About the Targa 

From Targa New Zealand's website: Targa New Zealand is a motorsport event company that organizes the best closed road races on public (tarmac) roads. All of our events are based on the North Island of New Zealand. To enjoy these roads within the magnificent New Zealand scenery will leave you with an indescribable experience that will never be forgotten.

Targa New Zealand was founded in 1995 and since the start it has grown from a 74-car entry list to around 200 entries and from one event a year to an annual three-round series:

Targa Bambina (2-day event) held in March based around Franklin and Waikato district;

Targa Rotorua (2-day event) held in June based around the Rotorua district;

Dunlop Targa (6-day main event) held in October starting in Auckland and travelling through the North Island to Wellington.

Each event consists of open road touring and competitive Targa special stages on closed sections of public tarmac road, where the competitors race against the clock, without the fear of police cars or speed guns.

The event is divided into two competitions, Classic and Modern, each with five vehicle categories difined by means of age, giving the competitors a chance to compete on a level footing with cars of similar speed. Over 1200 tyres are consumed by the competing cars annually during the three events, and Dunlop is the proud supplier of these tyres and the main sponsor of Targa New Zealand.