Targa Canada West Lives On!

Dr. Kelly Silverthorn: We're back! It's true. The promise of a West Coast Targa is just too amazing to suppress for long.

After a one-day May 2010 Targa Bambina was not delivered on my watch, I scoured the globe in search of who would be best placed to complete the Targa quest. The answer proved to be close by... sitting in the co-driver seat in fact. Duane Bentley has been along for most of the Targa Canada West journey to date, and assimilated everything there was to learn from our collective efforts.

Duane Now In the Driver's Seat

Duane brings a strong set of attributes to lead the team: he has a business consulting and IT background, with past involvement in marketing, event management and securing sponsorship, and more of the necessary time to devote to the project (and being quite a bit younger, vital energy and better looks too, I suspect). Duane lives in Kelowna, BC, with his wife Janna and young daughter.

THROWING OUT BAMBINA WITH THE BATHWATER

Sadly, Targa Canada West needs to cancel Targa Bambina 2010.  The British Columbia Government reports that we should easily clear every other hurdle but we have fallen short on documenting sufficient community support from those who inhabit or traverse the roads we applied to use.

Targa Canada West's quest was to bring another great Targa event to a new area of the globe. While our resources towards achieving this goal were considerable, they were not unlimited. We imposed a test for ourselves; a one-day event on May 24, 2010, near Kelowna. We have failed that test.

All Bambina 2010 entry fees will be returned immediately. Thanks go to those entrant teams for their support and understanding. Thanks also go out to the tireless Competition officials, those who have signed up as volunteers, Knox Mountain organizers, the arrive-and-drive vendors, the marquee competitors, our insurers, the patient elected and governmental officials, and many others.

Targa Canada West (the company) is solvent, but the future is open to question. There remains that untapped Targa market of 100 million people within a 24 hour tow of British Columbia's amazing roads and scenery. The potential is huge, and waiting. While TCW has come up just short of achieving a BC Targa, perhaps we have made reaching that goal more attainable for others. We are certainly willing to share our experience with anyone interested in completing the quest.

On a personal note, at heart our team members are still Targa enthusiasts and participants. If our saga to date should teach all of us anything, it is to cherish and support the already existing Targa events. You'll see us competing in said events around the globe later in 2010.

EARLY BIRDS NESTED

The early bird entry deadline of March 15th for the Targa Bambina 2010 has come and gone. The result is hovering at twenty entries to date for this May 23-24 event. The first to arrive was a Porsche 997 GT3 RS in Class 6 from the East Coast, and the second a West Coast Toyota Yaris for Class 3.

ARRIVE-AND-DRIVE!

TCW has received many inquiries, questions, and entries since opening Bambina registration in January. We've put drivers-in-need in touch with navigators-of-interest, and owners of NSU TTs in touch with one another. Call or email us your inquiries!

TCW's BAMBINA 2010 OPEN FOR ENTRIES!!!

If you've competed in a Targa before, you know why you keep heading back. There isn't much that compares to it in motorsport, or life.

You've got yourself, your car, and your team to a beautiful remote location that none of you would otherwise ever visit. It's your team's turn on the start line-- the official is counting you down. A spectator gives you the thumbs-up. Your navigator is tightening their harness one last time, and chanting the first two Route Book instructions. A deliciously twisty road of mystery and surprise awaits. You've never felt more alive.......

Eric Bana's Film Love the Beast on SpeedTV Friday December 18th

When Hollywood stars race, motorsport wins. Think of the profile sport car racing gained from Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Patrick Dempsey competing. For fans of Targa racing, Eric Bana has locked-up Hollywood hero status with the 2009 release of Love the Beast.

Bana, the 41 year old Australian actor has starred in blockbuster hits Black Hawk Down, The Hulk, Troy, Finding Nemo, Munich, Star Trek, and The Time Traveler's Wife. Such commercial success and experience allows Eric the freedom to pursue his own film projects.

Christmas Shopping Challenges Solved

December is the month car folk attend to Christmas shopping. O.K. often it is late December. It is tough to come up with the ideal gift for others. And others struggle just as much choosing your gift. We have some helpful suggestions to pass along to your Santa.

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Government is On-board

Targa Canada West (TCW) and the BC Provincial Government have had many productive conversations and meetings since first contact back in July 2008. Days ago, on October 7th TCW received the permission in principle to proceed with Targa events on BC roads for May 2010 and beyond, providing the Government's processes around liability insurance, community consultation, and traffic/safety management continue to be followed. This rigorous process should ensure a sustainable annual Targa event over many years.

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Summer has turned the page to autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere. That means Targa Newfoundland is just behind us, Targa New Zealand just in front, and Targa Canada West eight months and change away (May 23-28, 2010).

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For tarmac motorsport enthusiasts the world over, September’s arrival means its time for Targa Newfoundland. So Glyn Trafford, Pete Gulliver, and I will all be taking a short break from preparations for Targa Canada West to participate. The ever-busy Office crew will stay home in British Columbia to keep our own week-long TCW 2010 (May 23-28) event on track.