ST. JOHN'S, Nov. 5, 2003 - The date of the third annual Targa Newfoundland
international rally has been moved forward one week to accommodate the
scheduled ferry that serves eastern Newfoundland, organizers have announced.
The week-long rally and related festivities will begin on Saturday,
September 11, 2004, and conclude the following Sunday, September 19. The
event will follow the same format as previous years, with Demonstration Day,
Prologue and five days of competition, starting and finishing in St. John's.
The dates were changed to ensure that competitors could travel to the island
and return on the ferry service that connects North Sydney, N.S. and
Argentia on the south-east shore of Newfoundland. Each September, the North
Sydney-Argentia ferry schedule is adjusted from three return-trips weekly to
once per week before the services is halted entirely for the winter season.
Ferry service between North Sydney and Channel-Port-aux-Basques,
Newfoundland, runs all year long but requires an additional day's drive on
each end of the trip.
"The Argentia ferry is key to our scheduling," said Robert Giannou, rally
organizer. "Given that almost all of our competitors come from a long
distance away, it means they can reach the start of the event with a day
less travel and get home a day earlier. Many are already on the road more
than two weeks and two more days makes a big difference."
Future dates for the rally are also being reviewed, the organizer confirmed.
"This also gives us a chance to anchor Targa to a regular time-frame each
year," Giannou added. "We look forward to the day when the second week of
September is known as Targa Newfoundland week all over North America."
_________________
Frank Nossereau
Administration Manager & Registrar
Newfoundland International Motorsports Ltd.
|