The on-again/off-again nature of restrictions – particularly in the greater Auckland region – put in place by the Government to try and stem the ‘second wave’ of the COVID-19 Coronavirus tide have claimed their first major scalp of the 2020/21 summer motor racing season – what was to be the 26th annual Targa NZ tarmac motor rally.
Event owner and director Peter Martin of the Wiri, Auckland-based Ultimate Rally Group, had already trimmed this year’s multi-day event from 5 to 4 days, brought the date back by 10 days – to Oct 14-18 – and pencilled in a route closer to his Auckland base, in an effort to make it as easy on intending competitors as possible to enter in these difficult times.
However late last week the restrictions on travel by Aucklanders in and out of the region under Alert Level 3 forced him to put plans for the 2020 meeting on hold.
As he told event regulars personally, and published in a post on the event’s Facebook page (www.targa.nz); “It is with a heavy heart and realisation we announce that the Targa NZ event due for October 2020 will not be able to run on the set dates.
“Given the recent COVID-19 Level 3 restrictions around the Auckland region and the Level 2 restrictions across the wider country, we are simply not able to continue with the resident consultation process scheduled at this time to meet the requirements set out by the local councils from whom we obtain the road closures.
“Added to this is the delay of the election to the 17th October, which now falls within the planned event dates. The effect to the wider communities trying to get out to vote on the day means that a number of the roads we have applied for which encompass facilities, such as schools being used as Polling Booths, are now no longer available.”
Though he is looking at alternative dates, and that for now, at least, the 2020 event is postponed Martin stresses that the fluid state of the Government’s response to the current state of COVID-19 play means he doesn’t know himself what exactly those dates may be.
“With the speed with which the COVID-19 virus can return and with the long lead times required by councils for road closure applications to be processed, we are not yet in a position to set an alternative date that we can be confident will eventuate.”
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