ST. JOHN’S, N.L. (September 10, 2025) — Since the first Targa Newfoundland in 2002, the world-famous rally has attracted racers from around the globe, while also drawing out plenty of local talent. Several Newfoundlanders have claimed trophies over the years, and once again the province will be well represented among the drivers and co-drivers tackling the grueling tarmac rally.
A pair of past Targa winners from the Rock will be in the co-driver’s seat this fall, both chasing the Targa 1 title: Paul Abbott of St. John’s and Justin Crant of Paradise.
For Abbott, this will be his fifth Targa and his second time navigating for professional racer Randy Pobst. His introduction to the event came when it passed his house in Flatrock. Since then, he has earned three class wins as both driver and co-driver, including last year’s Targa 1 victory in his 1989 Porsche 911 with Pobst. This year, the pair will compete in a MINI GP prepared by Hume Media under the banner of the Maxi Mini Rally Team.
“It’s a unique motorsport experience and apparently addictive,” Abbott said. “Every year leading up to September, I can’t help but think about it and my friends. Targa is my ‘home track,’ and I like to showcase what we have to offer here.”
Crant reunites with John Hume Jr. in Team Hume Media, aiming to repeat past glory. The duo scored two wins together in the competitive Targa Modern division, driving a 2004 BMW M3 to victory in 2017 and 2018. This year, they move to the Targa 1 division in an Audi S4. Crant has a long list of achievements: co-driving the 2012 Targa Modern winner, driving to GT class victory in 2011, and finishing runner-up in Targa 1 with his wife Erin in 2023 before placing third in 2024. Last fall marked his 14th Targa.
“I love Targa,” Crant said. “Every year it’s great. Every year has struggles. Every year has high points, but just getting to the finish with all your fellow competitors is incredible.”
Local outfit MaxZen Racing was born in 2015 when Gordon Maxwell and Wayne Lorenzen joined forces. Maxwell later teamed with co-driver Mark Notftall in 2018, claiming victory in the Modern Open Targa 2 Bambina AWD division. In 2023, Maxwell and Justin Gatehouse earned another Bambina class win. This year, Maxwell is back with their 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution GSR, nicknamed “Leo.”
“MaxZen Racing returns to Targa for one goal: to run the Brigus stage side by side, taking turns in the driving seat in the car we rally-prepped from scratch,” Maxwell said.
Devon Knight and Logan King-Gaudon of Knight Motorsports also return after a thrilling experience in 2024. The Corner Brook-area pair left the Gander stage buzzing and knew they had to come back for more.
“It was unreal,” Knight said. “I can’t name one time I’ve ever felt like that in my life. It was the most excited I ever remember being. You’re talking about memories like that, you’re talking about building friendships with all these people from all over the world, all walks of life.”
Another west coast team, WSP Motorsports, caught the Targa bug quickly. After their debut in the shorter Bambina event in 2024, Cameron Combdon and Andrew Keeping signed up for the full Duemila event this year.
“I had no idea what to expect coming into Targa,” Combdon said. “I’d heard the name but I’d never actually seen a stage. Coming out to this was super exciting for us. It still exceeded my expectations. It just made us have to do the full event.”
For Stephen Dawe of TADA Motorsports, Targa is a homecoming. He bought a new silver Nissan Spec V in Mount Pearl in 2002, just before moving west — and just before the first Targa. Now, 23 years later, Dawe and the same car are back from Alberta to live out a dream. He will be joined by his wife and co-driver, Talia Bell, and co-driver Craig Lundrigan.
“We have consistently heard Targa is nothing short of a magical experience — from the passion of the event to the teams, the support, the volunteers, and every community that participates in this mystical place called Newfoundland,” Dawe said.
One of the most recognizable figures at Targa is Rev. Edison Wiltshire, known as “The Faster Pastor.” From Random Island near Clarenville, Wiltshire has been part of every Targa since 2002. This year, he returns with his granddaughter and co-driver, Olivia Wiltshire-Ryan, making them the oldest and youngest competitors in the field.
“I’ve done every Targa since 2002 when Robert Giannou asked me to be rally chaplain,” Wiltshire said. “I’ve provided countless numbers of encouraging chats with folks, especially when they ran out of talent and needed a shoulder to cry on.”
In a testament to his dual calling, Wiltshire once paused mid-rally to perform a wedding, with competitors joining the celebration before returning to competition.
About Targa Newfoundland
Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of only three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. Since 2002, it has attracted professional and amateur racers from around the globe to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Held each fall on the island, the rally covers 2,000 kilometres of twisty roads, including about 500 kilometres of closed-road competitive stages. Now in its 23rd year, Targa will mark its 1,000th stage during this fall’s event.
Targa begins at the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, and concludes with a trophy presentation on George Street at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18.
More information is available at www.targanfld.com.
