Prepare for launch: Targa Great Barrier Reef

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 09.08.2018

The end of August will see the first ever Targa event held in Queensland take place

Weeks out from the launch of Queensland’s first ever Targa event, participants are hastily making preparations for both car and drivers – with numerous crews launching extensive scouting and reconnaissance drives.

Taking place over three days from August 31 through to September 2, even seasoned Targa goers will be challenged by the new and unfamiliar terrain.

| CLASSIC RALLYE 2018, TASMANIA - GALLERY

Crews will see one leg of driving each day, largely taking part south of Cairns.

Seasoned Targa campaigner Ashley Yelds and co-driver Charlie Hughes are full-tilt in scoping out the roads, having already spent time driving through the roads, perfecting their pace notes ahead of the event.

The two helmed their 1961 Volvo 122S to second place behind Graham Copelad and Josh Herbert in their 1941 Jimmy Special at the iconic Targa Tasmania in the Shannons Classic class this past April.

"We’ve had a good drive of all the stages" said Yelds.

"The Gillies Range road is going to be quite the drive. It’s 20km long and is going to be a real workout especially in an old car without power steering and anti-lock brakes".

With Targa Tasmania being double the length of the Queensland event, Yelds says it’s "going to be hard not to look at it as a three-day sprint and with comes all sorts of peril".

It’s not just old classics running Targa however, with several different competition classes, spectators and those in attendance will see everything from old icons to modern supercars turning their wheels in anger.

The new Queensland event for Targa is certainly looking to provide a host of new challenges to competing crews. To find more info about the Australian Targa Championship, or to sign up for yourself, head to their website here!

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