The upcoming Targa Southland, the first ever Sports Car Club of America Targa event, is coming up August 11-14 and will explore five different, fun SCCA activities people can have with their cars. Those activities are Road Rally, Autocross, Track Night in America, Time Trials and TrackCross.
So what actually happens in each of these events? Well, let’s start with Road Rally. No, a Road Rally isn’t some sort of off-road, dirt-throwing, Dukes of Hazzard activity. A Road Rally takes place on everyday roads at legal speeds. Drivers and navigators are required to reach checkpoints at a specific time. Arrive early or late and a penalty is assessed. Additionally, teams are given a list of items to identify along the way. Think of it as a no-tech Pokémon GO game. But instead of walking around holding a smartphone in front of your face looking for things that don’t really exist, you’ll be driving a car and interacting with the real world. Novel idea, right!?
Next, let’s talk autocross. An autocross takes place in an empty parking lot where orange traffic cones are laid out to create a mini, twisty road course. Competitors then see who can get through the course quickest without touching a cone. Touch a cone and a time penalty is assessed.
A TrackCross is sort of similar to an autocross, but it takes place on an actual racetrack and involves some cones. From a standing start, drivers see who can complete a lap the fastest without hitting cones. Cream a cone and a penalty is assessed, just like in autocross. This is somewhat similar to a Time Trial, except in a Time Trial drivers have a running start and 20 minutes to see who can complete a lap in the shortest amount of time. A Time Trial is similar to qualifying in a road race.
And that brings us to Track Night in America. This is a is a non-competitive, entertaining, easy way for people who love cars or motorsports to get on a racecourse in their own vehicle. There’s no timing or scoring. It’s just about you and your car spending a little quality time together.
Hearty souls taking on Targa Southland will first meet at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Welcome Party/Check-in Thursday evening before reconvening bright and early the following morning for an Autocross at zMAX Dragway. After that, participants will head over to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack experience before packing up and heading to Dawsonville, Georgia that evening.
On Saturday, Targa tacklers open their day with a Time Trial at Atlanta Motorsports Park, followed by a Road Rally through the mountains of north Georgia on the way to a Cook-Out/Car Show in Tennessee. The final day of driving fun begins Sunday with another Autocross at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, then a TrackCross at the same venue which precedes a trophy presentation to conclude the event.
Register now at Targa Southland before it’s too late.
