Day Two: Finding a Groove As I write this post on my Blackberry on the long transit stage between Pleasantview 2 (2-7) to the final two stages of the day (Gander 1 and 2), I can’t help but think how lucky I am to be here in this great province. The weather today is fantastic – warm and sunny without… Read more →
Category: Rally
Leg One – Sept 12
Day One: Done The first day of the rally was one of extremes. Full of excitement for some and disappointment for others, it’s now crystal clear why the Targa Newfoundland is considered the most difficult and gruelling motorsports event in the country. Arriving at the Re/Max Centre before 7 AM, I was interviewed by Leigh Anne Power, host of the… Read more →
Prologue – Sept 11
Prologue Day The Prologue is an official, unofficial day of racing that gives teams old and new a chance to practice before the official start of the 2011 Targa Newfoundland. Following the mandatory breathalyzer test (we’ll do this every day) the morning began with an all-hands meeting for drivers and co-drivers where organizers discuss regulations, safety procedures, courses notes, changes… Read more →
Registration – Sept 10
Registration Day This morning was an early one; and the final one this week that I’ll leave the hotel in civilian clothing. The three prologue stages begin tomorrow and that means racing suit, Hans device and Peltor helmet. Today was registration day for the 71 teams entered in the 10th anniversary Targa Newfoundland. For this, we all headed to the… Read more →
Bell Island – Sept 9
Time to get real Today was the second and final day of Targa School for Jacques Deshaises and I. For this, we awoke early and drove to Portugal Cove to catch the ferry over to Bell Island in the middle of Conception Bay. Whereas yesterday focused on navigation and getting acquainted with each other in the car, today we drove… Read more →
School is in – Sept 8
(Targa) School is in Flying into St. John’s last night, it was clear why they call this place “The Rock.” The rugged, rocky terrain is broken up (linked together) by massive forests, thousands of tiny lakes and rivers flowing toward the jagged north Atlantic coast line. The postcard towns and tiny fishing villages appear as brightly-shining pearls under a setting… Read more →
2011 Targa Newfoundland coverage
For the past week-and-a-half I have been in Newfoundland, Canada competing in the 2011 Targa Newfoundland. This is a week-long 2,200-kilometre tarmac rally held annually throughout eastern and central portions of the province of Newfoundland. The route is made up of approximately 40 competitive Targa stages where the road is closed to public traffic. The stages are linked by non-competitive… Read more →
Targa Newfoundland here I come!
It is finally official! This Keenan and that Kia are headed to the Rock along with my fellow Autonet.ca journalist and CTCC driver Jacques Deshaies. And, beginning next week, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and, of course, Autonet.ca. I’ll post again when I have some links for you to follow our progress day by day. I’ve even signed… Read more →
A gymkhana redux: session 1 to today
Yesterday, DC Shoes posted Ken Block’s Gymkhana 4: The Hollywood Megamercial on its YouTube channel. Roughly 24 hours later, it has more than 1,500,000 views. Admittedly, Ken isn’t the greatest rally car driver the world has even seen (that was Colin McRae) but he’s still one hell of a driver and quite the showman. If you haven’t heard of his… Read more →
Fiesta Rallying with Team O’Neil
I’m at the O’Neil Rally School and Car Control Center in moose and bear country to experience the Ford Fiesta in a way many never people will get to experience it, sliding sideways through muck and muddy puddles while being in complete control. The school is owned and operated by Tim O’Neil, a five-time U.S. and North American rally champ,… Read more →