Targa Newfoundland

Targa bug bites Toronto team.

This fall will mark the second Targa Newfoundland for the husband and wife team of Doug and Phyllis Bain of Ontario.

Team Bain from Toronto were first drawn to Targa Newfoundland by nostalgia and desire for new adventures. Then they were bitten by the Targa bug.

Doug and Phyllis first explored Newfoundland in 1977, traveling the island in Doug’s 1973 Datsun 510 — a classic rally car of its era. That unforgettable road trip planted the seed for a return, and nearly five decades later, they came back, this time as participants in the Targa Tour Division behind the wheel of a 2020 BMW M2 Competition.

In their first Targa Newfoundland, they were eager to embrace the rally experience — the challenging roads, the unmatched scenery, and the camaraderie, while being cheered on by a strong circle of supportive family and friends.

This year, they are back again after having an amazing experience on the twisty and scenic roads of the island.

Welcome back Bains!

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.
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Photos: Ralph Saulnier, Larry Strung, Blair Riddle

Multiple Targa winning team comes back for more.

Team Hume Media - John Hume and his granddaughter, Katelyn Hume from Ontario - make their return this fall and they are feeling competitive.

The team has scored multiple victories in Grand Touring and Targa 1. Team owner John Hume, a long-time supporter and sponsor of the rally, first competed in Targa 17 years ago. He’s run it 12 times since and placed on the podium seven times in two divisions.

He won the Grand Touring Division three times, in 2012, 2014 and 2017, with co-drivers Craig MacMullen and Christina Kroner. In 2023, he teamed up with pro racer Randy Pobst and co-driver MacMullen in his 2013 MINI GP and they won again in Targa 1.

Last fall, Hume and his granddaughter, Katelyn, ran in Targa Tour, sharing driving and co-driving duties in the 2021 MINI GP, which is #2072 of 3,000 built in 2020.

“I’ve been running Targa since 2009,” said Hume. “This island is so beautiful, I ended up building a house in Brigus on the ocean.”

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.

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Photos: Ralph Saulnier, Larry Strung, Blair Riddle

How to win Targa Newfoundland (or at least survive) ...

Winning any competitive division of Targa Newfoundland requires a combination of preparation, endurance, teamwork, concentration, and luck.

Six gruelling days on the road covering 2000 km total distance and about 500 km of competitive stages puts every team and car to the test and winning typically comes down to mere seconds. Jim Kenzie, who won Targa three times and also suffered DNFs, shares his wisdom.

"My usual 'first piece of advice' for Targa newbies is to remember there are no prizes for the Indy 495, the 23 1/2 Hours of Le Mans, or the 4 1/2 days of Targa Newfoundland. Another way of phrasing the oldest cliché in racing: to finish first, first you must finish. Targa’s history is littered with cars crashing out on the afternoon of Day Five. We won one of OUR titles that way!

Finishing and success are sometimes about the car. Everybody knows you have to look after the machinery. Make the car as bullet-proof as you and your crew know how to make it. Bring critical spare parts with you. That’s doubly important if you’re driving something exotic or rare. You’re not going to find a Maserati dealer in Leading Tickles, Newfoundland, and Amazon.ca can only do so much. Nut-and-bolt and fluid levels checks every night are critical. Same goes for proper allocation and rotation of the six tires.

Sometimes it’s about the crew. That starts of course before you even leave home. What a lot of newcomers don’t understand, at least not fully, is the toll the stress of a week-long race has on the team. Both physical and mental. Not just on the driver and co-driver, but also on the service techs. Be as fit as you can be, which means starting some sort of fitness regime at least six months ahead of the event.

Getting proper sleep during the week is critical for everyone, both for in-car and out-of-car team members. Yeah, that’s difficult; sometimes, an all-nighter is necessary. Been there, done that. Avoid alcohol and other “stimulants” during the week. Hold off on the celebrating until you reach the end of the rally."

Read the full article on the Targa website: https://targanfld.com/how-to-win-targa-newfoundland/

Are you up to the challenge?

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.

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Photos: MINI, Targa Newfoundland, Ralph Saulnier

Thanks Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo 2026 and Inside Track Motorsport News.

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Local team is charged up for Targa.

The latest buzz at Targa Newfoundland is about the long-running rally’s first ever electric vehicle (EV) entry.

Auto-X Racing, a local team from St. John’s, NL, is bringing a Tesla Model 3 this fall to show how an electric car can compete with internal combustion engine vehicles over the course of the gruelling endurance event.

John Gordon is with Auto X Preowned, a company that sells and services used electric vehicles. An electrician by trade, Gordon bought his first electric car in 2013. He then created Canada’s first multi-brand EV dealership and has sold hundreds of electric cars over the last 13 years.

Doug Ottenheimer of St. John’s is a long-time friend of John’s, a car enthusiast and a heavy equipment operator by trade and he’s also part of Auto X.

Their weapon of choice for their first Targa is a 2018 Tesla Model 3 with dual motors and all-wheel drive plus some mods to boost power. It’s supercar quick with instant torque and zero-to-100 kph (roughly 0-60 mph) acceleration in about 3 seconds. They believe that will give them some advantage coming off tight turns and slow sections of the course.

“We’re excited to see what it can do on the Targa course,” said Gordon. “It’s one of the fastest cars in the province, I believe, and will give us a fun run. We’re going to do some modifications to the suspension so it handles the bumps a bit better in Targa.”

You can run an electric car or one with an internal combustion engine in Targa. Are you up for it?

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.

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Photos: Targa Newfoundland

Road racers rev up to Race the Rock.

An IMSA sportscar racer and a former motocrosser have teamed up to take on Targa Newfoundland for the first time and they're aiming for the top of the podium.

John Salerno is a current IMSA driver racing for JTR Motorsports Engineering as a rookie in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series. John had a late start to racing in 2024 at the age of 20. He got his start in Spec Miata thanks to MBM Performance based out of New Hampshire, where he met Evan McCutcheon.

Evan, co-owner of MBM, has been John’s crew chief and chassis engineer since day one. The two became very close as they travelled throughout the country racing Spec Miata. Evan has been an essential part in helping develop John as a racing driver, along with Grant Barron, head engineer of MBM Performance. Now in 2026, it is both MBM Performance and John Salerno’s final full year in Spec Miata, where they are chasing down a national championship.

John has had interest in running Targa Newfoundland since he began his motorsports career due to reasons that need no explanation. John just could never find the right co-driver. When John pitched the idea to Evan, the two immediately added it to their racing calendar.

The two aim to win the Targa 2 class using just a 1994 NA Spec Miata with some MBM Performance magic. Having a chassis engineer and IMSA driver in the same car should be a recipe for success.

Read the full profile on the Targa site: https://targanfld.com/team-john-salerno-motorsports/

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.
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Photos: John Salerno Motorsports

Race the Rock!

For years, that's been the battle cry for the long-running Targa Newfoundland tarmac rally.

You may ask why is Newfoundland called the Rock? Umm ... because that's what it is, a big rock in the North Atlantic.

The unique landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador attracts scientists and rockhounds from across the globe to see some of the oldest rocks in the world.

The Johnson GEO CENTRE in St. John's is carved out of the ancient rock of Signal Hill. You can walk on the Earth's mantle at the Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador is home to 3.9-billion-year-old rocks – some of the oldest on the planet.

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.

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You can even bring your mom (Happy Mother’s Day)!

Photos: Larry Strung, Ralph Saulnier, Blair Riddle

Three Men and a Rally...

One of the last rallies of its kind, Targa Newfoundland turns 25 this year. The idea for the long-running rally was born on a ferry off the coast of Australia in 2001.

PR guru Doug Mepham and automotive journalist buddy Jim Kenzie were still abuzz after running Targa Tasmania in Doug's Volvo Amazon. They had such an amazing time they mused about bringing that experience to Canada - the island of Newfoundland specifically.

Kenzie wrote a newspaper anrticle about it. Mepham sent it to Robert Giannou, a businessman and road racer in St. John’s, and got him excited about the idea.

Some inspired lobbying to get the provincial government on board was followed by a lot of groundwork to pull it off. The first Targa hit the roads of Newfoundland in September 2002. Kenzie and Mepham competed in the rally they helped create for many years.

More than two decades later, gearheads still flock to this remote and rugged island to experience Targa Newfoundland themselves.

So, if the legendary tarmac rally has three dads, who’s the mom? Oh, never mind.

Make your own legend this fall.

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.
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Read more about Targa's beginnings: https://targanfld.com/targa-newfoundland-how-it-all-began/

And about Targa's founders: https://targanfld.com/about/

Photos: Ralph Saulnier, MINI Canada, Tim Winker

Targa Newfoundland - May News

Rallying for a cause; Dejero connects Targa to the world; Woodstock, the car not the concert; Targa tips from a past champ; travelling to Targa; and more! Read more in the May newsletter.

*https://mailchi.mp/targanfld/may-news*

Wildlife of Targa Newfoundland...

You may encounter all sorts of wildlife during Targa Newfoundland - including some in the cars.

This island is teeming with birds and animals on the land and sea. Here are some photos of creatures you may see during your travels in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Keep a safe distance though and appreciate them from afar. For instance, you really don't want to encounter a moose up close. That could end your rally prematurely ... or worse.

Targa Newfoundland returns Sept. 10-17, 2026.
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Photos: Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism (whales), Larry Strung (puffins), Cory Babstock Old Bones Photography (eagle), Blair Riddle (Cape St. Mary's), Ralph Saulnier (Targa teams, Terry the Puffin, Targa Screech-in)

Dejero connects Targa Newfoundland to the world.

For the first time ever, Targa Newfoundland will be streamed live and free on YouTube. Dejero Smart Blending Technology brings North America’s ultimate tarmac rally to a global audience for the event's landmark 25th anniversary.

WATERLOO, ONTARIO – May 5, 2026 – Dejero, the global leader in intelligent connectivity for broadcasters, public safety agencies, and mission-critical operations, today announced a partnership with Targa Newfoundland as the event's official critical connectivity partner for 2026. Together, they will do what no one has done in the rally's history: stream it live and free to a global audience.

“We are delighted to be partnering with a company that can literally help solve the age-old communications problems in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Robert Giannou, Founder of Targa Newfoundland. “We look forward to working with Dejero to bring their concept into reality for our province.”

Newfoundland is one of Canada's most connectivity-challenged provinces. Targa 2026 won't solve that problem but it will show what becomes possible when the right infrastructure arrives.

"We chose Targa Newfoundland because it's the hardest possible test. Two thousand kilometres of remote terrain, six days of rallying, zero tolerance for failure,” said Kevin Fernandes, Chief Revenue Officer at Dejero. “This is exactly what we're built for. That's not a marketing claim. It's a proof point."

Targa Newfoundland runs Sept. 10-17, 2026.

Read more: https://www.dejero.com