Tarmac rally training camp announced

Targa Australia has announced its Targa Experience Mt Buller, to be held over October 31 and November 1.

Designed as a training event for potential and inexperienced competitors with a thirst for tarmac rallying, Targa Experience Mt Buller is the first in what Targa Australia Director Mark Perry hopes will be a regular development program for the Targa series.

“Circuit racing has had a training program in place for many years and Targa rallying needs a similar structure to better prepare our competitors for what is one of the hardest forms of motorsport in the world today,” he said.

“Targa has grown over 25 years to see literally thousands of people now competing in this style of motorsport each year.

“The Targa Experience Mt. Buller will ensure increasing requirements are met and that competitors will enjoy Targa even more than they do now," Perry added.

The program will involve some lecture-based theory over the two days, however, the experience culminates with a real-world Targa experience, taking in the final 7.5km stretch of the Mt Buller Targa stage to put theory into practice.

“This section of road is the windiest and steepest section of the famous Mt Buller Targa stage that will give a genuine Targa experience to all new competitors who attend the event,” said Perry.

Crucially, CAMS endorsement has been granted, meaning successful participants gain a newly-introduced CAMS Targa Rally endorsement on their race licences. This gives the holder instant approval to compete in any future CAMS-sanctioned Targa event.

Timed to take place in the week before Targa High Country — also held in the Mt Buller region — Targa Experience Mt Buller is slated to be an annual event, with the first year’s graduates eligible to compete in the 25th Targa Tasmania in 2016.