Targa Newfoundland, the road rally which had been ongoing in the province for 17 years, and had been scheduled for next month, has been shelved for a year.
In a Facebook posting, Targa owner Robert Giannou said the decision to postpone the 2019 event was made after a half dozen entries cancelled within a short period of time.
“With little chance of gaining new entries in time for the rally, it was not viable to run the event this year,” he said. “It was a very difficult decision, but I know it was the right one.
“We feel a deep sense of responsibility to the competitors, communities, volunteers and sponsors who have supported the event for so long, but we did not want to put on a Targa with just a handful of cars in the major classes and disappoint everyone involved, “ Giannou said. “After the major financial setback of 2017, when a host community cancelled at the last minute, we were also not prepared to suffer another financial loss.”
Giannou said event organizers will, “concentrate on reaching new competitors for next year” starting with the Targa Bambina now set for July 2-5, 2020.
Targa NL has also set a firm deadline for entries for next year, calling on 40 past and new competitors to commit by May 1, 2020.