Victoria scores Targa Florio event

The Victorian government has announced that it will host the Targa Florio Australian Tribute classic car regularity race over a four-day period from the end of November.

It's the first occasion the 'Targa Florio' name has been officially applied to an event outside Italy in the Targa Florio's 101-year history. Victoria's winning bid beat home a consortium from Florida in the USA, and the event organisers have not only been granted exclusive rights to the name, but also hold an option to extend those rights for five years.

“The Targa Florio is a symbol for the passion of cars, luxury and adventure – and we’re delighted that the organisers have chosen Victoria to stage the first-ever race outside of Italy,” said Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren (pictured), as quoted in a press release.

“These classic cars will travel to some of our most breathtaking destinations, breathing more life into regional communities across Victoria.”

“Our love of sport and fast cars, coupled with our beautiful scenery and large Italian community, makes us the perfect host for such an occasion.”

The Victorian event is supplemental to the main show, which ran in Sicily earlier this year. Organisers are already anticipating at least 200 vehicles will take part in the four-day event, which will kick off from Thursday, November 30. Like the Sicilian event, entrants will be restricted to vehicles built between 1906 and 1976, although there is also a category for post-1977 Ferraris.

Cars are to post an average maximum speed of 50km/h and competitors will be set between 30 and 40 time trials over the course of the route.

“As the national sporting body for four-wheeled motor sport, we are extremely proud to be associated with such an iconic, international motor sport event and congratulate the event organisers, Visit Victoria and the Victorian Government for hosting the Targa Florio on some of our most famous roads,” says Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) CEO, Eugene Arocca.

“We can’t wait for this to get underway at the end of this year and are looking forward to seeing yet another amazing motor sport event being held in Australia, on top of other memorable events such as Victoria’s own Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Australian round of the World Rally Championship.”

The planned 1175km route will be:
Melbourne to Geelong via Torquay on the first day,
Geelong-Lorne-Apollo Bay-Queenscliff the second day (with a ferry crossing of Port Philip Bay to the Mornington Peninsula at the conclusion),
Sorrento-Red Hill-San Remo-Healesville the third day,
Healesville-Albert Park-Melbourne CBD the final day.

Entries can be lodged via the event website.

Pictures courtesy of Targa Florio Classic