MAGGIE PICKS UP HER SKIRTS AND FLIES

Now that I have finally retired from my law practice, I have been looking at more ways I can enjoy my old cars, so it was no surprise that my imagination was fired up after reading an article in Beaded Wheels describing Vintage Car Club (VCC) members’ first-time participation in the 2018 Targa New Zealand. The fact that the VCC cars travel the exact same route as the full-blown competition cars, a route that includes more than 800km of closed-road stages, really appealed. After contacting VCC co-ordinator Rod Corbett and receiving his enthusiastic support, I was hooked and signed up for the 2019 event.

Unlike the main Targa rally, in which the drivers go ‘balls out’ to complete each special stage in the shortest time, the VCC competition is a time trial. The drivers are given a target average speed for each special stage and the winner of each stage is the driver who is closest to the target for that special stage, losing the least points. Your speed on these special stages is restricted to a relatively