2012 Targa Bambina Event Preview

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2012 Targa Bambina
Auckland-Coromandel-Auckland
Fri-Sun
March 16-18
2012

06-03-12

EVENT PREVIEW

TARGA EVENT RETURNS TO THE COROMANDEL

This month's two-day Targa Bambina tarmac motor rally returns to the Coromandel Peninsula over the March 17/18 weekend.

The popular annual event - which this year has attracted 80 entries led by Australian pair Tony Quinn and Naomi Tillett in a Nissan GT-R35 - starts with stages in the south Auckland, Franklin and northern Waikato regions on Saturday morning before heading east for stages on the Coromandel Peninsula in the afternoon and an overnight stop in Whitianga.

The first Peninsula stage is the 8.38km long Hikutaia north-west of Paeroa with the first car due to leave the start at 2.05pm. The field then heads north to Thames for a service stop at Danby Field between 2.30 and 3.30pm and a transport stage up the coast to Coromandel township and what for many competitors will be the highlight of the event, the 10.64km Coromandel State Highway 25 stage across the range from just outside Coromandel township to Te Rerenga.

From Te Rerenga the field heads to Whitianga where the first car is due at the charity car wash at Placemakers on Joan Gaskell Drive at 5.00pm. Once the cars are cleaned they will go on display at the official finish and parc ferme opposite the Whitianga Waterways sales office just up the road.

After overnighting in Whitianga crews then head south to Whiritoa for the first Sunday stage, a 20.17km run to just south of Waihi with the first car due to leave Whiritoa at 9.35am.

There is then a short (25 minute) service stop at Morgan Park in Waihi before the day's second stage, the 13.54km Waitawheta Loop south-east of the town.

The day - and event - is completed with two stages near Huntly - the 19.75 Lake Waikare and 35.70km Rotongaro/Glenmurray - which are repeated and a final 16.43km stage from Te Kohanga to the finish at the Onewhero Golf Club's clubrooms near Pukekawa.

Spectators are welcome, with the event itinerary bound into the latest edition of New Zealand Classic Car and also downloadable from the Targa NZ website at www.targa.co.nz.

A map and schedule of spectator points will also be loaded to Targa NZ's facebook site (www.facebook.com/TargaNZ) in the days leading up to the event.

Ends

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