News
(august 22, 2008)
Mitsubishi competes in Targa Newfoundland
A 2009 Lancer Ralliart and a 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR prepare to take on The Rock.
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - In the spirit of competition, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. (MMSCAN) has entered company supported vehicles in the world famous Targa Newfoundland rally. A 2009 Lancer Ralliart and a 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR have been specially prepared by MMSCAN to compete in this grueling test of man and machine to be held in beautiful, rugged Newfoundland from September 13 to 20, 2008.
The upcoming launch of the long awaited 2009 Lancer Ralliart and the recent arrival in Canada of the spectacular Lancer Evolution provide a perfect opportunity for MMSCAN to showcase these performance oriented road licensed sports sedans in a truly competitive and realistic environment - and Targa Newfoundland certainly provides that.
Targa Newfoundland is a "unique in North America" rally that takes place on public roads and within cities and towns. More than 40 high speed closed road Targa Stages determine the outcome of the competition over a six day period and the event has the full support of the government and people of Newfoundland. The rally itself is thrilling to watch and brutal to compete in, with the roads and distances - more than 2,000 KMS in total between competition stages and transit stages - taking their toll on the close to 100 competitors and the various cars they drive. Targa Newfoundland allows the owners of these historic, classic and modern sporting motor vehicles to drive them the way they were designed to be driven - a rare opportunity for true automotive enthusiasts. Each vehicle competes against the clock and on a handicap basis against other vehicles. The competition is for recognition and prestige alone, not prize money.
Two superb cars, four terrific competitors, one tough challenge.
In the Modern Modified Targa class MMSCAN has entered a Lancer Evolution GSR, fitted with full competition roll cage and safety equipment, to be driven by Andrew Comrie Picard, known in rally circles as ACP, and co driven by Jen Horsey, a veteran and tenacious Targa competitor.
Comrie Picard burst into the top rally ranks in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV in 2002, earning both the Canadian Open Class title and Rookie of the Year honors in the Canadian Rally Championship. Subsequently his rally team has been a regular podium contender in both Canada and the United States. In 2006, he drove the only Mitsubishi invited to enter the first ever ESPN X Games rally car race, a top-tier international contest. In 2007, ACP took second overall in the North American Rally championship, and his team have built on their successes for 2008, successfully campaigning a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX in Canada, leading the U.S. points race and earning a third consecutive invitation to the X Games. ACP is well known to fans of Targa Newfoundland as he was the host of the Global and SPEED TV broadcasts of the event over the past two years, but this will be his first attempt to campaign a car on the treacherous roads of Newfoundland.
Co-driver Jen Horsey is a Targa Newfoundland veteran as well as a longtime writer and broadcaster whose work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Maclean's Magazine online, Inside Track Motorsport News, and Canadian Geographic Magazine, among others. Jen co-drove a leading Targa Newfoundland team in 2005 and 2006, scoring a top-ten finish in their debut outing and the Modern class win and third-place on the overall podium a year later. Horsey discovered rallying five years ago while on assignment to write a magazine article and, in addition to her Targa Newfoundland appearances, she now competes in the Canadian Rally Championship at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer as the driver of the only all-girl crew in the national series.
Comrie-Picard and Horsey are also partners outside of the car, working together on numerous racing and media projects. They are the first team to compete professionally in a new Mitsubishi Evolution GSR.
The second car, a 2009 MMSCAN prepared Lancer Ralliart has been entered in the Modern Standard Targa class, a specification that allows fewer modifications than Modern Modified, but still requires a full roll cage and safety features, as do all competition classes except for the Touring classes. The Ralliart will be driven by brilliant race driver and Targa veteran Mark Hacking and co-driven by automotive expert John LeBlanc.
To fans of motorsport Mark Hacking needs no introduction as he is a very well known automotive journalist, photographer and radio broadcaster as well as and a regular competitor in a variety of racing disciplines. Currently the automotive editor of Driven Magazine, Mark's work has appeared in enRoute, Four Seasons Magazine and Nuvo as well as traditional automotive publications. His competition experience includes solo racing, karting, and three previous finishes in Targa Newfoundland, winning his division in 2005 driving a Mitsubishi Eclipse for MMSCAN.
John LeBlanc is a former advertising and marketing executive who changed careers to indulge his lifelong passion for cars by becoming a freelance automotive journalist, auto industry expert and columnist for the Wheels section of the Toronto Star and Sympatico/MSN Autos. After co-driving to a thirteenth finish overall in his first Targa Newfoundland in 2006, John is anxious to come back this year with Mitsubishi and build on that experience.
Mitsubishi entered in The President's Challenge for Manufacturers
Manufacturers entering cars are automatically entered in the President's Challenge for Manufacturers. Factory entered competitors in Grand Touring Equipped, Grand Touring Unequipped, Modern Standard, Modern Modified, Modern Hybrid and Open classes are eligible.
Entries are scored on their finish within their category at the end of the event, with points allocated on the basis of their finishing position: In addition to the bragging rights, the President's Challenge provides manufacturers with the opportunity to compete within legitimate professional motorsports parameters or field amateur efforts, like journalist driven cars, or both - and the opportunity to compete at any level. The prize for the President's Challenge for Manufacturers is the handsome Targa President's Cup perennial trophy and a companion "keeper" award.
A small history of Targa Newfoundland - the ultimate motorsport adventure
The original Targa event - the Targa Florio, was started in the 1900's, and was run on the island of Sicily as a road race. Targa means plate or crest in Italian. The event was special, as the cars did not compete one against the other but competed against time, with cars being started in intervals.
In 1990, the concept was reintroduced in the Australian island state of Tasmania with the Targa Tasmania. In 1994, New Zealand followed with its own Targa New Zealand.
The model for Targa Newfoundland is Targa Tasmania, an international event that attracts, on an invitational basis, over 250 entrants. Targa Newfoundland is a 2000 km event with more than 400 km of competition stages.
Newfoundland is one of the only locations in North America which can offer the roads, the challenges and the beauty necessary to host this event. Unlike most events involving motor vehicles, Targa Newfoundland runs directly in front of the public who can watch the event from selected areas at no charge. As such, the organizers seek to run the event in a manner which is as safe as possible and will become a model for similar events. Due to this, the organizers have imposed certain maximum speeds upon the event. Targa Newfoundland is the only event of its kind in North America and it attracts an international field of competitors and media from all across the globe. To learn more about Targa Newfoundland go to www.targanewfoundland.com.
