The Targa West tarmac rally has a new name after a change of sanctioning body from Motorsport Australia to the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance (AASA).
While what is now known as ‘Make Smoking History Tarmac West’ is under different ownership to the embattled Targa Tasmania, organisers cited common concerns to those which have seen the iconic Apple Isle event cancelled for 2023.
After four competitors lost their lives in just two Targa Tasmania events, Motorsport Australia responded by suspending permits for Targa-style tarmac rallies and commissioning a Targa Review Panel, which would find the risk both to competitors and of further serious incidents to be “unacceptably high”.
There remains uncertainty about tarmac rally regulations going forward while a new licencing system, which has been locked in, has also attracted criticism.
In fact, Targa Events WA Pty Ltd, which has similarly taken on a new name, cited that as an issue in its announcement regarding the Targa West event.
Said announcement read, “The former endurance four-day rally, Targa West, which was sanctioned by Motorsport Australia, is no longer due to MA’s regulation changes that require both driver and co-driver to be assessed to get expensive international licences which enforce speed restrictions for their first 10 events, regardless of motorsport experience.”
Instead, this year’s Targa West will be comprised of “three short and fast Rallysprint events”, namely Midland Toyota Ellenbrook Rallysprint on the evening of Thursday, September 7, then Make Smoking History Malaga Rallysprint on the morning of Sunday, September 10, and the City of Perth Rallysprint that afternoon.
Tarmac Events WA Director Ross Tapper said, “The tarmac rally community have waited close to a year and a half for proposed changes from Motorsport Australia to lift the pause on events following the tragedies at Targa Tasmania in 2021 and 2022.
“They are still not fully released, and competitors in Western Australia have rejected MA’s proposal for the need for an International License and Driver and Co-Driver assessments.
“This has forced our hand and we have gone to AASA to provide us with a permit to run events and provide stability to allow us future plan our events.
“As a result of those changes, our name has also changed to Tarmac Events WA.
“We are planning to run 15 rally events in the next year that requires the certainty that AASA can provide.
“We will also be working on bringing back the full four-day Make Smoking History Tarmac West in September 2024. We look forward to a long working relationship with AASA.”
It was sanctioned by AASA from 2007 to 2011, although its full plans going forward are yet to be announced.
Informed sources have suggested to Speedcafe that an AASA-sanctioned event may struggle to obtain the requisite permits from the Tasmanian government to run on public roads next time around.
Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca said in response to Targa Australia’s July announcements, “Motorsport Australia is disappointed to see that Targa Australia events won’t proceed in 2023.
“There has already been a significant amount of work undertaken to implement the 94 recommendations from the Targa Review Panel and that work is continuing.
“A new licence structure is now in place and further regulations are about to be released shortly.
“Throughout 2022 and 2023 we remained in close contact with event organisers as the recommendations were implemented and will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.
“We are eager to see these events return in a safe and sustainable way.”
This year’s Targa Tasmania was originally postponed before being cancelled for just the second since it began in 1992, the other occurring in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The 2024 event is set to take place in a more customary period of April 8-13.
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