All Targa Australia events suspended indefinitely following split with Motorsport Australia

UPDATE: Targa Australia has suspended all events this year following 15 months of safety reviews.

Immediately, this means that the 2023 editions of both Targa Tasmania and Targa Great Barrier Reef have been canceled. The event provider is optimistic that the 2024 edition of Targa Tasmania will run, but without the cooperation of Motorsport Australia.

The safety reviews were prompted by four deaths occurring in two years of Targa Tasmania's running, with the event initially postponed in February this year, before Targa Australia took this stronger stance today.

Targa, the event manager, noted an 80 per cent drop in sign-ups for its 'Targa Tour' (open to the public for a fee) following a speed limit drop from 130km/h to 110km/h imposed under Motorsport Australia's recommendation. Its Tour category is what makes the events commercially viable, according to the operator.

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Tony Seymour's Lotus during an earlier Targa event (Facebook: Targa)

Targa hasn't thrown in the towel for good but has said it can't align with the governing body Motorsport Australia, and therefore won't seek contract renewal with them for future events.

“Our events can only be run with the support of our loyal participants, and on the whole, they are understandably disenchanted with the current landscape, and we completely understand why”, Targa CEO, Mark Perry, said.

Running the events without Motorsport Australia won't be a first, with Targa and previous prior governing body CAMS disagreeing between 2007-2011, before a new contract was signed.

“We have waited and been incredibly patient with the process put in place, however this process has now taken a year longer than similar reviews in the past", said Perry.

“Competitors have little certainty with what the future looks like for them and are rightly holding off on entering our events. In turn, we have had to make the difficult but necessary decision to cancel our 2023 events and undertake our own review and assessment on the future viability of our iconic rallies.

“While it is another sad day for everyone involved in TARGA, we must now explore every conceivable option available to us to ensure the survival of TARGA and the return of the ultimate tarmac rally, TARGA Tasmania in April 2024”, Perry finished.

Our original story, below, continues unchanged

February 2022: Targa Tasmania postponed until late October

The 2023 Targa Tasmania road rally has been delayed until October, as it awaits safety findings from last year’s competitor death.

Previously set for April, the annual closed-road flagship event has been postponed until October 23 to 28.

Following the fatality of a 59-year-old driver in the 2022 Targa Tasmania, the not-for-profit Motorsport Australia body appointed a review panel to investigate the conduct of tarmac rallies.

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But, Targa Australia CEO Mark Perry said since the report hasn’t been finalised yet and it will take time to implement recommendations, it has no choice but to postpone the iconic event.

“It [Targa Tasmania] has a wonderful history and now our challenge comes to ensure its future,” Perry said.

“Once we have received and reviewed the report thoroughly, we will make further announcements.

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“We will also take the time to assess the full impact on the event and our business before making the required short, medium, and long term decisions in the best interests of all our loyal competitors, officials, sponsors and suppliers.”

It’s not the first time the road rallying competition has come under the spotlight.

Three competitors were killed in 2021, with a Motorsport Australia tribunal putting forward 23 recommendations to improve the safety of the vehicles, participants, and course.

This year’s Targa Tasmania will now follow Targa Great Barrier Reef, which runs from September 1 to 3.

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