Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is pleased to announce that Subaru Rally Team Canada will compete in Targa Newfoundland 2009 for the seventh consecutive year. A race-prepared Impreza WRX STI will be entered in the Targa class, with automotive journalist Marc Lachapelle of Montreal behind the wheel and Keith Townsend of Toronto in the co-driver's seat. Both are longtime motorsport competitors and Targa veterans, bringing with them a wealth of experience to the team.
Lachapelle has many successful tarmac racing experiences including three class podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Mosport Endurance Race. He has also twice competed in Targa Newfoundland, finishing first both times in his class and sixth overall in 2008. Co-driver Keith Townsend has earned many podium finishes as both a driver and co-driver in Canadian performance rallying. Townsend has competed at Targa Newfoundland twice, winning his class as well as the Modern Division, and finishing third overall in 2006 in a stock Subaru WRX STI.
"Subaru is delighted to return to Targa Newfoundland, an exciting driving event that truly tests the mettle of both drivers and vehicles," said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president and CEO of SCI. "It is an outstanding showcase for the power and durability of our high-performance Impreza WRX STI which was bred in the punishing events of the World Rally Championship. We look forward to being very competitive in this extremely challenging event."
Targa Newfoundland is the only event of its kind to be held in North America and one of only three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. This year, Targa runs from September 13 - 18 and will cover approximately 2,200 kilometres on paved roads over the central and eastern part of Newfoundland including over 400 kilometres of competitive stages on public roads that are closed to traffic during the event.
More information about Targa Newfoundland is available from the event's web site at [url=http://www.targanewfoundland.com]http://www.targanewfoundland.com[/url].
