Tasmania’s premier rally forced to abandon 2020 event as Supercars aim to squeeze its round back in later in the year

Targa Tasmania will take a “seven-figure” hit after being forced to cancel this year’s event, while the state’s Supercars round has been postponed until at least July.

TARGA Tasmania’s chief executive said he had no choice but to scrap the popular rally for the first time in its 28 year history.

Targa Tasmania, which has run since 1992, was set to unfold from April 27 to May 2. Due to the coronavirus outbreak organisers were forced to cancel the event, chief executive Mark Perry declared would result in a “seven figure hit to the business”.

“We have a social responsibility to the general public of Tasmania and the reality for us is we are not a stadium sport,” Perry said.

“That’s the great thing with Targa, we travel all over the island and that’s the reason the event has been so successful.

“That also means we are touching the public every single minute of every single day.

“It is a seven-figure hit to the business, the reality is in the events game you plan so far out and spend a lot of money upfront.

“But not just for us, again you need to think about the local suppliers, hotels, the tourism industry.

“I won’t stand here today crying poor that it has impacted us, clearly it has, but we also feel for the industry as a whole in Tasmania.”

Winners Paul Stokell and Kate Catford near Cygnet on the final day of Targa 2019. Picture: SCOTT GELSFORD/TARGA TASMANIA

Meanwhile, Supercars boss Sean Seamer is determined to ensure Tasmania’s round of the series will take place.

The V8 series has postponed the next three rounds at Symmons Plains (April 3-5), New Zealand (April 24-26) and Perth (May 15-17), but will reschedule the events later this year.

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Targa Tasmania CEO Mark Perry announces the cancellation of the 2020 event. Picture CHRIS KIDD

While the Supercars will forge ahead to find a timeslot to bring the series back to Tasmania, Perry said there was no alternative for Targa.

And although it pushes back the 30th anniversary of the event until 2022, it will provide organisers with more time to plan.

“It is a difficult decision to postpone because we don’t really know the end of it. Stadium sports like Symmons Plains you can probably close them in, not have a crowd, they have some options.

“But us being a public event and no one has any clarity where this thing is going.

“If it goes to later this year, the reality to run two Targa Tasmania’s within five months is a massive cost burden for those who take part.

“We thought lets just wipe the slate clean, move everything back a year and that does put the 30th anniversary back a year, which is a good thing because it puts it further away from this time.”

Jason White and John White in their 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme during the Moriarty stage of Targa Tasmania 2019. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

MORE: DOUBT OVER TASMANIA’S SUPERCARS ROUND

Supercars is aiming to restart at Winton Motor Raceway from June 5-7, and with a five week break from mid July to late August, is hopeful the three postponed events can slot back in.

“The calendar that we’ve got this year has got plenty of space in it anyway, we had a break over the Olympic Games period so we are confident that we will still be able to get the championship anyway,” Seamer said.

“All of our key working assumptions are that we will deliver the 14-round championship. That’s our number one priority.”

Fabian Coulthard drives the #12 Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Falcon FGX during the Tasmania SuperSprint Supercars Championship Round at Symmons Plains Raceway last year. Picture: Getty