The new event, the Targa Great Barrier Reef, will be a three-day affair based in Cairns and commencing on August 31.

The rally route will take in the Port Douglas, Innisfail and Atherton Tablelands regions.
A field of around 200 cars is expected to tackle more than 200 competitive kilometres on a course traversing more than 800km of tropical North Queensland.

The Targa Great Barrier Reef has been modelled on the long-running Targa Tasmania, and will join the Tasmanian event in being a round of next year’s four-event CAMS Australian Targa Championship.

The new event has been made possible through a three-year funding deal by Tourism & Events Queensland and Cairns Regional Council with Targa Championship series organiser, Targa Australia.

Targa Australia Director, Mark Perry, is excited about the expansion of the tarmac rally championship.

“The secret to the long-term success of Targa Tasmania is that it is a tourism destination event built around a passion for the motor vehicle,” Perry said.

“It attracts people and their cars from right around Australia, and overseas. It’s a format that sees the event travel to the fans, stopping at a number of towns along the way, meaning it’s not just one town or one city that is the winner and our `stadium’ covers thousands of square kilometres of iconic landscapes that will showcase the region to the world.

“Targa is renowned for showcasing and bringing awareness to many of Australia’s iconic and important World Heritage Areas through its TV Specials, broadcast around the world, and will continue to do so with Targa Great Barrier Reef in highlighting the beauty and importance of preserving the Tropical North Queensland region.”

“Targa Tasmania attracts some beautiful cars from across the eras, and I’m sure many of those competitors will be drawn to this new event and others will enter now they have an event closer to home, along with also tapping into the lucrative Asian market due to the ease of travelling to Cairns.”

“Being part of a national championship will ensure all the top cars and factory teams are present, and they boast some incredible automotive pedigree and some absolutely awesome drivers.”