06-13-2009, 01:18 AM
Quote:Business operators say a decision to ban an annual car rally in one eastern Newfoundland town will hit them hard.
"It was a surprise and a big disappointment to lose the Targa [Rally] business," said St. Jude Hotel manager Sheila Kelly-Blackmore, in Clarenville. "We've enjoyed that business and the excitement in the Clarenville area for the last number of years. [It] means a dramatic loss in revenue for us."
Clarenville officials say the rally, which attracts teams from around the world, is not welcome on its streets, because it's too dangerous.
That's not sitting well with some car-rally enthusiasts
"I don't agree with it. I can understand them wanting the safety issues ââ¬â some of them go a little bit fast around the turns here," said Targa fan Frank Maloney. "But that's a lot of money that's not going to be spent here in Clarenville."
Targa organizers estimate the event brings about $250,000 a year to Clarenville.
The 2,200-kilometre event, organized by St. John's-based Targa Newfoundland, has toured communities around Newfoundland for seven years.
The rally has been dogged by safety fears and several accidents have happened along the route.
No one has been seriously injured, but cars have gone off the road. Last year, one rally car slammed into a parked car in Gander.
Targa organizers say they can live with the changes.
The rally will spend an additional night in Marystown, on Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula, this summer instead.
They should ban fishing, smoking, drinking, roofing, and swallowing without chewing since those things have caused more deaths in the history of the Targa than the Targa itself (zero fatalities ftw).