Targa changes course for 2007

Almost a quarter of the Targa Tasmania course will change for 2007 under changes confirmed by event owner, Octagon, this week. As well as alterations to some of the course's more regular stages, the April 17-22, 2007 event will boast 11 major stage changes or additions.

Starting in Launceston and finishing in Hobart five days later, the 43 closed competition stages will comprise around 445km. The total distance of the event including transport stages is more than 2000km.

New-for 2007 Targa Tasmania Event Director Mark Perry told CarPoint: "Not since Targa Tasmania's 10th anniversary in 2000 has the course changed this dramatically. The new course takes in some of the world's most challenging tarmac rally roads as well as branching out to parts of our beautiful island currently untouched by the event."

Two notable changes are a special evening stage to be held within the Hobart's Royal Botanical Gardens in Hobart and a visit to Tasmania's now-famous gold mining town of Beaconsfield.

After being shortened to accommodate Anzac Day celebrations, in 2007, the Temco George Town Prologue is back to its traditional length of 4.82km. In addition, six of the stages on the event's first leg conducted in the state's north have been changed. The 8.44km Deloraine Targa Stage, last used as an introduction to Leg Two in 2000, replaces High Plains; this is followed by the 5.28km Reedy Marsh stage (Quamby Brook in reverse) to ease competitors into the event. The action hots up on the 14.57km Paradise stage; a reverse of the original Sheffield stage.

Following the event's lunch stop in Tasmania's 'Town of Murals', Sheffield, the stages increase in difficulty with two of the four stages held after lunch being new to the 2007 course. The 5.5km Harford stage is a reversed version of the Moriarty stage and is followed by an extended and reversed version of the Holwell stage. Leg One concludes with a 2.2km town stage in Beaconsfield.

As the field makes its way from Launceston to Hobart on Leg Two, via the state's scenic East Coast, there are three changes. The 7.7km Moorina stage is a lengthened version of Winnaleah and the second day concludes with the Botanical Gardens night stage starting at 6pm.

The first two stages on Leg Three held in the state's south are Grasstree Hill Reverse -- a reversed version of the Targa regular which takes the field towards the historic township of Richmond -- and the 3.3km Tunnel Hill stage, which is a short sprint past the foothills of Hobart's Mount Rumney.

The people of Ross will have something to look forward with the 2.78km stage on Leg Four reverting to its original direction, which will have the competition cars launch themselves over the town's arterial train lines.

In an effort to draw the weekend crowd, the Targa Town Stage held in Tasmania's historic motorsport town of Longford has been moved to Saturday morning, April 21. The only addition to Leg Four is the 4.40km Fern Glade stage as the concluding stage.

The 47.24km Mt Arrowsmith stage on the final Leg, Burnie to Hobart, remains the event's longest and most testing stage.

Ellendale and New Norfolk will not run next year, with the field finishing the event in the old Hydro township of Tarraleah, before heading back to Wrest Point for the Official Finish in Hobart. 

For more information on the 2007 Targa Tasmania check out the event website