that I grew up with, Tour of Mull, the Manx, Motoring News Championship (open roads, with Targa times set for averages under NSL but impossible to meet unless you're going hard). Grew up in a house full of trophies for the Cylwendig, Mull and events like that. Now just want to have my go.
A lot of these events had no notes, and routes that were only given on the night, but the same selectives were used every year and you could buy marked maps in the back of the Motoring News...
UK had a huge culture of this that I grew up with, Tour of Mull, the Manx, Motoring News Championship (open roads, with Targa times set for averages under NSL but impossible to meet unless you're going hard). Grew up in a house full of trophies for the Cylwendig, Mull and events like that. Now just want to have my go.
A lot of these events had no notes, and routes that were only given on the night, but the same selectives were used every year and you could buy marked maps in the back of the Motoring News...
Targa style events are limited to 6 tyres for the event so it is also about driving to save them
Some of the top evos and wrx where using about 1.2 litres of fuel per km on stage last year and 1 guy I know was using elf fuel at $5 a litre
The regs are pretty strict on what you can and cannot do to the car they have to be near to Group N rally spec engine wise but I think suspention and brakes are free
So you are looking at roughly for a wrx
tyres $2100.00
Fuel 98 octane $1000
brake pads and disks $1500
Most guys I know that do the event say it is around $15000 for the weekend including entry, crew , spares if you dont go off
Some of the top evos and wrx where using about 1.2 litres of fuel per km on stage last year and 1 guy I know was using elf fuel at $5 a litre
The regs are pretty strict on what you can and cannot do to the car they have to be near to Group N rally spec engine wise but I think suspention and brakes are free
So you are looking at roughly for a wrx
tyres $2100.00
Fuel 98 octane $1000
brake pads and disks $1500
Most guys I know that do the event say it is around $15000 for the weekend including entry, crew , spares if you dont go off
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