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Targa Drops MSNZ for AASA

10 February, 2020

 

 

Last year we covered the new motorsports sanctioning body, Australian AutoSport Alliance (AASA), launched locally by LeMons organizer Jacob Simonsen. The alternative sanctioning body offers an alternative choice for permitting, licensing, and insurance for New Zealand motorsport event organizers, competitors, and officials. It was quickly adopted by Targa New Zealand for the Targa Tour portion of the event, while the main portion stayed under the MotorSport New Zealand (MSNZ) banner.

Now in 2020, the organizers behind Targa have announced that they’ll switch sanctioning bodies completely, with the local-arm of AASA taking over full duties. “I have decided to go with the AASA for both the competition and tour parts of our three Targa events in 2020,” Ultimate Rally Group director Peter Martin says.

“As an event organizer, and someone who is ultimately responsible for the safety of everyone who not only competes in but also is involved in some way in any of my events, I understand that safety is absolutely paramount.

“I found it refreshing this year to find that Jacob and his team at the AASA share the exact same laser-like focus on safety as I do, yet — because most [of] the processes are online — actually save everyone involved in the process of competing in one of my events, in time as well as money.”

The two-day Targa Bambina will return in March (7–8), followed by the three-day Targa Hawkes Bay event in May (15–17), and the five-day Targa New Zealand in the Taranaki region (14–18 October).

Motorman: When the top trio took to the road

9 May, 2025

What sort of cars did Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme drive when they weren’t on the race track? Motorman knows
Most top racing drivers do care about safety levels of road-going cars for everyday motorists and their all-round abilities behind the wheel. Jackie Stewart for one denied finding everyday driving boring. He took pride in giving his passengers the smoothest possible ride, and encouraged all drivers to actively engage in the task. They also make interesting choices for their transport away from competitive motoring.
Thirty years ago I spent a day with Chris Amon driving on lower North Island roads and I can remember those informative few hours as vividly as if they were yesterday. In 1983 Chris accepted a challenge from Toyota New Zealand to improve its locally assembled cars in a relationship that extended well beyond the end of New Zealand-built Toyota vehicles in 1997.

The Ayrburn Classic announces dates for 2026

7 May, 2025

Save the date: Friday 20 – Sunday 22 February 2026
That’s right. The Ayrburn Classic returns next February for what promises to be another world-class celebration, scheduled slightly earlier on the calendar to bask in Central Otago’s long golden evenings and late-summer glow. This festival will once again transform Ayrburn into a playground for car enthusiasts, food lovers, and seekers of high-end hospitality alike.
The 2025 edition set an incredibly high benchmark, and is fast becoming one of the leading reasons to visit Queenstown – amongst New Zealanders and international travellers alike. With over 250 classic and contemporary luxury vehicles on display – collectively worth more than $250 million – the festival was a visual and visceral feast for attendees.
Standouts included an $8 million LaFerrari, the latest Aston Martin Vanquish, and a fleet of dream machines from Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and more. The event’s unique blend of elegance and accessibility attracted both seasoned collectors and casual admirers aplenty.