Targa-week is almost upon us

Hello any and all readers!

Targa-week is almost upon us.

The cars are already in St John’s Newfoundland, awaiting our arrival this coming Friday. Our entire team is ready to roll. The competition in Grand Touring is going to be very intense, as all but one or two teams are TARGA racing veterans. MINI Canada has offered a cash prize to any MINI finishing first in both Grand Touring and Targa divisions. Since we have the only MINI entered in Grand Touring, it is ours to lose!

To date (over 4 years) we have raised over $90,000 towards MS Research. Thanks to our many donors this year and year past years!

We will be doing daily video update reports for the event and they will be uploaded to You tube as the official daily video update for TARGA Newfoundland. You can view them by logging onto: www.targanewfoundlandnews.com

In additional, as per last year we will be posting to our company website humeintermedia.com a daily video and blog update starting Monday next week.

Next time you hear from me we will be on the Rock!

John Hume.

Post #2 – Mosport Action!

Just three months to go before we depart for the Rock. Meantime Team Hume continues to prepare for it’s big adventure this September. All entry related paperwork is now complete. We generally fill a 2″ binder with all kinds of entry forms, permissions slips, promises-to-behave declarations, first aid certificates, drivers licenses, third party insurance, etc, etc. I now know how it must feel to write an encyclopedia Britannica!

June 3rd we took our three TARGA cars to Mosport Park Raceway (now called Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) for their first shakedown trial run of the season. We experienced Newfoundland-like weather, with sun, rain and wind. Good conditions to practice rallying in. Aside from a bit of car sickness experienced by me, all went very well. The cars and drivers performed beautifully.

We just completed our second shakedown track day on June 17th, same place but with perfect hot and sunny weather this time. All cars and drivers had a most excellent day. Except for Craig spinning out a few times with the all too powerful 335is under his lead foot, all went extremely well. Briar finally completed her Targa license course same day and is now certified to drive and navigate in the rally.

Aside from going to Newfoundland for a roaring fun time rally racing, our primary goal is to raise awareness and research funds for MS. To date we have had donation commitments totaling over $16,800. Our aim this year though is to exceed $30,000 (topping over $100,000 collected in 4 years of doing this event). As you can see we are just over half way to our objective. Note, all funds collected got directly to MS research, we keep none for our race expenses, as Hume Intermedia covers all race-related costs.

Some of you have already given generously this year and in past years. For that we thank you from the bottom of our collective hearts. Should you wish to donate any funds to MS research on our behalf this year and have not as of yet, please log onto our website and follow the instructions. You will be issued a tax receipt in September for all monies donated.

All for now!

John Hume

Post #1 – Cars, cars, cars

Here we are, well into March already and only six months to race time. A lot of preliminary planning has been completed already and we have chosen this year’s race and service crews. And yes, three cars are racing again. Returning as our service crew thankfully is Michael Engel and Calvin Williams. These two very talented guys shot some spectacular footage last year. So we will have lots of great video of the 2012 race to share come September race week.

We have one new member on the race crew this year. Briar de Lange. She is a new comer to rally racing, so has to complete the rally race course this summer to earn her rally license. She will share driving and co-piloting duties with Jon Riddell in the MINI Countryman. We have on order from MINI Canada a 2012 MINI Countryman JCW (John Cooper Works). We are told by MINI Canada it should arrive mid to late August. We are hopeful (fingers crossed) to have it in time for the race. The new JCW has about 220 HP, bigger brakes and a modified and lowered sport suspension. Worth noting a MINI Countryman recently won the two week Jakarta race though South America, beating out about 100 other cars for the title. So these cars, with their all-wheel drive, are made to rally and do it very well. However, if the new JCW Countryman does not arrive in time, we will race the 2011 Countryman, with upgrades made to the exhaust and air intake to up its potential substantially.

Of course one of our main goals in participating in this race is to raise funds for MS research. Over the past three years we have raised just over $70,000, this year we are hoping to reach to over $100,000 collected. Feel free to donate to our cause online or phone in 416 921 7204 x 223.

All for now, many thanks.

John Hume