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AN OVERVIEW 1992 to 2003 TARGA TASMANIA By Tom Snooks Operations Consultant 1993 Clerk of Course 1994-2003
Acknowledgement of the major references I used to research the information from which I have taken direct quotes, and photographs, are: • Targa Tasmania – ‘The Ultimate Tarmac Rally – 1992 to 2001 The First 10 Years’ produced by Octagon Motorsports edited by Michael Browning; • ‘The Legend’ published by Media Productions Pty Ltd, covering the 1992 to 1995 events. • ‘Targa Tasmania 1992-1993’, Clipper Press, Hobart; • Targa Tasmania Official Programs, 1992 to 2003; • Internal event documents from 1993 to 2003 that I have in my possession. I take full responsibility for the information listed and I apologise for any errors made by me and will be most pleased to hear from anyone seeking to correct any issue – [email protected]
1 Jump to List of Contents THE PASSION OF TARGA FLORIO, SICILY – THE INSPIRATION FOR TARGA TASMANIA NAME
Italia 35/40HP in action in Targa Florio in 1907 Driven by Alessandro Umberto Cagno (below) who won the event in this car in the inaugural 1906 event
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JOHN LARGE AOM The Persona behind Targa Tasmania
THE MISSION STATEMENT To conduct a unique, competitive international motor rally as Tasmania’s ultimate tourist attraction.
THE PRINCIPLES: 1. To organise and conduct a unique, world standard and collectors of sporting automobiles. seriously challenging international motorsport competition on 5. To increase national and international awareness of bitumen roads in the Australia state of Tasmania. Tasmania and in particular, to enhance Tasmania’s status as a 2. To bring together an exclusive field of Sports Cars, Grand quality tourist destination. Touring Cars and other cars of distinction, representing the 6. To ensure the continuing enthusiasm and support for the evolution of the sporting automotive from 1900 to the event from the Tasmanian community. present. 7. To generate sufficient revenue to meet the expenditure 3. To use the competition as a focal point for a festival of needed to stage the event in accordance with these functions, entertainment and associated activities to create principles, and sufficient accumulated surplus to secure its an overall event attractive to all audiences. long-term viability. 4. To develop the events into a high prestige occasion 8. To ensure that all involved in staging the event derive recognised throughout the world of automobile competition. optimum satisfaction and enjoyment from their involvement. as an essential annual activity for owners and serious
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TO ENHANCE TASMANIA’S STATUS AS A QUALITY TOURIST DESTINATION BY CONDUCTING ANNUALLY A UNIQUE COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONAL MOTOR RALLY WHICH COMPRISES A PASSING PARADE OF ROAD-GOING VEHICLES OF DISTINCTION REPRESENTING THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPORTING AUTOMOBILE FROM 1900 TO THE PRESENT DAY.
TARGA TASMANIA CO-FOUNDERS
John Large OAM Max Stahl Ronda Matthews
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Michael Browning - editor of ‘Targa Tasmania - The Ultimate Tarmac Rally 1992-2001’ which provided so much material for this Overview. (Bob Watson on left)
5 Jump to List of Contents LIST OF CONTENTS
1: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOHN LARGE AND TOM SNOOKS
2: BEGINNINGS OF TARGA TASMANIA
3: TARGA TASMANIA - MORE THAN A MOTORING COMPETITION
4: COMPETITOR PUBLICITY - ‘TARGA NEWS’ - ‘TARGA TIMES’ - ‘EVENT PROGRAM’
5: TARGA TASMANIA SPECIAL NUMBER PLATES
6: TARGA TASMANIA WINNERS 1992 - 2003
7: COMPETITORS 1992 - 2003
8: WOMEN COMPETITORS IN TARGA TASMANIA
9: THE COMPETITION
10: THE FLAG CAR - PART OF THE TARGA TASMANIA TRADITION
11: HOW TARGA TASMANIA FUNCTIONED
12: THE HANDICAP SYSTEM FOR HISTORIC AND CLASSIC COMPETITIONS
13: TROPHIES AND AWARDS
14: INSPECTION OF TARGA TASMANIA BY FIA OBSERVER IN 2001
15: COMPETITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION
16: ROLE OF THE CLERK OF THE COURSE OF TARGA TASMANIA
17: SAFETY FOR TARGA TASMANIA
18: TARGA TASMANIA SENIOR VOLUNTEER OFFICIALS
19: TARGA TASMANIA VOLUNTEER OFFICIALS
20: VEHICLE TECHNICAL ISSUES OF TARGA TASMANIA
21: CET / TTT - COMMUNICATIONS AND EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT
22: RESULTS
23: HOSPITALITY VILLAS AND VEHICLE EXPOS
24: TARGA TASMANIA PRESENTATION
25: WORDS FROM MURRAY WALKER - COMPETITOR IN 2003
26: KLAUS BICHOF
27: TARGA TASMANIA WON TOURISM AWARDS
28: FINALE BY TOM SNOOKS
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John Large and Ronda Matthews were inducted into the Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame in 2001. They were the inaugural inductees
1. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOHN LARGE AND TOM SNOOKS
A Chemist, John Large was born (1938) in the Tasmanian northwest town of Burnie and grew up in Launceston. He moved to Perth in the early sixties and set up a pharmacy in Hamilton Hill, a suburb out from Fremantle.
A Production Planner and Controller, Tom Snooks was born (1940) in Western Australia (Perth).
In the mid-sixties Snooks had three very young children and this meant fairly regular trips to a pharmacy – the Hamilton Hill Pharmacy as it turned out.
Large then owned a red Alfa Romeo Spyder which he parked in front to the pharmacy so he could keep an eye on it and shoo away kids when they “put their sticky fingers over it”! Large and Snooks (then a member of the West Australian Car Club – WACC - and involved in rallying, known as trialing in those days) got chatting and it wasn’t long before Large also joined the WACC.
Over the next five years they spent much time coming across each other – socially and in events and of course Large showed great talent as a navigator, which subsequently netted him six West Australian Rally Championships, and the 1975 Australian Rally Championship.
In mid-1970 Snooks organised the Perth start of the Captain Cook Bi-Centennial Trial. This event involved starts in each capital city on the mainland and a drive to Port Augusta, followed by a further drive (including a Prologue) to Alice Springs from where the Trial started in earnest. It then traveled through the three Eastern States and finished in Sydney at the end of June. Large competed in the event with Bob Bullock and Laurie Guglalti in a Volvo 142S and finished 85th out of 112 finishers.
Snooks flew from Perth to Sydney for the end of the Trial and thereafter stayed on in Sydney and joined the Australian Sporting Car Club (ASCC) and became involved in the Dulux and Southern Cross International Rallies, as well as being Secretary of the ASCC. But that is another story!
7 Jump to List of Contents Large, in 1972, became the West Australian Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) National Councillor and thereafter travelled to the Eastern States numerous times each year during the seventies. This was coupled with competing in the Australian Rally Championship and Southern Cross International Rallies and he met with Snooks on many occasions.
John Large in a West Australian Car Club (WACC) motorkhana in 1967 driving his red Alfa Romeo Spyder when he first became involved in the sport. – just another average competitor before his climb up the ladder to motor sport fame.
In late 1972 Large married in Melbourne and Snooks was his Best Man.
Fast forward to the early eighties.
Snooks joined CAMS Head Office in Melbourne in 1982 as a National Administrator and stayed for a number of years.
Large was elected President of CAMS in 1983 and this was the start of the longest period for this position for a CAMS President, retiring in 1994.
A man of many ideas, Large headed the production of the ‘CAMS Five-Year Program for the Development of Motor Sport in Australia 1983-1988’, with the first edition appearing in April 1983. It was, as one would expect from Large, a formidable document of 20 proposed strategies and plans to attain the Program’s objectives ………… but the progress of the Program is another story.
The Program included a plan to develop special events in appropriate parts of Australia, and two such events that evolved from the Program were the Wynn’s (later Australian) Safari, with Snooks leaving CAMS in mid-1984 to organise that event with adventurer Hans Tholstrup, and Targa Tasmania. At this time the Australian Grand Prix incorporated the FIA Formula One World Championship in Adelaide, and the World Rally Championship was being mooted to be conducted in Perth from 1988.
2. BEGINNINGS OF TARGA TASMANIA Initially the Targa Tasmania tagline was ‘The Ultimate Tourist Trophy’. After a few years John Large was convinced by his Team to rename the tagline ‘Ultimate Tarmac Rally’.
Text in italics are quotes from ‘Targa Tasmania The Ultimate Tarmac Rally 1992-2001 The First Ten Years’:
In 1988 South Australian enthusiast John Blanden created the Grand Prix Rally, which gave owners of sporting cars a unique opportunity to exercise them in a tarmac event comprising a mixture of closed road venue driving events and public road navigation. It ran from Melbourne to Adelaide, where it took in the Australian World Grand Prix event.
Max Stahl saw a further development of the Grand Prix Rally into a sort of tarmac rally over closed public roads and considered that Tasmania could be the venue. On a flight to Perth for Rally Australia in 1990 Stahl conversed with Bruce Keys (at that time CAMS Manager for rallies) who advised Stahl of John Large’s Five Year Plan for the development of motorsport in Australia and his attempts to get a hallmark event set up in Tasmania. As Large then lived in Perth Keys managed to get Stahl and Large together during the rally and what followed has been described by Keys:
‘’As the red wine flowed, so did the ideas and the evening turned into an almost spontaneous combustion, with two people bringing their common ideas together. There could not be two more enthusiastic people for such an event and, with the uncorking of fine wine, the essential framework of what was to become Targa Tasmania was born. A key component of the concept that they both agreed to was that the event should essentially be for classic sporting cars.”
Before the gathering broke up the name of the concept was bandied around with the pair almost deciding on “Mille Miglia Tasmania” when Stahl, during the conversation based around the Italian events of Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, came up
8 Jump to List of Contents with ‘Targa Tasmania’. This sent the pair into researching Targa Florio (see below) and, after a time, the potentially new born event had a name – ‘Targa Tasmania’.
Targa Florio In 1905 Vincenzo Florio, a car-loving son of a prominent Sicilian family, established the great road event on Sicily. The prize for each winner was a plate bearing the Florio family emblem.
In Italian the word for plate is ‘targa’ so the event was named ‘Targa Florio’. For 69 years (1905 to 1974 less war years) Targa Florio demanded the highest road-racing and rally skills to negotiate the narrow twisting mountain roads of the island. The first prize was a magnificent copy of the Florio family plate, or targa.
In the true tradition of Targa Florio, Targa Tasmania also offered the thrill of competing on some of the world’s most challenging roads (all tarmac) and the chance to win targa trophies, which were awarded to a wide spectrum of competitors who completed every targa stage within the allowed (‘maximum’) time.
John Large adopted the logo term ‘The Ultimate Tourist Trophy’ as over the years ‘Tourist Trophy’ had been used in races forming the World Manufacturers Championship, the World Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship, the International Sports Racing Series, the FIA GT Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, et al. It was a very common term in European motor sport.
However, the title ‘Tourist Trophy’ in Australia gave the impression of the event being a ‘tour’ and deterred some potential competitors from even considering entering, so by the 1997 event the logo term was changed to ‘The Ultimate Tarmac Rally’.
Logo adopted to 1996 Logo adopted from 1997
Tasmania enjoyed a high profile motor sport involvement ever since the famous days of the Longford motor racing circuit (1953 to 1968) when rounds of the Australian Grand Prix (1959 and 1965), Tasman Series (1964 to 1968), Australian Touring Car Championship (1968) and other major race events were conducted there. The Island was identified in Large’s Five-Year Program as an area which would justify development of a special event.
As a result of the Program the CAMS National Council (now CAMS Board) established a number of portfolios which were allocated to National Councillors. The Special Events portfolio was awarded to Stephen Chopping, the National Councillor (now Board Member) for Tasmania, and the thought of an around Tasmania event evolved in spasmodic discussions involving Large and anyone who would listen to him.
Then, through Tony Wright, Tasmania’s most experienced rally organiser (including rounds of the Australian Rally Championship) there was a strong move to secure a round of the World Rally Championship to be run on the island with the Tasmania Government contributing financially to the event as working capital. Despite a two year endeavour such an event could not be put together. Large, as President of CAMS, supported this project and put the idea of a round Tasmania concept to one side.
The Tasmanian Government then tried to develop a Touring Car Race (to be called the ‘Constitution 500’) run in the area of Hobart’s Constitution Docks. This came to nothing by the end of 1989.
At this time Large put a concept to Chopping of holding a sort of ‘Mille Miglia de Tasmania’ which would involve some 1500 kilometres around the perimeter of the island with time controls situated at each end of the mountain passes through which the competition would be conducted. After investigation and liaison with the Government Chopping found enthusiasm, and that road-closure of the mountain passes and other roads needed for the event was achievable under Tasmanian government legislation.
However, Chopping was unable to generate sufficient enthusiasm for the concept amongst the Tasmanian motor sport fraternity, who were used to dirt rallying, as the required event management systems for tarmac rallies that would be required would be quite different for dirt rallying.
9 Jump to List of Contents In 1990 Max Stahl approached Large seeking his help in developing something along the lines of closed sections of main roads to be presented to the Tasmanian Government, which agreed to fund a feasibility study, with the end objective being to produce the initial design of the competition and an indicative course. The outcome of the feasibility study was positive, so full-scale planning commenced for the Stahl-named ‘Targa Tasmania’ – after part of Sicily’s famous Targa Florio - to be conducted in April 1992. At this time Ronda Matthews joined the project as Commercial Manager.
A local who contributed greatly to opening doors in Tasmania for the mainland based trio of Large, Stahl and Matthews was Jeff Ransley, a member of the Hobart Sporting Car Club since 1955.
Unlike most rallies which were conducted on dirt roads, Targa Tasmania was to be a fully tarmac event over public roads, run in the full glare of media and under direct public scrutiny.
Between them Large and Stahl selected stages for a course, initially for a three day event but, on the request of the Tasmanian Government representatives, this was extended to a five day event, much to the delight of Large, in order that more tourist dollars were spent on the island. Large added a loop around Launceston and also around Hobart to the original course of Launceston to Hobart (down the East Coast), Hobart to Burnie (basically though the centre of the island) and Burnie to Hobart (via the West Coast). Then in 1994 it was expanded yet again, to be a six day event with the Prologue conducted at George Town.
As he was still living in Perth (West Australia) Large’s plan was to be involved with the sporting, technical and safety regulations and design the course and leave the actual running of the event to Stahl and Matthews and the local Tasmanian people. However, it was soon evident that there were severe organisational difficulties and Large was convinced to spend more time in the state and concentrate on the details of planning and conducting the event, which he did from August 1991, eventually moving to live there.
3. TARGA TASMANIA – MORE THAN A MOTORING COMPETITION Conducted under the auspices of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) Targa Tasmania was a six day motorsport event covering some 2000 kilometres over some of the world’s best driving roads – with approximately 500 competitive kilometres over closed public roads on stages known as Targa Stages.
While many makes and models of sporting cars were entered in Targa Tasmania since its inception, tight control of invitations by the Organising Committee retained the variety and individuality of the entry list year by year.
The Targa Tasmania Vehicle Selection Policy was revised a number of times and the one listed below is from 2002.
10 Jump to List of Contents VEHICLE SELECTION POLICY
1. Introduction 5. Contemporary and New Release Vehicles The Vehicle Selection Policy of Targa Tasmania is (a) The acceptability of Contemporary and New Release designed to address the relevant principles adopted for Vehicles is not affected by their technology. Four- the event: wheel drive, ABS, traction control, and semi- • To bring together an exclusive field of Sports Cars automatic gearboxes (eg Porsche Tiptronic) are all and Grand Touring Cars of distinction representing acceptable. the evolution of the sporting automobile from 1900 (b) The vehicle itself must, however, be a sports or GT to the present day. vehicle of distinction which can reasonably be • To develop the event into a high-prestige occasion expected to enjoy "classic" status 10 to 15 years recognised throughout the world of automobile after release. competition as an essential annual activity for (c) Vehicle selection criteria for these two categories owners and collectors of Sports Cars and Grand will be rigidly adhered to and only exceptional Touring Cars of distinction. vehicles which will add lustre and publicity benefits to the event will be invited to compete in “LMS” 2. Objective (Limited Modified Specification) or “MS” (Modified The ultimate objective is for the field to comprise Specification Category). vintage, historic, classic and contemporary sports and GT cars which epitomise the finest in the world and which represent every year from 1900 to the present day. 6. Technical Integrity and Modifications (a) Full details of all performance-influencing 3. Categories modifications are required to be declared on the The competition is run in four sections - historic, touring application form. classic, classic and modern, with categories based on (b) Modified vehicles will be reviewed by the Technical the age of the vehicles. Target numbers for each section Committee, and may be allocated to the relevant will be determined and invitations will be issued in “LMS” (Limited Modified Specification) or “MS” accordance with these targets. (Modified Specification) category subject to the nature and extent of performance-influencing 4. Groupings components or technology used in the modification. Vehicles will be broadly grouped as follows for the (c) Vehicles with modified engine capacity will be purposes of selection: classified in accordance with the modified capacity. (a) Desirable Vehicles (d) A Vehicle Identity Form will be issued to provide a These are the vehicles for which Targa Tasmania record of competition in the event. Details of all was conceived - the "creme de la creme" of sporting modifications will be required to be recorded on the automobiles for which an invitation will be issued form and verified by the scrutineers. without delay. (e) Modern unique or limited edition vehicles, which Octagon Worldwide has compiled a Register of conform to the definition of a sports car or GT car Desirable and Acceptable Vehicles which is updated and which are not built by a recognised vehicle regularly. The organisation is pleased to receive manufacturer are not eligible to compete in “SS” further applications for inclusion in the Register. (Standard Specification) Category.
(b) Acceptable Vehicles 7. Options These are vehicles of higher production numbers Factory options are not eligible for an “SS” (Standard which still conform to the definition of a sports or Specification) category as they were not part of the GT vehicle, or which are pre-1982 vehicles with a production process that constitutes a standard vehicle, significant competition background. except that, if a vehicle has been homologated with These will be included in the field subject to varying options, those options will not necessarily prevent available space within their category; standard of a vehicle from being eligible for an “SS” (Standard presentation of the vehicle; nationality of the Specification) category. entrant and/or crew; celebrity status of driver or navigator. 8. Vehicles constructed to copy a Period Vehicle A vehicle which is "acceptable" (as distinct from (a) Period Reproduction – is a vehicle which has been desirable) is more likely to receive an early constructed as a copy of a period vehicle employing invitation if it is in concourse condition; and/or is in only mechanical components and materials of the a section or category which is low in numbers; relevant period. Vehicles constructed to copy a and/or is driven by an international or celebrity Period Vehicle will be reviewed by the Technical competitor. Committee, and depending on the specifications of the vehicle, may be categorised in the standard (c) Marginal Vehicles category of the original vehicle, categorised in These are borderline cases for which an invitation accordance with the year of the latest performance- would not ordinarily be issued until the last month influencing component or the newest performance- before the close of entries and only then if: influencing technology, or may be allocated to the relevant “LMS” (Limited Modified Specification) or “MS” (Modified Specification) category.
11 Jump to List of Contents i. The visual appearance of the vehicle is along similar lines to the style of a sports or GT (b) Modern Reproduction – is a vehicle which has been competition vehicle. constructed as a copy of a period vehicle employing ii. Space is available in the section or category. any modern mechanical components and/or iii. The vehicle is particularly well presented. materials. Such a vehicle will only be invited into an iv. The vehicle is entered by a manufacturer, a “MS” (Modified Specification) or “LMS” (Limited distributor or a commercial sponsor who plans Modified Specification) category. to support the entry with a significant promotion which will assist the event. (c) Like all other vehicles, replicas and reproductions International, high-profile or celebrity competitors will be classified in accordance with the capacity of will generally be given wider latitude in relation to the engine actually used in the competition. marginal vehicles. 10. Standard of Presentation (d) Inappropriate Vehicles (a) The standard of presentation of a vehicle will be These are vehicles for which an invitation is unlikely taken into account. All other things being equal, to be issued regardless of circumstances. Generally vehicles of superior visual presentation will be these vehicles will be: invited ahead of those which are of lesser standard. i. Vehicles which do not con (b) A well-presented "marginal" vehicle may be firm to the definition of a sports car, or a grand accepted ahead of a less well-presented touring car, or a pre-1982 (refer 4.2) car with a "acceptable" vehicle. competition background. ii. Late model vehicles with no sporting pedigree 11. Non-Tasmanian Competitors or distinctive appearance and which in 15 years Not less than 75% of invitations will be reserved for are more likely to be regarded simply as non-Tasmanian competitors. superseded models rather than classics. iii. Competition derivatives of four-door sedan or two-door hatchback cars, which have been developed primarily for contemporary rally competition. Applicants with inappropriate vehicles will ordinarily be advised quickly and encouraged to nominate a different vehicle.
THE COMPETITORS The event was made up of many characters who were as diverse in background as the cars they drove.
The competitors, both male and female, came from all states of Australia, and from overseas, and were from all walks of life – captains of industry, self-employed businessmen, professionals, academics, retirees and professional and amateur race and rally drivers.
They came with their spouses, sons, daughters and friends to be their navigators, their service crew members or just their supporters. Their objective was to enjoy the ‘Spirit of Targa Tasmania’. Targa Tasmania was not confined to a race track nor was it a mere stately parade of ‘old bangers’. The event attracted people to drive classic, sports and competition-based cars in the manner for which they were designed, on real roads with both skill and finesse.
It was a seriously competitive motor sport event appealing to owners of cars spanning over eighty years of automotive development, and it was much more than a bitumen car rally for all keen motoring enthusiasts – it was a week-long community festival involving about half the population of Tasmania, which then had some 450,000 inhabitants. Crowds in their thousands turned out to witness the multi-million mobile motor show – either passing by or at the various car shows in Launceston, Hobart and Burnie where different community functions were conducted in conjunction with the event – Food and Wine Affairs in the main.
The ‘’multi-million mobile motor show’’, as expressed so often by Large, was estimated to be worth over 30 million dollars of fine machinery.
The interest Targa Tasmania attracted from all levels of the fraternity of motor sport competitors was even more remarkable in that no prizemoney was at stake. Instead the traditions of the great Targa Florio in Sicily road race lived on in the form of a special plate – the Targa Trophy.
Crews competed, in the main, only against themselves and the clock, their main aim was to win a targa trophy and if they took off a class or category (and in some cases for the very few, outright placings) they treated this as a bonus (although of course, some of the front runners were out to capture the glory of gaining the top positions).
12 Jump to List of Contents The Tasmania roads could only be used for competition due to the acceptance of the Tasmanian Government, the various authorities around the Island and, of course, the Tasmanian community.
International Competitors INTERNATIONAL COMPETITOR STATISTICS Year Historic Classic Modern Total No. Japanese 1992 1 6 0 7 7 1993 0 8 4 12 6 1994 0 6 4 10 3 1995 0 1 3 4 3 1996 0 6 4 10 2 1997 1 3 8 12 8 1998 1 5 3 9 3 1999 0 6 8 14 7 2000 0 7 7 14 5 2001 0 7 4 11 5 2002 0 2 3 5 3 2003 0 4 1 5 1 TOTAL 113 53
THE CARS Many successful Australians and ordinary enthusiasts had, over the years, collected classic sports and grand touring cars, admired but unable to be enjoyed to the fullest on the open road because their performance potential far exceeded the statutory speed limits. At best, the cobwebs may have been aired on racing circuits during car club sprints and lap-dashes or, in the case of the much older vehicles, participated in a historic meeting. Then along came Targa Tasmania as an all- bitumen event with closed public roads and no speed limits and the organisers were overwhelmed with enquiries and entries.
1927 Delage DM Sports 6 – a big open roadster with a 3.1 litre straight six engine - crewed by Andrew Cannon and John Stansfield
Many of the cars entered in Targa Tasmania were locked away in car museums and private garages, and were brought out for the occasional non-competitive tour or for an illicit run along a back road. The event gave the owners the opportunity of the owners of these historic, thoroughbreds and modern classics to showcase their beauty and performance and to drive them the way the manufacturer intended them to be driven - as John Large also constantly preached.
13 Jump to List of Contents The Targa Tasmania field was divided into three broad periods of automotive development – Historic (pre-war to 1946), Classic (post-war 1947 to 1977), and Modern (1978 to 2003).
Historic Period – Cars that participated (to 1946) Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia Spyder Delage D6/70 LeMans Jaguar SS100 Àlfa Romeo Castagna 1750GS Delage DMS Lagano DMS Alfa Romeo Zagato Desoto CF Roadster MAB Alvis 12/50 SC Dodge DU MG Magna L Alvis Speed 25 Dodge Speedster MGA TC American La France Speedster Essex Super 6 Tourer Oakland 8-101 Bentley 3-4.5 Ford Coupe Packard Bristol 400 Ford T Speedster Riley Brooklands Bugatti Type 35B Fraser-Nash Boulogne Rolls Royce Phantom 111 Buick Speedster Hispano Suiza Guymeyer Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Chevrolet National Roadster Hudson Super Six Raceabout Singer Le Mans Chrysler G70 Tourer Invicta S Type Vauxhall OE 30-98 Chrysler Van den Plus Jaguar MkIV
It was only right that the older cars of this world competed on some of Australia’s oldest roads. To take on a competition event like Targa Tasmania in a car which was more than 50 years old was a crazy thought, for after countless hours of restoration and then entering this event alongside some of the newer cars one could be forgiven for thinking that their owners were crazy. For them it was not a matter of what will breakdown, but when will it do so!
The pre-war cars added so much colour to the event and attracted much community attention. This Historic era was divided into two periods – Vintage, representing cars from the early 1900s to 1929, and Post-Vintage from 1930 to 1946, although there were no new cars developed during World War 2. 1946 represented reproduction of pre-war cars.
The Vintage era covered the period when automobile design was in its formative years and the cars representing that era are becoming extremely rare; the Post-Vintage era was when sports motoring started to become a popular pastime and manufacturers competed against each other, not only in the marketplace but also on the race circuit and in rallies to showcase the engineering of their vehicles.
Classic Period – Cars That Participated (1947 to 1977) Alfa Romeo Fiat Mercedes Benz Audi Ford MG Austin Healey Giocattolo Morris BMW Hillman Nissan Bolwell Holden Porsche Chevrolet Honda Riley Chrysler Jaguar Roll Royce Citroen Jowett Rover Daimler Lancia Saab Datsun Lotus Triumph De Tomaso Lucalia Volkswagen Elfin Maserati Volvo Ferrari Mazda
The Classic Period was spread over Early Classic (1947 to 1961), Late Classic (1962 to 1971) and Modern Classic (1972 to 1977) and represented the years when motor sport became popular because of the accessibility of performance cars to the wider public. In this period designers exerted great influence on body designs over more and more powerful engines, with some manufacturers becoming prolific producers of new generation of Sports and GT cars. This was the period of influence from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati – and when Porsche started to develop its amazing array of 911 variants to make the marque the most popular sports cars.
Modern Period – Cars That Participated (1978 - 2003) Amaroo Honda Morgan
14 Jump to List of Contents Audi Jaguar Nissan BMW Lamborghini Peugeot Caterham Lancia Porsche Chevrolet Lexus PRB Dodge Lotus Renault Elfin Lucalia Robnell Euros Maserati Subaru Ferrari Mazda Suzuki Ford Mercedes Benz Toyota Fraser MG Triumph Giacattolo Mitsubishi Westfield Holden
The Modern Period represented vehicle development between 1978 and 2003. This was a period of rapid development and high-volume production techniques that were refined by many manufacturers – particularly the Japanese. They sought to maintain or increase power output within the confines caused by ramifications of the energy crises, particularly those of 1973 and 1979, and increasing demands for new pollution controls. Fortunately, the sporting automobile remained an important part of many manufacturers’ output – Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini and Porsche continued to be the main major sports and GT producers, but into this market came the Japanese manufacturers - Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota.
THE OFFICIALS To bring Targa Tasmania together to conduct a high speed car rally conducted over five/six days with 35-44 targa stages (which were not speed limited) being run took a team of some 2500 officials, a vast majority of them from the local communities through which the event passed. The team included those who set up and ran the stages, backed up by officials in the event’s headquarters (competitor relations, results, command or rally control centre), communications, emergency services, technical/scrutiny, functions, et al.
The statistics of people who were involved does not adequately convey the amount of human endeavour required to plan, establish and operate the various procedures and systems which enabled Targa Tasmania to operate efficiently.
People came to participate in Targa Tasmania for the exciting competition that was not readily available elsewhere and without the community volunteers assisting with the organisation of the event in the region where they lived the event would not have been conducted anywhere as successfully as it was.
It was the willingness of the volunteer officials, sometimes carrying out their duties in atrocious weather conditions, that was one of the true successes of Targa Tasmania.
The selection and training of the 2500 plus officials needed for the efficient and safe conduct of the event rested, in the main, with the three Area Coordinators, and their Deputies, representing the North, North West and South of the state. Often their contribution was not widely recognised, but the time and expertise they put into their tasks was paramount to Targa Tasmania being successfully conducted on the road. It was a year round exercise as they were debriefed at the end of one event, and then almost immediately became involved in the planning of the next one.
4. COMPETITOR PUBLICITY - ‘TARGA NEWS’ - ‘TARGA TIMES’ - ‘EVENT PROGRAM’ Targa Tasmania engaged a full time publicist, who were Rowan Burns (1993-1995), Peter Svensson (1996), Tom Snooks (1997), David Goldstone (1998-2001) and Mike Porter (2002-2003). They were responsible for the collation of articles and the printing and issue of a number of publications.
TARGA NEWS A powerful medium of publicity of the event to competitors - and officials, as well as others who were, in some way, associated with the event - was the issue of the bi-monthly (or so) four or six or eight page ‘Targa News’.
Targa News carried out reviews and comments from each event, as well a run-down on the broad plans for the next year’s event; successive issues presented the progress of the nominations received (often listed), and then closer to the event a rundown of the course. Targa News also included articles on sponsorship, officials appointments (and retirements) and lists of those receiving ‘service awards’, results of competitor surveys carried out after each event, lists of competitors achieving golden, etc targa trophies as well as those eligible for same in a coming year, et al.
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TARGA TIMES Targa Times was produced to record the during-event activities, from arrival of competitors at Devonport until their departure after the event.
The publication was produced overnight for the start of each day and was of four pages and contained stories of interest, and photographs, of competitors and officials. Competitors’ articles covered hardships and hard luck stories, success and good luck stories, compiled by volunteer budding journalists and photographers under the guidance of the event’s current Media and Publicity Manager.
Each day’s publication was eagerly looked forward to by both the competitors and officials.
16 Jump to List of Contents TARGA TASMANIA PROGRAM An Official Program, of some 70 pages, was produced for each event and sold to the public through newsagencies.
The Program included: • day-by-day schedule/timetable with stage maps showing spectator locations; • about the various competitions for that year; • list of competitors by car number, as well as ‘pen-pictures’ of each crew together with a description and photograph of each car; • safe spectator information; • spectator information for each day; • list of organising committee members and senior officials; • articles of interest on competitors, officials, how the event was conducted; • event sponsors and supporters; • list of the winners of previous events.
Two people who initially contributed greatly to media, publicity and promotion documents and books and helped to spark the great interest in the early Targa Tasmania events were:
A journalist, newspaper editor and public relations consultant for some 18 years prior to joining the Targa Tasmania Team just after the 1992 event (during which he was a road official) Rowan Burns had a life-long interest in motor sport. In his few years with the Team he set the standard for the publicity the event achieved in the coming years.
His experience was gained from editing a number of newspapers in Tasmania and Queensland. Three years were spent as motoring editor for the Hobart Mercury.
He competed in rallies in Tasmania in a Group G Datsun 1600 in the 1980s and in 1991 was involved in the Dick Johnson attack in a Holden Commodore in the Rowan Burns Bathurst 1000 Race.
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Combining brilliance as a professional commercial photographer with a passionate love of motor cars Bill Forsyth was well known throughout Australian motor sport as Mr Motophoto!
He was the Photographic Manager for the K.G.Murray Publishing Group in the 1970s and was responsible for the pictorial content of some 370 titles a year, including the Wheels Magazine.
His motorsport photography career covered the Australia leg of the 1968 and 1977 London-to-Sydney Marathon/Rally, Southern Cross Rally in the 1970s and several Wynn’s Safaris in the 1980s. Much of the early Targa Tasmania photos in books and magazines
Bill Forsyth were provided by Mr Motophoto.
5. TARGA TASMANIA SPECIAL NUMBER PLATES
To commemorate the inaugural Targa Tasmania a special set of number plates were produced. These were printed with the distinctive green and red Targa colours on a white background. The prefix was intended to reflect the year of the event (- T92 - T93 - T94-, etc) and the plates could be kept by competitors as a memento of the event.
6. TARGA TASMANIA WINNERS 1992 - 2003 Historic Competition 1992 Ian Begley Peter Mitchell 1958 Porsche Carrera 1993 Des Dillion Jeremy Dillion 1920 Hispano Suiza 1994 Des Dillion Jeremy Dillion 1920 Hispano Suiza 1995 Dom Dimattina Matthew Dimattina 1939 Jaguar SS100 1996 Drew Kent Patricia Kent 1937 Ford Coupe 1997 Drew Kent Patricia Kent 1937 Ford Coupe 1998 Ray Williams Robert Taylor 1963 Holden EH Sedan 1999 Leigh Mundy Terry Curtain 1926 Chrysler Van den Plas 2000 John Lawson Andrew Lawson 1938 Alfa Romeo Spyder 2001 Nick Cocks Stephen Fong 1926 Bugatti Type 35B 2002 John Lawson Andrew Lawson 1938 Alfa Romeo Spyder 2003 John Lawson Andrew Lawson 1926 AC Amilcar Grand Sport
Classic Competition 1992 Max Brunninghausen Ian Horsley 1973 Porsche RS 1993 D’Arcy Russell Ross Warren 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GT 1994 Leigh Mundy Terry Curtain 1985 Porsche 930 RUF 1995 Dominic Beninca Joseph Beninca 1977 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 1996 Kerry Luck Kim Taylor 1977 Holden Torana A9X 1997 Mark Parsons Ojars Balodis 1978 Triumph TR7 V8 1998 Peter Fitzgerald Michael Petersen Porsche 356 1999 Robert White Angus McLeod Sunbeam Tiger 2000 Jeremy Browne Stella Plenderleith Lancia Fulvia 2001 Paul Stuart Mark Connolly Porsche 911 2002 Rex Broadbent Michael Goedheer Porsche 911 RSR 2003 Graham Copeland Jon Siddind Datsun H510 1800 SSS
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Modern Competition 1992 Greg Crick Greg Preece 1992 Honda NSX 1993 Greg Crick Greg Preece 1992 Honda NSX 1994 Andrew Miedecke Alan Taylor Porsche 944 Turbo Cup 1995 Neal Bates Coral Taylor Toyota Celica GT4 ST205 1996 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 Turbo 993 1997 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 Turbo 993 1998 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 Turbo 993 1999 Peter Fitzgerald Michael Mansour Porsche 911 Turbo 993 2000 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 GT3 CS 2001 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 Turbo 996 2002 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 Turbo 996 2003 Jim Richards Barry Oliver Porsche 911 Turbo 996
Handicap Competition 1992 Not used 1993 Greg Scally Peter Kyriakidis 1982 Mazda RX7 1994 Ian Begley Warwick Henderson 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster 1995 Ross Williams Ruth Williams 1964 Elfin Clubman 1996 Jochen Mass Jeff Hutchinson 1960 Porsche Type 718 RS60 1997 Mark Parsons Ojars Balodis 1978 Triumph TR7 V8 Hereafter the Handicap System was used to determine Historic and Classic Competitions
Modern Category First 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Second Overall – 1993, 1995 Jim Richards and Barry Oliver
7. COMPETITORS 1992 - 2003 As the origins of Targa Tasmania took hold Max Stahl and John Large wanted a standard of entry that would reflect their perceived high status of the event. So they determined that entries would only be by invitation and prepared a ‘Desirable Vehicle Register’ – vehicles listed on the Register had preference of selection over those which did not appear. Of course, as the years went by and the necessity to obtain a certain level of income from entries, the principles of the Register fell away.
Part of the procedure was to nominate the car to be used, together with a detailed Vehicle Identification and Specification Form (VI&S) outlining many of the technical issues of the car which were examined by a Technical Committee to determine whether it should be in the Standard, Limited Modified (as from 1998) or Modified Specification categories.
Competitors entered from all states and territories and from all disciplines of the sport in Australia – Race, Historic Race, Speed, Rally, Off Road - and also entered from overseas.
19 Jump to List of Contents The spoils of victory were small in comparison to the financial outlay by competitors (there was no prizemoney – only trophies) yet Targa Tasmania, year after year, aroused interest in some of the world’s best-known international and national motor sport drivers, and household names in Australian business and entertainment.
Tasmania provided the ideal setting for such an event – low population density, the nature of the terrain allowed competition roads (Targa Stages) to be closed to public traffic relatively easy and sufficient driver challenging stages (500 kilometres) over a total distance of some 2000 kilometres in five days, through mountainous passes and picturesque plains.
Over the years many successful Australians, and ordinary enthusiasts, acquired classic sports and GT cars, greatly admired but most spending time in garages and unable to be enjoyed to the fullest on the open road because their performance potential far exceeded the statutory speed limits. At best, they were aired at race circuits during club sprints and hilllclimbs, or in the case of older vehicles, at historic race meetings. Owners of exotic cars such as Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Jaguars and the like were rarely catered for in any type of competition.
Then along came Targa Tasmania in 1992!
Suddenly, there was an event, a substantial event with serious competition run over five days and 2000 kilometres, one which the owners of these classic cars were given the opportunity to drive their cars on some of the most challenging bitumen roads in the world, certainly within Australia; to drive them (legally!) quickly and with finesse, the way the designers and manufacturers of the cars meant them to be driven.
The event delighted the competitors for the standard of competition on the roads they drove over, and thrilled spectators with the variety of magnificent cars spread before them – both in action and in expos at the overnight stops.
For competitors, it was a week when they could share their passions, their exhilaration and their feats of daring, whilst experiencing a spectacular human environment in a significant motor sport event.
Targa Tasmania evolved into much more than a motoring competition. It became a week-long community festival in with about half of Tasmania’s population (some 200,000) turning out to see the cars pass their front door as they contested the Targa Stages and drove from one stage to the next, passing through towns.
As well as watching the action on the road, the public could see the cars at close hand each evening in the Targa Tasmania Vehicle Expos, with charities and service clubs raising funds.
‘The Multi-Million Dollar Mobile Motor Show’ at Launceston ‘Silverdome’
A highlight of Targa Tasmania for every competitor was the opportunity to win outright, a category, a class and also a Targa Trophy, awarded to each crew member who drove all the targa stages within the maximum time for each stage that was set by the organisers.
20 Jump to List of Contents That the event was so successful is reflected by the big field each year – in some years reaching capacity, given the road closure times permitted. The average field over the twelve years 1992 to 2003 was 240 starters. It brought together people from all walks of life, but all of whom had common interested in cars, competition and skillful driving on the open road.
It also allowed women to be involved, mostly as navigators, and in 2000 some 60 participated.
YEAR NUMBER NUMBER % FINISH Historic Touring Classic Modern Touring START FINISH Classic 1992 196 171 87 8 - 129 59 1993 252 193 77 7 - 149 96 1994 279 234 84 10 - 153 116 1995 235 192 82 5 - 128 102 1996 237 194 82 3 5 127 102 1997 183 149 81 2 0 94 87 1998 229 199 87 6 7 144 72 1999 210 180 86 6 9 133 62 2000 299 248 83 16 10 179 94 2001 253 216 85 12 10 133 98 2002 244 205 84 5 11 132 96 2003 253 226 82 4 9 120 94 16* * not included in figures
JAPANESE ENTRIES
Numerous Japanese competed in the event. Eizo Nakajima entered the 1933 V12 Packard 636 straight eight (he owned a 160 car museum in Japan!). Driven by Harry Kojima and navigated by Pat Weir with owner Nakajima in the back seat admiring the scenery!!
NUMBER OF JAPANESE ENTRIES YEAR HISTORIC CLASSIC MODERN TOTAL 1992 1 6 7 1993 4 2 6 1994 1 2 3 1995 3 3 1996 2 2 1997 1 6 7 1998 3 3 1999 6 6 2000 5 5 2001 1 3 4 2002 3 2003 1
21 Jump to List of Contents 8. WOMEN COMPETITORS IN TARGA TASMANIA Women played an integral role in Targa Tasmania, from the Event Manager, Ronda Matthews (1992 to 1999), through to competitors, senior officials and a great multitude of volunteer officials.
Whilst there have been few women drivers, and all-women crews, many women competed in mixed crews as navigators.
The table below covering the period 1992 to 2003 shows that 536 women competed in that time. A total of 5822 competitors participated in the event and the women represented 9.2 percent of that total.
WOMEN STATISTICS Year Drivers Navigators Total % Total Women Competitors 1992 3 49 50 10.6 470 1993 3 36 39 7.7 504 1994 8 28 36 6.5 556 1995 6 42 48 10.2 470 1996 3 41 44 9.4 470 1997 2 33 35 9.5 366 1998 1 44 45 9.8 458 1999 2 32 34 8.3 420 2000 3 55 58 9.7 598 2001 2 40 42 8.3 506 2002 2 43 45 9.0 498 2003 3 48 51 10.1 506 Total 525 9.0 5822
Targa Tasmania was a family affair for the Buckinghams of Victoria They ran HERS (Kerith) and HIS (Peter) Porsches for a number of years. In 2000 Kerith drove a 1963 Porsche 356C with Carol Fitzgerald navigating; Peter, with John King, was in a 1965 Porsche 911
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Bryan and Beryl Allart in 1994 Targa Tasmania Beryl was the first women to earn a Gold Targa Trophy
Virginia Bevan and Robbie McLennan with their 1995 Round Australia Trial 1964 Volvo 122S
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Sharyn McKay and Michelle Murphy in the 1994 Toyota Celica ZR
Sarah Curry with father Ian in the 1970 Chrysler VG Pacer 2.5 Auto in 2001. Sarah is the youngest person to win a targa trophy, then a gold targa trophy
Sarah Curry was 13 years old in 2000 when she navigated for her father Ian. They both won a targa trophy and returned in 2001 and again each won a targa trophy. Then in 2002 once again they entered and finished, winning yet another targa trophy, and so a gold trophy, making Sarah the youngest person to win a Gold Targa Trophy when 15 years old in 2002.
Rex & Lynn Carr – 1955 Jaguar XK 140FH
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Manfred & Carmen Manfred – 1973 Alfa Romeo GTV
Paul and Christine Freestone in the 1958 Austin Healey BN4
MANY HUNDREDS OF FEMALES WERE ALSO INVOLVED AS OFFICIALS
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9. THE COMPETITION The Competition Structure In most years Targa Tasmania comprised of three competitions, with a winner for each competition. There was no overall winner, although the media and public generally consider the winner of the Modern Competition as the outright winner, but this was not recognised by the organisers. The competitions were: • Historic – for cars up to 1946 – which was conducted over four days with the Friday available for any repairs; • Classic – for cars from 1947 to 1977; and
26 Jump to List of Contents • Modern – for cars from 1978.
Each competition comprised of Categories, based on vehicle age, and these were adjusted from year to year. An example (taken from the 2002 event) of the Categories were:
Historic Period A, B, C Veteran and Vintage 1900-1930 Period D Post Vintage 1931-1946 Classic Category 1 Historic 1900-1946 Category 2 Thoroughbred 1947-1961 Category 3 Early Classic 1962-1965 Category 4 Classic 1966-1971 Category 5 Late Classic 1972-1976 Category 6 Post Classic 1977-1981 Modern Category 7 Early Modern 1982-1990 Category 8 Late Modern 1991-1997 Category 9 Contemporary 1997-on In early years Category 6 was included in Modern
The design of the competition in Targa Tasmania was based on ‘true to type’ cars not disadvantaged by having to compete directly against substantially modified cars of the same type. The level of modification to cars was based on three broad levels for each Category of vehicle: • Standard Specification (SS) – for those cars which did not depart significantly from the car manufacturer’s specification. SS was introduced in 1993; • Limited Modified Specification (LMS) – a standard engine was to be employed and where the original components were generally retained but may have been modified to a certain extend to gain better performance. LMS was first introduced for the 1998 event; • Modified Specification (MS) – for those cars which were further developed to achieve their ultimate performance potential. MS was introduced in 1993.
’Queenstown’ Targa Stage
Further, Classes, based on engine capacity were listed for each of the levels of modifications.
The field of cars was seeded for the starting order each day, with the slowest vehicles going first and the fastest last, so that the field didn’t spread out, progressively taking longer to complete a stage. This method of seeding worked well with tarmac, but was not practical with a dirt event due to dust, by reducing the time needed for road closures and allowed spectators to see more cars within a shorter period.
27 Jump to List of Contents Minimum & Maximum Times (Base and Trophy Times) / Targa Trophies The concept of Targa Tasmania included a ‘Minimum Time’ and a ‘Maximum Time’ system (in later years changed to ‘Base Time’ and ‘Trophy Time’). Competitors were timed to the second and were penalised for their time over the Minimum Time – if they were quicker than the Minimum Time there was no penalty (in other words they ‘clean-sheeted’ the stage), so there was no benefit to drive as quickly as possible on quite a few of the stages.
The Maximum Times were set such that most, if not all, competitors could achieve them provided they did not have any delays on the stages (ie: a spin, an off road excursion, a car not functioning as it should). If every targa stage was achieved within the Maximum Time each crew member were awarded a ‘Targa Trophy’.
A great classic – The Flag Car - 1936 Jaguar SS100 – passes the Expo Villa on the ‘Ridgeway Park’ Targa Stage on Day Three
Standard Minimum (or Base) Time The ‘Base Time’ was the target time set for a crew to complete a targa stage without incurring a time penalty, with time taken under the base time did not count and no advantage was gained by completing a stage under the base time. Base Times should not be confused with Trophy Times which were set for the purposes of achieving a targa trophy. On many stages base times were not achievable and had no influence on achieving a targa trophy.
From 1998 Standard Base Times for the Modern Competition were the same for all competitors in that competition, irrespective of category and class; the Standard Base Time (in minutes was set by the organisers and was based on the perceived maximum speed for a stage (but not exceeding 132km/h). They were expressed in whole and/or half minutes. Those for the Historic and Classic Competitions were set for each vehicle class and were determined by adding the Potential Performance Indicator (PPI) to the Standard Minimum (Base) Times and were expressed to the tenth of a second. The PPI is described in Section 12 below.
Penalty Time The Penalty Time was the time taken in excess of the base time for a stage and was accrued and the crew with the lowest penalty time was the winner (however, other penalties – such as for speeding, jumping the start, et al – were added to the penalty time). If a crew completed a targa stage under the base time there was no penalty time added. Thus there is no advantage to drive at excessive speeds to complete a targa stage under the base time.
Maximum (Trophy) Time The Trophy Time was the time in which each targa stage (which had its own ‘maximum or trophy time’) had to be completed by competitors for them to be eligible for a Targa Trophy. Times varied for the different categories and for dry, intermediate and wet road conditions.
The basic policy implementation of the organiser’s policy with regard to establishing Maximum Times can be expressed in the following competition design strategies: 1. To encourage the competition of pre-1977 cars, it should be easier to win a Targa Trophy in classes in the pre-1977 categories that in the post-1977 categories; 2. To encourage competition of older cars generally, it should be progressively easier for these competitors to win a Targa Trophy - that is, the higher the percentage of cars in that category should win a Targa Trophy; 3. To encourage competitors of pre-war cars, times set for the two pre-war categories should enable all cars who don’t suffer mechanical problems to win a Targa Trophy. Thus, for the pre-wars the challenge to competitors is reliability rather than speed;
28 Jump to List of Contents 4. The challenge should become progressively more difficult as the event unfolds. Thus a higher percentage from each category should be able to attain the times on the earlier days of competition and that percentage should reduce as the event progresses.
To give mathematical effect to these strategies the following table was applied to the database of information which was collected post each event.
MAXIMUM TIME ACHIEVEMENT COMPARISON DAY Pre-War Pre-1960 Pre-1977 Pre-1987 Post-1987 1 100% 100% 100% 100% 90% 2 100% 100% 100% 90% 80% 3 100% 100% 90% 80% 70% 4 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 5 100% 90% 70% 60% 50% The above percentages relate to those vehicles which did not have any driving or mechanical mishap in the previous years of competition from which the date was derived.
Dry, Intermediate and Wet Weather Maximum (Trophy) Times In 1994 a table of dry, intermediate and wet weather maximum times was introduced to reduce overdriving in inclement weather to achieve maximum times that were set for when road conditions were dry. The dry maximum times applied at all times unless notified at the stage start that there was a change to intermediate or to wet times. In the shorter targa stages a minute was added to the dry time but on the longer stages this could be two minutes, and on the Mount Arrowsmith stage of around 50 kilometres six minutes was added. Once a wet time was declared it stayed wet and did not revert to dry even if the road dried up.
Stage statistical data Year No. Comp. Stages* Distance 1992 Inaugural Year 37 491 1993 36 447 1994 First of the Golden Years 36 444 1995 36 450 1996 38 449 1997 40 454 1998 41 464 1999 44 474 2000 Millennium Year 53 558 2001 10th Anniversary Year 54 507 2002 44 440 2003 42 464 * Planned
10. THE FLAG CAR – PART OF THE TARGA TASMANIA TRADITION The Flag Car tradition was in place from the first event in 1992, and was a prominent car that lead the field from each day’s start. It was numbered ‘1’’. The Flag Car was to have very special quality and often represented an era or period special in motor history. The vehicle chosen represented the philosophy of Targa Tasmania – an international event for Sports and Grand Touring Cars, and cars of distinction.
THE FLAG CARS 1992 TO 2003 1992 1931 Alfa Romeo 1750 Grand Sports Castagna Dianna Gaze/Catherine Davidson-Coad 1993 1920 Hispano Suiza Twelve Litre V8 Des Dillion/Jeremy Dillion 1994 1916 Hudson Super Six Raceabout Peter Washington/Georg Washington 1995 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Robert McDermott/Glen Coad 1996 Chrysler G70 Tourer, six cylinder three speed, 4700cc John Kennedy/John Spillsbury 1997 1936 Jaguar SS100 3.5 litre Yoshiyuki Karatsu/Malcolm Rossiter 1998 1930 Invicta ‘S’ Type – powered by a 4.4 litre, 6 cylinder Robert Shannon/Craig Brown 1999 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Spider (supercharged) John Lawson/Linda Lawson 2000 1916 Ford ‘T’ Speedster Jock McLean/Geoffrey Reader 2001 1926 Bugatti Type 35B Nick Cocks/Stephen Fong 2002 1936 Alvis SA25 3.5 litre Ross Pratley/Rob Gunnell 2003 1926 AC Amilcar Grand Sport John Lawson/Paul Lawson
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1930 Invicta ‘S’ Type crewed by Bob Shannon and Craig Brown
11. HOW TARGA TASMANIA FUNCTIONED (Adapted from an article in the Targa Tasmania 1994 Souvenir Program)
The timing system, devised by John Large, was one of the features of Targa Tasmania and made it unique among rallies around the world.
The system was designed to enable competitors to choose their own level of competition, and provide older vehicles, or those with smaller, less powerful engines with a fair chance of winning trophies for their crews. For example, a crew may only want to compete against themselves and the clock with the aim to win a Targa Trophy. Others may choose to compete against fellow competitors in cars of similar engine capacity or age, for category and class honours. And, the serious amateurs and professional drivers would want to vie for outright honours in the fastest vehicles.
The Targa Timing System catered for each of these aspirations by competitors.
Two levels of stages moved vehicles around the course and each had a time element attached to it – which is the norm for any car rally.
Transport Stages (or Sections) The first were the Transport Stages. These enabled the field to move sedately and relatively inconspicuously through areas unsuitable for competition, such as cities and towns. Competitors were regarded as normal road users, and therefore they had to abide by speed limits and local traffic regulations. Failure to do so and if caught they were liable to penalties applied by the organisers and the Police. Adequate time was allowed to travel the distance specified in the course instructions (set out in a Road Book), and cars could, as far as possible, maintained their position in the field from one targa stage to the next. No time penalty was applied at the end of a Transport Stage but any time over the time allowed counted towards a late time limit, usually 30 minutes, which was applied from the start of the day to the lunchbreak, and again from the lunchbreak to the finish of the day. If a crew was outside the late time limit they were then not eligible for a Targa Trophy.
Targa Stages The Targa Stages were closed to public traffic, allowing competitors to fully extend their vehicles, use all of the road confident in the knowledge that vehicles would not be approaching them in the opposite direction, and achieve high speeds without fear of being apprehended by Police. However, the maximum average speed for each Targa Stage was set so that it did not exceed 132km/h, and in many cases, given the topography of the country, was less than this speed.
Minimum and maximum times were set for the competitors on each stage.
The minimum time for each Targa Stage was the same for all cars and provided the basis for calculating the results. If a vehicle completed a stage under or exactly the minimum time a zero time was scored; if the vehicle finished later than the
30 Jump to List of Contents minimum time, the difference between the actual time taken and the minimum time for the stage this time was then the penalty time.
The maximum time varied according to the class to cater for age of vehicles and the engine capacity. The older the car, or smaller the engine, the more lenient the maximum time allowed to complete a Targa Stage.
If a car finished all the Targa Stages in an event under the maximum time specified for its class the crew qualified for a Targa Trophy.
Example of How the System Worked Taking the 38.1 kilometre Cethana Targa Stage – the minimum time is 19 minutes (an average speed of 120km/h). • if Car 960 finished Cethana in 18 minutes 52 seconds, a zero penalty time is achieved because the time is under the minimum time by 8 seconds; • If Car 881 finishes exactly 19 minutes a zero penalty time also results because the time is the same as the minimum; • if Car 795 finishes in 19 minutes 43 seconds a penalty time of 0.43 seconds applies (subtracking the minimum time from the actual time); • If Car 683 finishes in 22 minutes 17 seconds a penalty score of 3 minutes 17 seconds is applied because the vehicle is in excess the minimum time; As the maximum time for Car 683 class is 22 minutes 30 seconds, 683 qualifies for a Targa Trophy as it was under the maximum time; • However, Car 692 (in the same class as 683) takes 22 minutes 54 seconds and therefore the penalty time is 3 minutes 54 seconds; however, as the time taken is over the maximum time Car 692 is now not eligible for a Targa Trophy.
Crews could continue in the event whether or not they lose their eligibility for a Targa Trophy; in fact a crew could miss (say) two days competition in repairing a car and rejoin when ready. However, the crew were penalised for each Targa Stage it misses.
Car Distance Minimum Maximum Actual Penalty Trophy No. Km. mins-secs mins-secs mins-secs mins-secs (Y/N) 960 38.1 19:00 21:00 18:52 0:00 Y 881 38.1 19:00 21:30 19:00 0:00 Y 795 38.1 19:00 22:00 19:43 0:43 Y 683 38.1 19:00 22:30 22:17 3:17 Y 692 38.1 19:00 22:30 22:54 3:54 N
12. THE HANDICAP SYSTEM FOR HISTORIC AND CLASSIC COMPETITIONS The Targa Tasmania system was introduced in 1993 and this proved to be too complicated for competitors (and anyone other than Tom Snooks and his Team) to understand how it worked! So, it was refined in 1994 and further refined as the years passed and increasing data on the performance of particular cars became available.
From 1994 an overall winner was recognised using the Handicap System by applying a ‘Potential Performance Indicator’ (PPI) – a numerical figure - for each vehicle based on vehicle age, engine capacity and level of modification (ie: SS, LMS, MS). The Handicap System applied to all cars – Historic. Classic and Modern.
Then, from 1998 the Historic and Classic Competitions general classification was determined using the Handicap System. The system did not include the Modern Competition, which continued to use the elapsed timing system.
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The idea of having a handicap classification is to give the ’little bloke’ a chance of being involved amongst the winners, to allow the crew of the less spectacular cars to have an opportunity for glory. Under the handicap regulations for the event it was possible that a moderately priced car could compete favourable with a very expensive car for handicap honours. The system was based on the premise that the most appropriate method of establishing a handicap was to statistically analyse previous class performances and identify a ‘handicap factor’ which could be applied. The system assumed that competitors within a class will perform to their best abilities.
The Handicap System applied to all cars in Historic and Classic and for a competitor to be eligible for the Handicap Award that competitor had to complete all targa stages.
The Historic and Classic Competitions used the independent base times to ‘handicap’ the vehicles, which was achieved by adding a Potential Performance Indicator (PPI), expressed in seconds per minute, to the standard base time. The PPI was a numerical factor based on vehicle age, engine capacity and level of modification (ie: SS, LMS and MS). The PPI were reviewed each year using the data obtained from the event last conducted.
Three issues were quantified for each vehicle class and a formula devised to produce the PPIs, these factors being: • vehicle age (ie: category – Category 2 1947 to 1961; Category 3 1962 to 1965, etc); • engine size based on the engine capacity (ie: up to 1600cc; 1601 to 2000cc; 2001 to 2500cc; etc); and • degree of modification (ie: SS, LMS, MS).
The Handicap System was determined as follows: • a Handicap Factor was applied to each class for the entire event (the Factor was the same for all competitors in the class); • a competitor’s Handicap Penalty Time for each targa stage was determined by multiplying the Independent Minimum Time (also known as the Base Time) for a stage by the Handicap Factor (thus increasing the minimum time), and then subtracting the resultant from the competitor’s elapsed time over the stage; • the total of the Handicap Penalty Times for all stages gave the Handicap Results and the competitor with the lowest handicap result was the winner of that year’s Targa Tasmania Handicap competition.
An example of the Potential Performance Indicators (PPI) for Classic Competition Category 3 (1962 to 1965) was:
CATEGORY 3 (1962 to 1965) Class Engine Capacity SS LMS MS A Up to 1300cc 14.5 10.7 6.7 B 1601cc to 2000cc 13.3 9.6 5.6 C 2001cc to 2500cc 13.3 9.6 5.6 D 2501cc to 3000cc 12.1 8.5 4.6 E 3001 cc to 4000cc 11.0 7.4 3.6 F 4001cc on 9.8 6.3 2.0
The minimum (or base) times for Category 3 were calculated as follows: • PPI 13.3 seconds • Master Minimum Time 5 minutes • 5 x 13.3 = 66.5 (round up) = 1 minute 07 seconds • Independent Minimum Time 5.00 + 1.07 = 6 minutes 07 seconds
Therefore, if a car took 6 minutes 23 seconds the Penalty Time would be 6:23 minus 6:07 = 16 seconds.
John Large considered the introduction of the ‘Index of Performance’ as his greatest source of personal satisfaction with Targa Tasmania since the flag dropped at the start of the inaugural event in 1992.
13. TROPHIES AND AWARDS A Targa Trophy was awarded to the driver and co-driver/navigator of each crew that completed all stages within the specified time for their class of vehicle. In subsequent years, the trophy could be upgraded as follows: • Golden Targa Trophy - 3 consecutive regular targa trophies; • Platinum Targa Trophy - having achieved Gold then gaining another 3 consecutive regular targa trophies; • Diamond Targa Trophy - having achieved Platinum then gaining another 3 consecutive regular targa trophies; • Gold Diamond Targa Trophy - having achieved Diamond then gaining another 3 consecutive regular targa trophies; • Platinum Diamond Targa Trophy - having achieved Gold Diamond then gaining another 3 consecutive regular targa trophies.
32 Jump to List of Contents There could be a break of years between each level of these awards. The following expresses the above:
The Targa Tasmania Legends section within Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame is for the competitor who achieves the ultimate Platinum Diamond Targa Trophy (five sets of three Targa Trophies).
Targa Trophy
Targa Trophies Sheer delight at achieving them!!!
A Targa Trophy was awarded to both the driver and navigator.
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Number Diamond Platinum Gold Competitors Trophy Trophy Trophy 1992-2003 Winners Winners Winners 9 events 6 events 3 events 6000 12 54 330 Women* 0 5 53 *numbers included in above
When it is considered that there were some 500 drivers and navigators per year, multiplied by the 12 years from 1992 to 2003, the list of those of winning Gold, Diamond and Platinum Trophies were an exclusive group.
Competitors post 2003 are also automatically admitted to the Hall of Fame on completion of 15 events, when they are also awarded the John Large Memorial Award. Targa Tasmania believed that if a competitor reached this milestone, they really deserved to be remembered forever.
The list of recipients in the Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame is available on the Targa Tasmania website.
Finishers Medallion
A Finishers Medallion was awarded to each competitor (driver and Navigator) who crossed the finish line at the end of the event.
Denny Hulme Award
The inaugural Denny Hulme Award was presented in 1993 in memory of the Late Denny Hulme, who fought so hard to finish just nine seconds behind Greg Crick in Targa Tasmania 1992. Denny’s untimely death due to a heart attack whilst competing in the 1992 1000 Bathurst Race meant that he was robbed of the opportunity to “turn the tables” on Greg Crick
34 Jump to List of Contents in Year Two (1993). Throughout his distinguished motor racing career, Denny earned a reputation for being a fighter and a tough competitor.
John Large was speaking to Denny only the day before he lost his life. He was looking forward to returning to Tasmania to compete in the 1993 event. John chose to honour Denny’s enthusiasm for the event through the Denny Hulme Memorial Award, which was awarded to a crew who overcame great adversity, show courage, persistence and humility, and still got their car to the finish line. There were many stories of cars whose crews rebuilt their vehicle during the course of the event at lunch breaks, overnight stops and even on the roadside between targa stages.
Denny Hulme Award Recipients Year No. Crew Vehicle 1993 106 David McDonald Peter Landan 1935 Alvis Speed 25 1994 684 Darryl Wilcox Andrew Blakney 1977 Holden Torana LX A9X 1995 1 Robert McDermott Glenn Coad 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost 1996 708 Lynda Nilsson Owen Parkinson 1978 Triumph TR7 1997 904 Lyndon Punshon Sue Punshon 1995 Robnell Cobra 1998 601 Chris Andrew Mike Hooper 1967 MG C GTS 1999 430 John Taylor Brian McGovern 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 428 GT 2000 716 Lindsay Rixon Grahame Dodd 1985 Jaguar XJS--C 2001 555 John Anderson Rob Goodwin 1974 Lotus Super Seven Series IV 2002 441 Ian Curry Sarah Curry 1970 Chrysler VG Pacer 2003
Other Awards Other awards were: Highest Placed First Time Crew in Targa Tasmania Classic Highest Placed International Entry Highest Placed Family Crew in Classic and in Modern Highest Placed Tasmanian Crew Highest Place All-Women Crew in Classic and Modern Highest Placed Crew in the Prologue
14. INSPECTION OF TARGA TASMANIA BY FIA OBSERVER IN 2001 Gabriel Cadringher became president of the FIA Manufacturers' Commission in 1993, representing all of the automobile manufacturers from around the world taking part in motorsport on the FIA governing body, the World Council. This role included constant liaison with the auto manufacturers looking to introduce new technologies into motorsport, a role that required high level negotiation skills to unite often disparate interests. Below is his message on the death of John Large in 1996.
Gabriel Cadringher – Secretary and Convener, FIA Manufacturers’ Commission “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with John in motor sports for more than twenty five years. I think all of us who knew John in this capacity will agree that he was an outstanding personality in motor sports, both for Australia and internationally. He served during many long years proudly and successfully, both the CAMS and the FIA.
I will forever remember John, in particular for a special and personal experience. Years ago John came to the FIA and started talking about a new event called Targa Tasmania. He was very enthusiastic about this new
35 Jump to List of Contents race, but few people could properly grasp the concept, and he had some initial difficulty getting the event recognized by the FIA.
The Rally Commission said: the cars that are competing are all old; therefore it is not for us, it is for the Historical Commission. The Historical Commission said: it is a Rally, it is not for us, it is for the Rally Commission. But John was a fighter, and in the end, the matter landed on my desk. After much discussion with John and the exchange of many long faxes, (before the days of email!), the regulations were agreed and we got everything finally approved by the FIA.
However, that was not the end of John’s problems. Still many people were suspicious or worried about enthusiasts racing any sort of car around Tasmania. Rumours were spread about unsafe stages, deeply modified cars, and so on and so forth. So, the FIA had to send someone down-under to see, first-hand what was happening.
That person was me. When I went to the 2001 Targa Tasmania I found a fantastic and unique event, perfectly and safely organised by a group of truly professional enthusiasts. All of this was created, supported and encouraged by John. For me personally it was one of the best experiences I have ever had in motor sport, and I while I will always remember John for many, many things, it is his dedication and perseverance in relation to this event that will remain with me forever.”
See Targa Tasmania 2001 for the report of Gabriel Cadringher’s visit to the event.
15. COMPETITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION The Competition Management Division was headed by an Operations Manager (full time employee) who was responsible for carrying out the various directions handed down by the Executive Chairman (Promoter) of Targa Tasmania. This involved the responsibility for the development and management of the Division, and the planning and conduct of the competition
Targa Tasmania Pty Ltd was set up as a business, with the following Divisions, each under a Manager: General Management Competition Management Media and Publicity Finance Event Administration Management Commercial General Administration Promotions Functions
The Competition Management Division comprised the following Departments, reporting to the Clerk of Course and each under a Manager: Competition Communications Spectator Coordination Community Relations Results Technical and Scrutiny Competitor Relations Safety Support Services and Equipment
The Operations Manager and Competition Secretary were paid staff of Targa Tasmania Pty Ltd, whilst the Clerk of Course was engaged as part time employment. Other Department appointees were volunteers.
COMPETITION MANAGEMENT HONOR ROLL
YEAR OPERATIONS COMPETITION CLERK OF COMPETITOR MANAGER SECRETARY COURSE RELATIONS 1992 Zara White Tony Wright Keith Morris 1993 Zara White Lin Gigney Bob Adams 1994 Charles Knight Zara White Tom Snooks Keith Morris 1995 Charles Knight Sian Fox Tom Snooks Jim Reddiex 1996 Charles Knight Sian Fox Tom Snooks Jim Reddiex 1997 Jonathan Gayton Sian Fox Tom Snooks David Stewart 1998 Jonathan Gayton Sian Fox Tom Snooks John Keeffe 1999 Ken Roddam Sian Fox Tom Snooks John Keeffe 2000 Ken Roddam Sian Fox Tom Snooks John Keeffe 2001 Ken Roddam Stuart Benson Tom Snooks John Keeffe 2002 Ken Roddam Stuart Benson Tom Snooks John Keeffe 2003 Ken Roddam Stuart Benson Tom Snooks John Keeffe
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Ken Roddam Zara White John Keeffe
Sian Fox Charles Knight Tom Snooks
Charles Knight Operation Manager 1993 - 1996 Charles Knight was so instrumental in raising the standard of the competition planning and operation by establishing all the procedures for safely conducting the targa stages and recording these in manuals.
April 2019 –A Bunch of Pre-2004 Targa Tasmania Old-timers Tom Snooks, Jim Reddiex, Geoff Pilgrim, Garry Searle (seated), Hamish Marquis at the Targa Tasmania 2019 Presentation Night in Hobart
16. ROLE OF THE CLERK OF COURSE OF TARGA TASMANIA The Clerk of Course up to 2003 was responsible to the Operations Manager for the conduct of the competition aspects of the event, ensuring that it was planned and conducted in accordance with the event regulations that were approved by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS). This responsibility included all that happened on the road (including liaising with the Tasmanian Police, Shire Councils and community groups, vehicle technical issues, competitor relations and the results system). The Clerk of Course had to have an in-depth knowledge and experience of motor sport rules and regulations and safety standards.
Prior to an event a competitor briefing was carried out at which the Clerk of Course outlined what to expect, mainly what was different from one year to the next on course issues, outlined the safety protocols and procedures, and other issues that it were considered important for the competitors to know.
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Pre-event briefing of competitors by the Clerk of Course
During the event the Clerk of Course, with a Deputy and Assistant Clerks of Course assisting, controlled the various activities from a Command Centre set up in Hobart where the schedule for the movement of the stage setup crews and the competitors through the targa stages was controlled and the movements of the emergency service vehicles coordinated. Over 2000 messages into and out of the Command Centre were made during the duration of the competition, all of them recorded in a log to be available for analysis post-event.
The Clerk of Course was responsible for the collection of daily reports from the crews setting up and clearing the stages (with movement times at each stage recorded), the emergency services personnel, vehicle scrutineers, results officials, competitor and community relations officials and numerous other groups. In all over 2500 officials were involved with running the event.
The Clerk of Course also conveyed to the CAMS Stewards any proposal to modify established plans, or any penalties to be imposed on competitors; reported any competitors who had breached the regulations and transmitted them to the Stewards as well as any protests received from competitors.
Tom Snooks was not a full time Clerk of Course for Targa Tasmania. In the years he was involved with the event he also assisted with the organisation of: 1995 Mobil Round Australia Trial 1998 Playstation Round Australia Rally 1999 - 2002 Australian Safari 2000 - 2003 Grand Prix Rally Victoria
38 Jump to List of Contents 2000 Porsche Customer Tour Tasmania 2002 Porsche Customer Tour Adelaide Hills 2002 - 2003 Classic Adelaide Rally 2003 Great Southern Tour (Victoria/Tasmania)
Clerks of Course Honor Roll: 1992 Tony Wright 1993 Lin Gigney 1994 - 2003 Tom Snooks
Tony Wright Lin Gigney Tom Snooks
17. SAFETY FOR TARGA TASMANIA Spectator Safety An event like Targa Tasmania, with thousands of spectators lining the roadway of country targa stages and the streets of town targa stages, was extremely exciting but could be potentially dangerous and it was beholden on the organisers of the event to take every care to ensure their safety. Between 1992 and 2003 (the period of this Overview) NOT ONE spectator was seriously injured, and none through an incident involving a competition car.
Viewing on the George Town Prologue
Spectator viewing areas were established in order that the public could be directed to a controlled area to view the vehicles in action; and were also established where it was known that groups of people from the local community gathered. Each spectator viewing area was marked by ‘standing’ and ‘no-standing’ tapes, set up in accordance with the spectator viewing area sketches authorised by the Clerk of Course.
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Competitor Safety
Syd McClymont was the key communications operator based in the Hobart Command Centre for the period of the event, with direct links to the start of the targa stages, controlling the schedule of the event as well as handling any incident emergencies that arose. He played a vital role in the safety of the event.
The organisers accepted the highest degree of responsibility to provide as safe an event as possible for competitors and this involved securing the targa stages such that no-one could enter the stage accidently.
Detailed ‘Set Up Instructions and Maps’ were prepared for each targa stage and contain all stage security information such as driveways, paddock gates, intersecting roads and tracks. The documents were issued to Stage Commanders two months prior to the event and used for securing the stage and for use by the CAMS Course Checker when passing through the stage 20-30 minutes ahead of the first competitor.
Detailed Stage Set Up Instructions The 1993 Safety Task Force recommended that the organisers concentrate on finding unexpected hazards and note these in the competitors’ road book:
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List of Hazards for inclusion in the competitors’ road book and highlighting on the roadway
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A page from the competitors’ rod book showing warnings of hazards
42 Jump to List of Contents Medical After the 1993 review of safety by the 10 member ‘Safety Review Task Force’ (refer to 1993 Targa Tasmania file) at least one First Intervention Vehicle (FIV) was located at the start of each targa stage; in some of the longer stages there were two or three such vehicles.
The FIV crews – all volunteers – consisted of professional paramedics and fire fighters and were responsible for meeting the immediate emergency needs of not only the competitors but also officials, spectators and even local residents along the targa stage if treatment was needed.
They were specially trained to safely enter and drive through a targa stage whilst it was still in operation and attend an incident providing initial medical, fire or rescue requirements of anyone needing help and then making whatever arrangements required from the local community ambulance, fire and rescue units.
The FIV crew could order the immediate closure of the targa stage from further competition until an incident was stabilised and it was safe to resume competition.
If a local resident required assistance they could call 000 and be patched through to the Targa Tasmania Command Centre in Hobart.
The following was adopted from 2000:
First Intervention Vehicles (FIV) The purpose of the FIV was to provide rapid response to any incident as required. It would have the capacity to provide patient care, limited transport and fire suppression. A total of 17 FIVs were utilised for the event in 2003. At least one FIV was stationed at every targa stage start, with additional units stationed within stages over 20 kilometres in length at radio relay points, as per the requirements of the General Prescriptions for International Targa Rallies.
Light Rescue Units (LRU) Five LRU were used for the event and these units covered targa stages at which no local civil Road Accident Rescue (RAR) unit was available and were manned with a combination of volunteer Ambulance Rescue and Fire Officers personnel. They were capable of acting as an FIV if required.
Road Accident Rescue (RAR) Rescue services were provided by civil RAR units and Volunteer Ambulance Groups units to targa stages in their local area, and were equipped to State Emergency Service standard.
43 Jump to List of Contents Ambulance Rescue Unit Assistance was obtained from the major city Ambulance Service units located in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie as required. The event did not have an allocated ambulance following the course, as quick access was available from the above cities. The FIV crew stabilised the patients at an incident until the ambulance crew arrived to take over.
Helicopter Helicopter transport was available through the Tasmanian Ambulance Operations and these were manned with a Police Search and Rescue Officer and an Ambulance Paramedic.
Much of the medical system development and training was handled by Geoff Becker, who was the event’s Chief Safety Officer/Emergency Services Manager for 1993-1998 and Deputy Clerk of Course 1996-1998.
In the years 1992 to 2003 one competitor fatality occurred, in 1996. A navigator died as the result of a vehicle running into a light pole; the driver was uninjured.
CHIEF SAFETY OFFICERS/ EMERGENCY SERVICE MANAGERS/ CHIEF SPECTATOR MARSHALS HONOR ROLL
Chief Safety Emergency Service Chief Spectator Officer Manager Marshal 1992 Gary Burke 1993 Geoff Becker Geoff Becker Michael Cameron 1994 Geoff Becker Geoff Becker Michael Cameron 1995 Geoff Becker Geoff Becker Brendon Becker 1996 Geoff Becker Andrew O’Brien Mike Reardon 1997 Geoff Becker David Watson Mike Reardon 1998 Geoff Becker David Watson Mike Reardon 1999 Ken Roddam Peter MacFarlane 2000 Ken Roddam Peter MacFarlane 2001 Ken Roddam Peter MacFarlane 2002 Ken Roddam Tony Harris 2003 Ken Roddam Tony Harris
From 1999 the Area Coordinators were responsible for Spectator Safety in their area (North, North West and South), and the Town Stage Coordinator for safety on the town stages.
Geoff Becker Geoff Becker was so instrumental in developing the safety and medical protocols of Targa Tasmania in its development years. He deserves the highest of accolades for his contribution in this area of the event.
18. TARGA TASMANIA SENIOR VOLUNTEER OFFICIALS In the days before electronic equipment was available to time cars over the targa stages, 17 officials were required at the start control area and 15 at the finish control area (flying finish and stop point) – in all 32, all of whom were volunteers. Some 2500 officials were required to conduct the event and this contribution by the Tasmanian community made a substantial input into the state’s economy through tourism by making it possible to conduct the event. It is interesting to note that at that time The Australian Grand Prix involved some 1000 officials, whilst the World Rally Championship based in Perth required 1300 officials.
44 Jump to List of Contents In a vast majority of stages the officials were local residents, men and women who came forward to assist with running the stages that passed through their communities and it was the willingness of these officials to participate in the event, sometimes in atrocious weather, that was the true success of Targa Tasmania, and their efforts must never be forgotten.
Stage Commanders with 30 years of experience between them. Peter Curran, Barry Westwood and Kath Carins in 2000
The selection and training of these stage officials for the efficient and safe conduct of the event lay with the three Area Coordinators and three Deputy Area Coordinators – North, North West and South. They too were all volunteers and the time and expertise they contributed was supreme. It was a year round exercise as they debriefed their officials after each year’s event and then started the planning for the next year.
Crucial to the running of Targa Tasmania were the Stage Commanders and Deputy Stage Commanders, along with the Stage Safety Officers. A Stage Commander took on the very serious role of responsibility of ensuring that the stage had the number of officials required to conduct it in accordance with instructions handed down by the Operations Manager and Clerk of Course, of ensuring that the stage was set up and secure from accidently intrusion (for nothing could have prevent deliberate intrusion) so that competitors could safety compete at speed, that the stage was run efficiently (by carrying out the selection of suitable officials for differing roles and then training them) and taking the correct reactions to emergency situations.
At 30 second intervals between cars starting officials may well have been multi-skilled but they could not be multi-tasked, as there was insufficient time between cars to carry out more than one task – hence the need for so many officials at the start and finish of the stages.
Without exception, the loudest cheer and longest applause of the Trophy Presentation Nights always went to the event’s volunteers. The strongest message that came through in the post-event competitor survey each year was the appreciation of the dedication, professionalism and friendliness that the volunteers demonstrate.
AREA COORDINATORS/DEPUTY AREA COORDINATORS HONOR ROLL
NORTH NORTH WEST SOUTH 1992 Terry Bracken Tony Jackson Lin Gigney/Brian Richardson 1993 Kevin Styles/Mike Reardon Brendon Becker Dennis Burgess/David Button 1994 Kevin Styles/Mike Reardon Brendon Becker/Garry Turner Dennis Burgess/Ken Roddam 1995 Mike Reardon/Kevin Styles Brendon Becker/Steve Clark Dennis Burgess/Ken Roddam 1996 Simon and Maree Godsmark Peter Barter/Nigel Anderson Dennis Burgess/Ken Roddam 1997 Pontus Reutersward/Tyrone Jones Jim McLagan/Stuart McLagan Ken Roddam/Geoff Pilgrim 1998 Pontus Reutersward/Tyrone Jones Jim McLagan/Stuart McLagan Ken Roddam/Geoff Pilgrim 1999 Pontus Reutersward/Tyrone Jones Neville Truskett/Hamish Marquis Mark Lipscombe/Geoff Pilgrim 2000 Pontus Reutersward/Pam Von Stieglitz Neville Truskett/Hamish Marquis Paul Darko/Tim Kingston 2001 Pontus Reutersward/Pam Von Stieglitz Neville Truskett/Hamish Marquis Paul Darko/Leon Glover 2002 Mark Cruse/Ben Kerrison Neville Truskett/Hamish Marquis Paul Darko/Geoff Pilgrim 2003 Mark Cruse/Mike Hill Neville Truskett/Hamish Marquis Paul Darko/Geoff Pilgrim
45 Jump to List of Contents TOWN STAGE COORDINATORS 1998 Mark Lipscombe 1999 Mark Cruse 2000 Mark Cruse 2001 Mark Cruse 2002 Trevor Parker 2003 Trevor Parker
Pontus Reutersward was the only Area Coordinator to be inducted into the Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame in its first 20 years (in 2011), and this reflected that special extra dedication he gave to the event and the fact of his selection for induction over so many of his peers is a tribute to his enormous and effective contribution to the event.
19. TARGA TASMANIA VOLUNTEER OFFICIALS
TEN YEAR OFFICIALS 1992 TO 2003 HONOR ROLL The officials honored for ten years of service for the period 1992 to 2003 comprised 36 from the Southern Area, 15 from the Northern Area, 15 from the North West Area and 1 from the West Area.
SOUTHERN AREA Adams Bob Dowling Kevin McGuinness Jason Abbott John Garrett Trevor McGuire Mark Barton-Johnson Rod Gear Nancy Neilsen Kevin Batchelor Ron Glover Leon Roddam Ken Bresnehan Stephen Hyam Steve Shaw Kevin Burgess Dennis Hyam Margaret Street Helen Crosswaite Robert Ingram Paul Titmus Kent Curran Patricia Kaibfell Phil Wade Ian Curran Peter Kerr Brett Watson David Curran Shane Kingston Tim Williams Jonathon Doddridge Peter Long Jill Wilmot Robin Dorsett Sidney McClymont Syd Zuber Bronwyn
NORTHERN AREA Boatwright Peggy Boatwright Peter Brooks Marion Cairns Malcolm Cairns Kathleen Gee Joan Hutton Allen
46 Jump to List of Contents Kerrison Gaynor Marhsall Peter McCarthy Rex McFarlane Geoff Perkins Bevis Richards John Sharp Graeme
NORTH WEST AREA Anderson Nigel Dunlam Bruce Fagg Chris Harding Barry Hayes Norris Jedyn Veronica Kerrison Ben Lawes Frank McKendrick Malcolm Millar Dennis Smith Mark Spicer David Wells Barbara Westwood Barry Wrankmore Walter
WEST AREA Marshall Joy
Targa Stage officials – at a start control The operation of controls at the start and finish of the targa stages involved local communities all around the course and gave officials the chance to associate with some of the greatest heroes of motor sport.
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Officials in a quiet moment.
Why Do They Do It? An adapted article by Jenni Hinch that appeared in the June 1999 Officials Newsletter, based on the ‘Cethana’ Targa Stage conducted on Day Four (Saturday). In all 17 officials were needed to conduct the start activities. With a field of 250 cars travelling at 30 second intervals it would take some two and a half hours for the passage of all the cars, without any delays having been experienced. In all the road would be closed from some five hours. With thirty seconds between cars starting officials may well be multi-skilled but they could not be multi-tasked - there simply wasn’t enough time to carry out more than one task at the same time (unlike in dirt rallies when cars started at two minute intervals).
“If you liked cold mornings with crisp clean air, the mountains in the background, mist hanging in the valleys, birds calling out their morning greetings and cows bellowing gently in the paddocks around you, then you had come to the right place - the ‘Cethana’ Targa Stage start control.
Bit by bit officials started arriving and climbed out of their warm cars to find themselves woefully under-clothed and quickly headed back to the cars to grabs jumpers, coat, hats and gloves. They then stood around chatting to one another, renewing old acquaintances, greeting new faces and all the while stamping their feet and rubbing their hands to keep out the chill that had still managed to seep through all the layers of clothing.
The Stage Commander arrived, towing the much appreciated ‘loo on wheels’. Everybody then ‘signed on’ using the official form (which would prove their presence at the control should an insurance claim be necessary) and then moved on the serious job of setting up the start control, using sketches provided by the Course Management Team.
After a time the Stage Set-Up and Spectator Marshals were despatched to their different roles within the stage, along with the various paraphernalia to close off roads and to tie off gates, and to set up safe viewing areas (all in accordance with issued instructions).
The control set-up officials chose a site as level as the ground allowed, up on a bank and safely off the road (not that the cars would be a speed at this point) and the control administration tent was erected. The chairs and folding tables were then set up with the aid of different shape rocks to help level them. Control signs were erected, communications checked with a lot of yelling to and fro. Things were beginning to look good and by this time the sun was well above the horizon and some layers of clothes could be removed.
The new recruits started to arrive, nervously wondering exactly what they had to do. They would have been previously told but the nerves of being on the spot and action imminent made the nerves lead them to forget, or they didn’t quite understand the briefing they received. The old hands were talking about the changes that had
48 Jump to List of Contents been made from the previous year and hoping they had it all fixed in their minds. They also talked about what use to be and things that went wrong.
The Stage Commander and Start Post Chief were being bombarded with questions but they managed to stay calm and advise questioners that there would be time for a final briefing before the action commenced.
The road was not yet closed so the public traffic was flowing past all the time (slowly thanks to the warning signs). Many were spectators going into the stage to get to their favourite spots. The First Response Medical Vehicles, with certified paramedics, turned up and signed on. After chatting for a time those who were manning monitoring points within the 38 kilometre stage started into it, with one crew staying at the start with their vehicle parked such that it would have a quick entry into the stage if necessary.
All the while there were lots of laughter and joking going on, and people were enjoying each other’s company as the sun started to warm things up.
Eventually all was set and ready to go. Early lunches were taken as it would be some hours before there was the chance to drink and eat again. During this time the Stage Commander and Start Post Chief went through the procedures and finally those earlier questions were answered and all started to relax. Quick visits to the loo were taken while there was still time.
It wasn’t long before the Course Car Crews started to turn up - Set up Check, Road Closure (a police car with flashing red lights signifying the official closure of the public road), Triple Zero, Double Zero, Zero - they all had specified duties and checks to carry out. Last minute instructions were issued and timepieces were synchronised.
Targa Tasmania being conducted over the ‘Cethana’ Targa Stage was officially underway.
For the next few hours it was heads down with pens busy by those noting car numbers and times, others worked up a sweat as they were constantly running between the queued cars at the end of the previous transport section collecting road cards (on which times were recorded) and the control table for the official to process the time of arrival and predicted departure. Others were busy up the road redirecting uninformed members of public cars and answering their questions.
The Time Control Post Chief was on hand to answer any questions and to step forward if things were about to go wrong, whilst the Stage Commander and the Start Post Chief kept an overview look on all the operations.
As the cars moved up to the start line a vigilant eye was being kept on the drivers and navigators to make sure they had their helmets on, wore safety belts and were wearing the correct colour wrist bands (green and yellow okay to drive; red not permitted to drive).
Members of the communications team were busy talking into their radios passing messages back and forth with the stage finish control and the Hobart-based Command Centre; the starter had his eye constantly on the clock as the cars hovered around the start line, leaving every 30 seconds. His/her voice was raised over the sound of revving engines calling cars to the start line and calling out the seconds to go.
The very fleet-footer runner (usually a young person) would be popping in and out collecting the control recording forms for immediate dispatch (by facsimile or transfer to one) to the results centre in Hobart.
The cars were admired by those who could glance at them, and sometimes laughed at (some had funny comments on them), whilst some were smelly and others very noisy. The officials would give the competitors a wave and would receive a wave back.
The runners from the queue would keep all informed of high profile competitors - ‘’Glen Ridge is in car such and such; Peter Brock is in the purple Torana” - et al.
Gradually things started to quieten down and when the police car with the flashing green lights arrived, signifying that the road was open to the public again. Then the 008 car came through and collected all the paperwork and equipment.
Then, after the passage of some 270 competitors and officials cars, they were all gone and it was over for another year.
49 Jump to List of Contents Everyone started to pack up, this being done in a short time and the officials involved were noticeably subdued. Cars were started and gradually they left one by one with people saying goodbye and mentioning they would see each other at the post-event ‘thank you’ function in a few weeks.
As they left they all knew that they would be back at the ‘Cethana’ Targa Stage start control again next year!!”
Following is an adapted copy of an article written by Paul Ingram for the Targa Tasmania 1995 Official Program, headed ‘’Volunteer Officials Make it Happen like Clockwork”.
“One of the truisms of sport is that without volunteer officials there would no sport and Targa Tasmania is an event that thrives on its officials.
Headquarters staff, almost all volunteers, take time out from their professional jobs and families to help, to savour the moment, to be part of this magnificent event – be they in Operations running the event on the road, Administration carrying out such activities as Scrutineering, Results, Event Management, Functions and Media – and some of them are already red-eyed through the intensity of activity leading up to the event. They had settled in very early into the event routine with 15 hours working days. All look forward with anticipation to the next six days.
Some are marshaling cars from the Spirit of Tasmania in the ship’s arrival at Devonport, to the Launceston Silverdome, there assembling them into a magnificent display of the ‘multi-million dollar mobile car show’ as so often quoted by the event’s Chairman, John Large.
They are but a part of the throbbing enthusiasm that pervades the whole of Launceston that then spreads around the State. Elsewhere, over a spread of five days, a couple of thousand other volunteers are preparing themselves to head off to where, in accordance with painstakingly prepared schedules, many with official permits to close public roads and to seal all entrances to them, to marshal and control spectators, and set up controls to receive hundreds of the world’s most interesting sporting automobiles.
Other volunteers drive their cars to ensure all is correct on the road before the competitors arrive, or to ‘sweep’ the course after the cars have passed through.
Then there are the essential, but hopefully never-needed, emergency services paramedics and doctors (all volunteers) preparing to follow the event’s progress.
Yet others do last-minute checks of the communications systems that are the ‘eyes’ by which the Clerk of Course at the Hobart-based Command Centre keeps a constant check on proceedings.
The organisers of the catering and social events review the multitude of details which combined to keep the competitors well fed and entertained off the road.
The Results Centre Manager and staff check the field communications and computer programs, trying to foresee any possible problems in their sphere of activities, and are fully aware of the pivotal role they will play as the event unfolds.
By now the media has been accredited and requests for press reports and interviews flood in from nation-wide outposts.
And so it is that more than 250 cars, with 500 competitors, and over 2500 volunteer officials come together to participate in one of the larger sporting events in the country.
Not only will the drivers and navigators compete – in their own way so too will the officials, but without the glamor, the recognition and adulation bestowed on the competitors.
Targa Tasmania is unique for many reasons - and because it is unique there are but a few other motor sport events like it, and certainly none of it magnitude.
Many hours have been dedicated by officials in training to overcome challenges. Their lot generally will be a satisfied anonymity. They all know their contribution, big or small, is collectively indispensable to this motor sport classic.
50 Jump to List of Contents For them, it is enough to have the opportunity of becoming involved in the ultimate motoring experience – “Targa Tasmania, the Ultimate Tarmac Rally”.
Article in Targa News, June 1996, by Philip Blake, Navigator in Car 420 ‘’You don’t know me except as a passing pair of eyes in a helmet. I don’t know you except as a smiling face at a control. But there’s something I have to tell you, and I’m sure I speak for 500 other competitors.
In the conditions prevailing during the first three days of this year’s event it would not have surprised me to arrive at a control and find that everyone had run away. It never happened. There was always someone there to take my road card, someone there to bring it back, someone there to feed in the results.
Again and again, you found time to comment that we must be cold and wet in an open car. And as I watched you dripping wet and shivering I thought ‘probably not quite as cold as you’.
By being there every time, you showed every quality I value in a friend. You were cheerful, you were courteous, you were caring, and most of all you were there when I needed you.
Targa Tasmania could do without me, but the event is nothing without you. Thank you.”
20. VEHICLE TECHNICAL ISSUES OF TARGA TASMANIA TECHNICAL MANAGERS/CHIEF SCRUTINEERS HONOR ROLL Tech Manager Chief Scrutineer 1992 Eddie O’Sullivan 1993 Garry Boyd Eddie O’Sullivan 1994 Garry Boyd Eddie O’Sullivan 1995 Garry Boyd Eddie O’Sullivan 1996 Ken Price Eddie O’Sullivan 1997 Ken Price Clyde Carstairs 1998 Ken Price Ken Price 1999 Ken Price Stewart Barling 2000 Ken Price Stewart Barling 2001 Ken Price Stewart Barling 2002 Ken Price Stewart Barling 2003 Ken Price Stewart Barling
Ken Price
In the first year there was no eligibility regulations controlling the modifications of vehicles, which had to be road registered either permanently or on a temporary basis, for use on Tasmanian roads. Scrutiny for safety issues was carried out prior to the event, either in capital cities under appointed scrutineers, or before the start in Launceston. Seat belts, but not safety belts, were compulsory, except for older pre-war vehicles, whilst safety helmets and roll over protection were not compulsory, although recommended. This was normal for most dirt rallies in Australia.
The 1993 Task Force recommendations which were adopted by the organisers and applicable as from 1994 were: • safety helmets were compulsory on targa stages for both crew members; • seat belts were also compulsory (four way, three or four point as a minimum standard); • all open vehicles to be fitted with appropriate rollover protection, although some early models could be exempted by the organisers; it was highly recommended that closed vehicles have protection fitted, even if a half cage;
51 Jump to List of Contents • certain tyres were banned and the number of tyres that could be used without penalty was limited to five, this being in an endeavour to influence drivers to preserve tyres and therefore theoretically creating a lower top-end speed.
Technical Integrity Committee In 1993 ‘technical integrity’ was introduced to the event by adopting two levels of technical specification – standard and modified. Then in 1994, with the measures introduced from the 1993 Task Force recommendations, inspection of the vehicles for eligibility for the class/category in which it was entered took place under a Technical Manager and Chief Scrutineer.
After the 1994 event a Technical Integrity Committee was formed and based in Melbourne where committee members with proficient technical knowledge were available, and from this time this Committee played a greater role in the selection of vehicles for the Invitation Committee (based in Hobart) to issue invitations to participate.
Issues such as which category (Standard, Limited or Modified Specification) and class (allowing for model ‘run-ons’) vehicles should be placed were considered by the Committee, as well as safety features of highly modified vehicles. The Committee also ruled on Replica Cars (that is vehicles identical to the original vehicle and using modern components) and Reproduction Cars (ones using either original components or parts constructed exactly from plans for the original vehicle).
The Vehicle Selection Committee monthly sorted through each batch of nominated vehicles and the ones eligible for selection were referred to the Technical Integrity Committee to study the details set down by the competitor in the Official Nomination Form, and specify the category and class in which the vehicle was to be compete. This procedure reduced disputes by competitors of where the vehicle was placed.
Level of Vehicle Modification The design of the competition in Targa Tasmania was based on ‘true to type’ cars not being disadvantaged by having to compete directly against modified cars of the same type. The level of modification to cars was based into three broad sections:
• Standard Specification (SS) – for those cars which did not depart significantly from the car manufacturer’s specification. SS was introduced in 1993; • Limited Modified Specification (LMS) – where the motor remained unmodified and the original components were generally retained but may have been modified to a certain extend to gain better performance. LMS was first introduced for the 1998 event; • Modified Specification (MS) – for those cars which were further developed to achieve their ultimate performance potential. MS was introduced in 1993.
Part of the event entry procedure was to nominate the car to be used, together with a detailed Vehicle Identification and Specification Form (VI&S) outlining many of the technical issues of the car which were examined by a Technical Committee* to determine whether it should be in the Standard, Limited Modified or Modified Specification categories.
*most years the Technical Committee comprised Ken Price (Chair), Garry Boyd, Peter Lewis-Williams, Stewart Barling and Graeme Palmer who met in Melbourne to process the VI&S documents.
Technical Integrity A notable change for 2003 was announced and this was the application of a severe penalty if a vehicle did not meet the specifications listed on the VI&S and declared by the competitor to be true. Previously, if a vehicle was found not to meet the specifications at pre-start scrutiny it was permitted to start the event at the discretion of the organisers, but the crew of the vehicle was excluded from all awards and general classifications but eligible for a targa trophy. If a vehicle did not conform to the VI&S it would be excluded, unless rectified by the time of start for the vehicle.
It was the competitors responsibly to present the vehicle in accordance with the regulations of the particular specification for which the vehicle was entered, whether that be SS, LMS or MS. The fact that the vehicle may have been inspected by the Technical Officers at pre-meeting scrutiny, did not mean that the vehicle was ‘legal’. The Technical Officers did not check underneath the vehicle, nor look at what has been done inside the engine, gearbox, differential, etc. These are post- event examination items.
The Scrutiny Team in the capital cities and at Launceston prior to the event did NOT inspect the vehicle for eligibility. They inspected it for safety, and in most cases the Scrutineers were not qualified to check for eligibility. The only eligibility rulings throughout the year must come from the Technical Committee, or the Technical Officer during the event.
It was important that competitors understood that if their vehicle did not conform to the regulations at post-event scrutiny they could not be changed to another specification, category or class. The CAMS regulations (National Competition Rule
52 Jump to List of Contents 194 vii) clearly stated that if a vehicle was found to be ineligible it was to be excluded from the event. The Stewards had no option – no matter what the circumstances were, the vehicle must be excluded. Additionally, the Stewards could impose a suspension from further motor sport activities on the entrant and driver.
Whilst all this may have seemed harsh and spoiled the fun of the event for some competitors, the reality was that Targa Tasmania was a highly regarded International Rally and many competitors were serious about their competition.
Tyre Regulations from 1997 The 1993 Safety Task Force, meeting after the 1993 event, included in its suggestions to control the speed of vehicles, that certain tyres (those that were ‘sticky’) be banned from the event and the number of eligible tyres be limited and penalties be applied if the limit was exceeded.
By the 1997 event, following gradual adherence to the recommendation in previous years, the tyre regulations were finalised and introduced. It was accepted that tyres were the single most important factor in a vehicle’s performance in an event like Targa Tasmania.
The regulations stated: • that each vehicle was to be restricted to six tyres which were to be ‘marked’ by the organisers and carried in or on the competition vehicle; if a sixth tyre could not be fitted then the vehicle must run without it. Tyres had to be roadworthy and comply with Tasmanian road regulations (eg: must have load and speed ratings embossed on the tyre side walls), and must have a minimum of 1.6mm tread depth across 60% of the face of the tyre. They could not be ‘grooved’ unless marked ‘regroovable’ by the tyre manufacturer; • the minimum tyre aspect ratio percentage were 90% for Categories 1 and 2, 60% for Categories 3, 4 and 5, and were free for vehicles in Categories 6, 7, 8 and 9; • for pre-1982 vehicles to run on the Standard Specification wheel diameters were allowed to vary to the manufacturer standard by plus or minus one inch; for post-1981 vehicles no variation was permitted. Wheel widths and offsets may be varied but any change had to be made within the standard bodywork; • tyres such as Dunlop ZD78J, Goodyear GSCS, Bridgestone RE610S and Falken RX05G were specifically prohibited as they only had shallow tread impressions and had been designed specifically for circuit racing; • Any tyre marked ‘For Racing Purposes Only’ or ‘Not For Highway Use’ (or similar) were prohibited.
A system of marking and checking the tyres was developed and adopted by the Technical Committee.
21. CET / TTT – COMMUNICATIONS AND EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT Two of the often ‘hidden’ aspects of the organisation of Targa Tasmania were the radio Communications and Equipment Team (CET) and the Technical and Timing Team (TTT) which were a very vital part of the operation of Targa Tasmania each day.
Targa Tasmania used various two-way radio systems for differing functions, each of which was essential to a successful event.
Communications presented an unexpected challenge, with no reception available at the controls located away from the more inhabited areas (no mobile telephones in those early days), only two-way radios. ‘Black spots’ in reception were frequent and identified over the years and radio relays were set up to overcome the problem. However, different weather conditions resulted in communications difficulties being experienced by the Communications Team.
Communications and Equipment Transport (CET) Teams originated from the 1994 event (then known as Targa Timing and Technical (TTT) Teams). Their basic tasks were to supply each targa stage with the equipment required to communicate to the Command Centre and to have that equipment returned from the stage officials when the running of the stage was complete and have it cleaned and repaired (if necessary) and batteries charged ready for delivery the next day. The Teams were involved in long days and thousands of kilometres in travel.
Each team operating under a CET Leader, and they carried and distributed combinations of 70Mhz radios, mobile telephones and satellite telephones to maintain the Command Centre network.
One team attended the start line and the other the finish control. On arrival the teams set up the communications network between start and finish controls and with the Command Centre. In later years facsimile machines were set up at most stages (or at a nearby property to the finish) so that results could be faxed directly to the central results room in Hobart.
The success of the Teams was a credit to these officials who travelled widely around the state and were typical of many officials who ‘worked behind the scenes’ of the event.
53 Jump to List of Contents COMMUNICATIONS AND EQUIPMENT SUPPLY HONOR ROLL SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES MANAGER 1992 Phil Clayton 1993 Adrian Mason Stu Braunholz 1994 David Parker Stu Braunholz 1995 David Parker Peter Roberts 1996 David Parker Peter Roberts 1997 Ron Brown Peter Roberts 1998 Ron Brown Keith Thompson 1999 Ron Brown Keith Thompson 2000 Ron Brown Keith Thompson 2001 Ron Brown Ron Brown 2002 Ron Brown David Maslin 2003 Ron Brown David Maslin
Equipment for Targa Stages The equipment logistics of the 1997 Targa Tasmania required the following: . 30 plus 70Mhz radios for the Command Network . 50 plus 160Mhz radios for the Stage Network . 90 plus handheld radios for end of stages and for town stage spectator control . 15 satellite telephones for areas where there was no cellular telephone coverage . 40 plus cellular telephones (many officials did not own one in that era) . 27 clocks for time controls for startline and flying finishes . 18 master rally clocks for startlines and flying finishes . 9 backup clocks for flying finishes . 9 flashing signs for after flying finishes . 27 Psion handheld terminals . 9 palmtop computers . 9 sets of road signs (7 per set) for targa stages . 6000 metres of telephone cable . Many 100s of officials tabards . battery boxes . stages . tape . garden hose for cabling across road between flying finish and stop point
Communication Networks A summary of the communications adopted for the event as from 2000 follows.
Command Network The Command Network linked the Command Centre with ‘live’ targa stages and course set up crews. This network comprised VHF mid-band two-way radios, and satellite and mobile cellular telephones. The Command Centre had direct communication with course set up crews and the start of each targa stage. Selected course crews (such as the Chief Safety Officer, Deputy Chief Safety Officer, Emergency Services Manager) were outfitted with a satellite telephone, as well as cellular telephones. In the event of a Command Network breakdown, communications could be re-established through the Emergency Services Network.
Stage Network Each stage was equipped with a VHF two-way radio network, which operated, when necessary, through automatic repeaters and Forestry/Wildlife Parks Networks located within the stage. This network connected the start of the targa stage with the end (stop point), and any SOS points within the stage. Vehicle tracking was carried out by use of the Stage Network.
Town Stage Network As well as the Command and Stage Networks, a separate network was used in town stages. This comprised of Sector Marshals on all turns using hand held UHF radios, giving communications throughout the stage from one turn to the next, as well as to the start and finish controls.
54 Jump to List of Contents Emergency Services Network The Emergency Services Network was linked to the State Fire Services radio network on a VHF mid-band frequency through radio bases in the north and south of the state, or through an Ericsson Digital Trunking System. These bases were in turn connected to the Command Centre by landline telephones. Emergency Services vehicles are also connected to the normal Tasmanian Ambulance Service radio network, and in the event of an incident requiring external assistance the event operators could quickly transfer to the appropriate district ambulance frequency.
Course Crews Communications The course set-up crews communicated with targa stage officials through use of VHF radios, and with Command Centre through the Command Network.
Rod Langridge and Jim Marshall in their 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. They finished!
22. RESULTS Compiling and issuing results proved to be a major concern to the organisers from the beginning in 1992 to 1998, let alone the accuracy of such results that were produced.
The sheer magnitude of the number of competitors, together with the rather complex competition concept conducted over five days (30 second intervals between cars – dirt rallies were conducted with two minute intervals) caused havoc in the results centre. On reflection in later years it was recognised that nothing could have prepared the undertrained officials at controls and in the results centre in 1992 and 1993, the later year being when results simply were not available at the end of the event and it took a month to re-score the event manually. The volume of information to be processed was just overwhelming and required detailed examination into procedures and training of all officials associated with the task.
Stonie appropriately captures the feelings of the Results Managers in early years of the event!!
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The main difficulties in these early years were: • the gathering of data at controls in a coherent form; • transmitting data from the stages to the results centre (there was no internet in those days, so after 1993 facsimile machines were set up at the closest telephone to the start and finish of the targa stages); • officials handwriting difficult, and sometimes impossible, to interpret; • breakdown of communications between the flying finish and the stop point so that the flying finish time was not transmitted and there often could not be any movement of officials between the two locations due to the constant arrival of cars creating a hazard for any official on the road between the two points; • entries that were wrong were recorded (both car numbers and times); • times were allocated incorrectly to car numbers (particularly at the start controls); • in the results centre auditing of scores was not carried out prior to entering them into the computer; • computer software not truly compatible to the results system as it was almost impossible to simulate (before the event) actual conditions that would be experienced during the event (ie: volume of data and speed of entering); • manual systems could not keep up with the need to produce results in a timely manner due to the corrupt data that had to be constantly checked; officials had to wait until all the control paperwork was delivered to the results centre and then a good deal of it could not be deciphered with any degree of accuracy.
For the 1995 event an electronic system using touch memory buttons (‘Psion Organiser’) was introduced and worked quite well in producing results by comparison to past years and much elation was felt by the organisers that the results were published WITHIN TWO WEEKS of the end of the event and that there were fewer inquiries from competitors.
The new electronic road card system played a significant role in checking daily scores, and the organisers were confident that with continued research and development it would achieve its objectives in coming years.
However, although each year up to 1995 the results system had improved over the previous year, and it was felt that the problems had largely been overcome by 1996, but in that year’s event accuracy of data retrieval from the computer fell alarmingly such that in general the results system failed to achieve anything like the results produced in 1995 and timely, meaningful and accurate results were not available until well after the event.
In 1997 the Psion Organiser system was once again in operation, with some procedural changes. However, it was realised that to successfully produce results quickly, and accurately, a specially written computer software program was needed and for the 1998 event a Results Task Force was set up to review the results system failures (and successes) and to develop and implement a new system that combined only the working and proven parts of the previous systems for data collection and processing into the computer and design special software.
Garry Seale was engaged to develop the software and associated data collection systems and from that year the results system continue to develop, with full results available at the finish of the 1998.
TARGA TASMANIA 1998 Posting of provisional results at the end of the event ready (at 0400 hours) for competitor checking before final results announced. A victorious moment for the organisers after seven years of disappointment as this was the first time full results were ready at the end of the event!!! Tom Snooks (Clerk of Course) & Garry Searle (Results Consultant)
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RESULTS DEPARTMENT HONOR ROLL Results Manager Results Consultant 1992 Jim Saward 1993 John Brock 1994 Terry Bain 1995 Neil Patterson Terry Bain 1996 Neil Patterson Garry Searle 1997 Gordon McCutchan Garry Searle 1998 Gordon McCutchan Garry Searle 1999 Garry Boyd Garry Searle 2000 Garry Boyd Garry Searle 2001 Garry Boyd Garry Searle 2002 Garry Boyd Garry Searle 2003 Garry Boyd Garry Searle
Terry Bain Garry Boyd Gary Seale
23. HOSPITALITY VILLAS AND VEHICLE EXPOS Targa Tasmania was more than just a competition around Tasmania. The organisers arranged for the community to get close to the cars, in action and on display.
Hospitality Villas
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Safe, convenient, fully serviced and great views of the action. Above is the Hospitality Villa on the Ridgeway Park (Hobart) Targa Stage
The public were invited to enjoy the spectacle of Targa Tasmania in first class style at the Hospitality Villas located each day around the course, and were very popular. They were situated at safe roadside locations offering excellent viewing to see plenty of action: • the Prologue at George Town; • Day 1 – ‘Longford’ Town Stage; • Day 3 – ‘Ridgeway Park’ Targa Stage, near Hobart; • Day 4 – ‘Hobart’ Targa Stage Queens Domain and at Ross on the ‘Ross’ Town Stage; • Day 5 - ‘New Norfolk’ Town Stage.
A Hospitality Villa entry fee included a fenced spectator area with seating and marquee cover, full commentary, buffet meals, meals in barbecue style and refreshments.
Vehicle Expos A series of motor shows containing over two hundred vehicles, including the finest Sport and GT cars, as well as wonderful pre-World War 2 vintage cars, were on display at: • Launceston Silverdome prior after the George Town Prologue and after Day 1; • Hobart after Days 2 and 3; • Burnie after Day 4.
The Expos were more than just a car display – the public could ‘rub shoulders’ with the crew and service crews as they got their hands dirty by fixing and tinkering with their cars.
Admission was by a gold coin denoted to a local charity.
Vehicle Expo at the Launceston Silverdome
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24. TARGA TASMANIA PRESENTATION The presentation night was the final highlight of Targa Tasmania and was a formal affair, with competitors recognised for the achievements.
The strain is showing!!!
Following is from the 2004 Targa Tasmania Official Program:
“One of the highlights of Targa Tasmania 2003 Trophy Presentation Dinner was the induction of Tom Snooks into the Targa Hall of Fame.
59 Jump to List of Contents Octagon first introduced the Hall of Fame in 2001 and fittingly inducted the co-founder of Targa, John Large, and the initial Commercial then Event Manager, Rhonda Matthews, into the Hall of Fame.
Tom Snooks was first invited to join the Organising Team prior to Targa 1993 as the Sporting Operations Consultant – and had the task of implementing the many systems developed by Charles Knight, Targa’s Operations Manager during the latter’s term of office. Targa wanted to use the ‘’hands-on’’ experience Snooks had gained in developing sporting operations systems for a number of other major events as well as recruiting, motivating and managing the large teams of volunteer officials required to implement those systems.
Tom was so successful in that role in 1993 that John Large appointed him as Clerk of Course of the 1994 event – a role he filled with distinction for the next ten years.
Tom was John’s right-hand man in regard to the development of the various competition design initiatives pioneered by Targa Tasmania – particular in regard to the statistical research needed to support the development of the ‘’Performance Index’’ system for scoring the Classic Competition.
Whilst not a professional ‘technocrat’ in his own right Tom put together and led the team which developed the three-level concept that now defines, controls and manages the levels of modifications allowed of competing vehicles. This was not only adopted by Targa, but by the FIA as its international standard.
Tom continued to refine these policies in the interests of both safety and performance equity – particularly addressing emerging challenges such as the containment of performance of modern competition vehicles. It is testimony to Tom’s skills in this area that the FIA has consistently adopted these evolving modifications.
There is no doubt that much of the success of Targa Tasmania to date can be attributed to the enormous efforts put into the event over the past eleven years by Tom Snooks.”
PRESENTATION (2016) pic: Tony McKendrick
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25. WORDS FROM MURRAY WALKER – COMPETITOR IN 2003
Murray Walker navigated for Colin Bond in a Toyota 3 litre Camry Sportive in the Modern Showroom category to finish 45th in the Modern Competition.
Extract from the 2003 Targa Tasmania video produced by Southern Cross Television, Tasmania at the end of the event:
“I would like you to admire my Finishers Medallion because I am very, very proud of it and it is going to be hanging on my study wall in England when I get back there.
I thought it was an absolutely WONDERFUL event and I am full of positive reactions to it. Most of all I have never ever seen such enthusiasm everywhere for an event anywhere in the world. It has been quite incredible. Heaven knows how many events I have attended but I have never seen the populous turning out cheering competitors for five days.
61 Jump to List of Contents I’ve never been to Tasmania and I think the scenery is wonderful and I think it’s a fabulous island. The event is absolutely unique and the camaraderie we have been in is wonderful. I have no criticisms and a lot of praise for Targa Tasmania.”
‘Targa is coming!!!!’
26. KLAUS BISCHOF
Hans Bischof
Klaus Bischof was the Curator of the Porsche Museum of Stuttgart and was instrumental in bringing to Targa Tasmania, from 1996, a number of highly desirable cars.
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He stated that ‘’it is a rare opportunity for us to show many people who have no opportunity of seeing and hearing them in Europe just how good the classic Porsches really are. To do this the cars must not only run, but also be driven by the right people who know Porsche and can relate to these cars and their special place in motor racing. In Tasmania there is the right environment. The roads are similar to those the cars raced on when they were in their competition prime and, very importantly, most Tasmanians support the event. It seems like all of them are standing by the road and waving, just like in the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia. It is a unique chance to turn back the pages of history!”
The following table sets down the cars Hans organised to bring to the event in the years 1996 to 2003.
Year Vehicle Driver Navigator 1996 1960 Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder* Jochen Mass Jeff Hutchinson 1997 1982 Porsche 911 SC RS Walter Roehrl Michael Ruess 1998 1953 Porsche 356 American Roadster Klaus Bischof Hermann Ruettger 1999 1982 Porsche 911 SC RS Bob Wollek Michael Petersen 2000 1963 Porsche 365B 2000 GS Klaus Bischof Hermann Ruettger 2001 1963 Porsche 356B 2000 GS Klaus Bischof Georg Huber 2002 1959 Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder Klaus Bischof Michael Petersen 2003 1978 Porsche 911 SC Safari Klaus Bischof ? Buckingham * winning car of the 1960 Targa Florio
27. TARGA TASMANIA WON TOURISM AWARDS
Targa Tasmania was honoured by the Tourist Council of Australia, winning the Major Festivals and Events Category in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and entered into the Hall of Fame - Major Festival and Events in 2004.
The award reflected the tremendous contribution to the Tasmania community and the thousands of volunteers who came forward each year to carry out the multitude of tasks required to conduct Targa Tasmania.
The awards also reflected the contribution by the competitors and their entourages year after year.
28. FINALE BY TOM SNOOKS
Following is from the 2004 Targa Tasmania Official Program:
“One of the highlights of Targa Tasmania 2003 Trophy Presentation Dinner was the induction of Tom Snooks into the Targa Hall of Fame.
Octagon first introduced the Hall of Fame in 2001 and fittingly inducted the co-founder of Targa, John Large, and the initial Commercial then Event Manager, Rhonda Matthews, into the Hall of Fame.
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Tom Snooks was first invited to join the Organising Team prior to Targa 1993 as the Sporting Operations Consultant – and had the task of implementing the many systems developed by Charles Knight, Targa’s Operations Manager during the latter’s term of office. Targa wanted to use the ‘’hands-on’’ experience Snooks had gained in developing sporting operations systems for a number of other major events as well as recruiting, motivating and managing the large teams of volunteer officials required to implement those systems.
Tom was so successful in that role in 1993 that John Large appointed him as Clerk of Course of the 1994 event – a role he filled with distinction for the next ten years.
Tom was John’s right-hand man in regard to the development of the various competition design initiatives pioneered by Targa Tasmania – particular in regard to the statistical research needed to support the development of the ‘’Performance Index’’ system for scoring the Classic Competition.
Whilst not a professional ‘technocrat’ in his own right Tom put together and led the team which developed the three-level concept that now defines, controls and manages the levels of modifications allowed of competing vehicles. This was not only adopted by Targa, but by the FIA as its international standard.
Tom continued to refine these policies in the interests of both safety and performance equity – particularly addressing emerging challenges such as the containment of performance of modern competition vehicles. It is testimony to Tom’s skills in this area that the FIA has consistently adopted these evolving modifications.
There is no doubt that much of the success of Targa Tasmania to date can be attributed to the enormous efforts put into the event over the past eleven years by Tom Snooks.”
I was blessed with the task of taking on Targa Tasmania as Clerk of Course under John Large’s tutelage. John often referred to our association with Targa Tasmania as him being the Architect and myself the Builder, There is no question that the development of the early Targa Tasmania events were John’s brainwave and I don’t think that anyone else could ever have come up with the constant concept development the way he did. It was my great privilege, and luck, to have the opportunity to be involved in such a wonderful event.
I will confess that at the time of my involvement it was just ‘another project’, albeit a most interesting and challenging one – for I was also involved with the 1995 and 1999 Round Australia Trials, the 1999-2002 Australian Safaris, 2002 and 2003 Classic Adelaide, 2000-2003 Grand Prix Rallies, and the 2000 (around Tasmania) and 2002 (Adelaide Hills) Porsche Customer Tours, all at the same time as being the Clerk of Course of Targa Tasmania.
However, as I compiled this ‘history’ through 2019/2020, researching through the dvds, the results booklets, the Official Programs, the organising papers I retained and the various books produced on the event (and reading what so many different competitors wrote expressing their deep-felt feelings and emotions about the event) I started to appreciate just what a magnificent the event was, and undoubtedly still is after nearly 30 years.
If Targa Tasmania in the period 1992 to 2003 was/is considered to be a great success, in the final analysis that success was greatly achieved by the dedication and unsparing cheerfulness of the thousands and thousands of volunteer officials, most notably those ’on the road’ actually conducting the event, for all plans are only effective in their actual execution.
FINAL WORDS No matter who claims to be the originator of the event there is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Targa Tasmania is John Large’s legacy and I am very proud to have been associated with those early years in its development.
John, so full of enthusiasm and insight, so instrumental and so effective in all the things in which he was associated, can, I believe, be best summed up by a saying credited to J. F. Kennedy about Theodore Roosevelt, with a slight adaptation:
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, if he wins, knows the thrills of high achievement, and, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those of us who are cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”
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John Large and Tom Snooks at Targa Tasmania Presentation 2001 on the night John and Ronda Mathews were inducted into the Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame. Here the two were “Reminiscing”!!
John Large AOM passed away in hospital on the day of the Prologue in 2006 - the timing of his passing was almost exactly the time that the first car started that year’s Prologue.
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