If you haven’t yet signed up for the first ever Targa Southland, time is running out!  You only have a couple days to find one or more teammates and get registered before the fun begins this Thursday, August 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

What is Targa?  It’s a unique way for Club members to have fun with cars and showcases the SCCA lifestyle across multiple activities wrapped into one event.  What are those activities?  They are Road Rally, Autocross, Track Night in America, Time Trials and TrackCross.  There are seven competition “Classes” within Targa, but also options for those that want to hammer down on fun and enjoy the ride without complications.

So what actually happens at a Targa event?  Well, let’s start with Road Rally.  No, a Road Rally isn’t some sort of off-road, dirt-tossing free-for-all.  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.

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.

And that brings us to Track Night in America.  This 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.

Sounds like fun, right?  How about we sweeten the pot some with the vessels already registered for the challenge.  There’s a Chevrolet Corvette and Cavalier on the entry list, as well as a couple Ford Shelby Mustangs and a Focus.  There are Subaru WRXs and BRZs, a Toyota MR2, Mazda RX-8 and MX-5, a Pontiac GTO, and a Honda S2000 and Civic.  A BMW M3 is on the docket, a small but mighty Fiat 500, and even a Nissan Sentra.

On the more extreme side of the continuum, Targa Southland guests will also get to see a Lotus Elise put through its paces, and an Exocet piloted part of the time by racer, automotive journalist and SCCA Hall of Famer Randy Pobst.

But one vehicle being brought by a certain attendee will likely stand out most.  Mark Baruth, a contributing writer at RoadandTrack.com, managed to get his hands on a 2017 Acura NSX and convinced the folks at Acura to let him “test” the 573hp steed through Targa Southland.

“There are only five of these cars in the world right now,” Baruth noted.  “This is a pre-production model we’ll be driving.  But the 2017 Acura NSX won’t even be available to the general public until September.”

The 3.5 liter, V6 twin-turbo hybrid supercar will be on display for Targa guest to not only get pictures with and drool over, but Baruth said people will also have the chance to sit in the passenger seat for a ride during some track events.

Those taking on Targa, which runs August 11-14, 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 their way to a Cook-Out/Car Show at a secret location in Kentucky.  The final day of driving fun begins Sunday with another Autocross at NCM Motorsports Park, then a TrackCross at the same venue which precedes a trophy presentation to conclude the event.

It's not too late to join in the adventure.  Submit your entry now at the Targa Southland webpage.