Stillen report!
The guy writing the blog hasn't figured out how the scoring in the Targa works yet.
We’re still a bit confused about the goal times as we are consistently the fastest car on the road yet we’re ‘losing’ to cars who have goal times 30+ seconds slower than ours.
Easy. The cars they're 'losing' to aren't taking penalties. It's all about choosing the right car for the event - read the rule book and find the class killer. I figured a Mk 1 Escort had the best combination of speed and handicap to be really competitive, and Paul Horton is proving this is the case. The modern monster cars are expected to be fast, so they're classed as such.
I think Targa Newfoundland is unique amongst Targas in this regard. Targa Canada West (taking place in BC next May, I'll have details on that later) is set up with five speed classes. You decide what you want your required average speed to be. The fastest class has an average speed of 130 kmh, and the organizers have made it clear that this is the only class that they find interesting. I believe Targa Tasmania is much the same way, so it could be that Steve was expecting that - the fastest car was the winning car, and it's that simple.
The handicapping in Newfoundland is a little bit controversial, but it's remarkably effective. One of the competitors did some heavy number crunching last year to determine which of the classes seemed to be the most heavily handicapped. I'd like to point out that our class was statistically the third worst one to be in Most of the classes fall in a fairly narrow range, which means they're well matched. The system does seem to favor the slower, older classes though. I think this is done to encourage the classics to come out.
So the GTR can be - and based on road position, is - the fastest car in the event. But that doesn't mean it's a guaranteed win. If there's another car that's doing a better job of beating its handicap, it'll beat Godzilla. Glen Clarke in first place has a massive amount of Targa experience, as does Hopkins in the 2002. Doesn't matter what they drive, they'll be competitive - and the scoring system is designed with the intent that any car prepared to the limits of the class should have a chance of winning overall. Millen is driving well, but even taking a second or two on a stage once in a while is enough to keep him out of the top 3.
I'd love to contact the guy writing the Stillen blog and explain how it works. But there's no contact info on the site. Hopefully someone will explain it to him at the banquet on Saturday, as the Stillen site is exposing a number of people to the Targa for the first time and there's going to be a lot of "how can an old 2002 beat the GTR?" questions from the fanbois. There always are.
It's not all high-dollar efforts with big teams. I suspect this guy is a grassroots racer.
Gratuitous Acadian shot. This thing went past us on one of the long stages on day 3 last year. He does not hang around.
If you think the car looks big here, just wait until you see it on Brigus tomorrow.
In case you're wondering, yes, he is a rally driver and he is turning left off the bridge. There's a great sequence of shots of this on the Stillen blog.
There haven't been enough pictures of the big Falcon. Currently in 15th. I just realized that this car is being driven by the same team that was running a fire-breathing 1966 Corvette last year, a Panamerica competitor. That car last year was stupendously loud and the exhaust fumes would make your eyes water. I don't expect this one is any different.
Sprongl again. If I remember right, he'd never driven this car on tarmac before the last Targa. Some might argue he still hasn't He did not hit the pole and he is hard on the gas.