Targa Tasmania is an exciting International Event. A tarmac rally with competitive stages on closed roads for the best touring, sports and GT cars in the world. It’s inaugural year was in April 1992 when Tasmania hosted this distinguished International motorsport festival.
The competition concept is drawn directly from the best features of the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, the Coupe des Alpes and the Tour de Corse. However, Targa Tasmania is not a slow-motion re-run. It is a genuine “red-blooded” motor sport competition. It is also a unique annual opportunity for the owners of sports cars and GTs to drive them the way they were designed to be driven, on some of the most exciting and challenging tarmac roads in the world.
Targa Tasmania events cater for up to 300 select cars. Entries are selected from Applications to Compete, by a Vehicle Selection Committee. Invitations to Compete in each year’s Event are announced on a progressive basis from August through to February (close of applications).
Targa Tasmania has established itself as an annual event, conducted in April each year. The present format is to conduct the event over six days (including a Prologue) over 2,000 kilometres of tarmac roads.
Targa Tasmania 2011 entrants comprise a wide range of media-attracting personalities including former World Champions and other well-known motor sport competitors from both Australia and overseas, as well as national and international celebrities. In short, this is not only a competitive motor sport event, it is a unique commercial and tourist attraction capturing the imagination of the Australian public as well as the national and international motor sport fraternity.
Tourism Tasmania has announced that more than 200,000 people per annum watch Targa Tasmania each year over the six days, while an international TV viewing audience of over 480 million has been estimated for each event.
Targa Tasmania has the support and backing of the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance. The Tasmanian Government rates this special event as having a substantial commercial contribution as well and being a major tourist attraction to the State and active support is provided by Events Tasmania. Thus, Targa Tasmania is another example of the successful partnership between the Government and motor sport, attracting between $8 and $12 million new tourist dollars to Tasmania each year.
The goal of the organisers and the Tasmanian Government has been achieved – to see Targa Tasmania develop into the premier motor sport event of it’s type in Australia, ranking alongside the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and Clipsal 500 in Adeladie.
Pure Tasmania is a Major Partner of Targa Tasmania – a relationship which stretches back to the very origins of this iconic event. If you’ve competed in Targa Tasmania before you’ll be familiar with the strong involvement of Pure Tasmania through Strahan Village and the Federal Group’s two entertainment properties, Wrest Point and Country Club Tasmania. If you’re new to the Targa family contact Pure Tasmania for the best in tourism accommodation and experiences at Tasmania’s icon destinations of Strahan, Cradle Mountain, Freycinet Peninsula and Hobart.
Targa West and Targa High Country are now permanent features making Targa Tasmania the premier tarmac rally event in Australia.
