Event Policies and Design
Targa Tasmania must be a unique world-standard event capable of attracting international competitors. Therefore, it needs to be a serious competition. 
To achieve this, there are special stages called 'targa stages' conducted on roads closed to the public while the competition is taking place. Including the Prologue, there are around 44 targa stages in total. The shortest is approx 1km, and the longest is approx 50km. It is these targa stages that decide the overall winner as well as the outright winner on handicap, and the various category and class winners.
In order to retain the support of the Tasmanian community, the event must be perceived as high class. Therefore, the vehicles must be special to create the effect of a passing parade - the "multi-million-dollar mobile motor show".
Competitors run in "slowest first" sequence for several reasons:
To facilitate the presentation of the "passing parade";
To keep the field tight enough to meet the road closure timetables;
To provide exposure for older and slower cars that would not be achievable if the field ran "fastest first".
The starting order is determined from the results of the Temco Prologue on Day Zero. The starting order generally remains the same from day to day. However, the Clerk of Course has the right to change the starting order of any vehicle whose competition performance differs significantly from its performance in the Prologue.
In order to run an optimum field of 300 vehicles, and still meet road-closure and re-opening constraints, vehicles run at intervals of 30 seconds. Control procedures and data capturing methods must cope with that frequency while still producing accurate records of performance data.
The competition must cater for the driving abilities of the owners of desirable vehicles, many of whom are not experienced motor sport competitors. This is achieved by the Targa Trophy - something everyone can win by competing only against themselves - and which:
Provides an opportunity for about 65 percent of competitors in any category to win a Targa Trophy.
Provides an opportunity for all competitors in the early categories to win Targa Trophies, provided they traverse the entire course without any significant mechanical problems.
Road conditions must have minimum potential to cause damage to valuable vehicles. Therefore, the entire competition course is conducted exclusively on fully sealed bitumen roads.
About 75 percent of competitors come from outside Tasmania. Therefore, navigation must be straight forward and confer no special advantage on local competitors. Also, the event needs to cater for those older vehicles which don't have resettable tripmeters. The route instructions are designed with these factors in mind.
Road books are issued at documentation to crews for each day of competition. These contain written descriptions and "tulip arrows", together with distance information between significant landmarks on the course, including all speed limit signs, all sign-posted bridges and railway crossings. The detail contained in the road book is designed to help crews to easily pick up these features and so confirm their exact location.
Touring stages have a specified time allowed, but there is no penalty for exceeding this time provided the competitor does not exceed the total "Late Time Limit" for the Section (each Section is half a day). Late time limits vary according to the age/category of the vehicle. The earlier categories have a more liberal late time limit.
Targa stage trophy times are set separately for each class and are based on 1992 to 2007 performances. Targa stage trophy times are intended to be increasingly more difficult to attain as the competition progresses.
Targa stage base times are used to determine the winners of overall, category and class placings. The base time is calculated on an average speed which must not exceed 132 km/h. The average speed chosen, and therefore the base time, will vary according to the terrain, and how competitive a targa stage is required to be in the overall context of the event.
The driving challenge is intended to become progressively more difficult from day to day. Therefore, targa stages are longer and base times tighter as the competition progresses. It is no coincidence that the 35-plus-kilometre Cethana targa stage is on Day Four, and the longest targa stage, the 50-kilometre Mount Arrowsmith, is on Day Five.
If a competitor completes a targa stage under or exactly on the base time, a zero penalty is scored. If the time exceeds the base time, the difference between the actual time taken and the base time becomes the penalty score for the stage. As an example, the Elephant Pass targa stage covers 10.85 kilometres. The base time to complete the targa stage is 6 minutes (108.3 km/h average).
| Car | 960 | 881 | 795 | 633 | 692 |
| Distance (km) Base | 10.85 | 10.85 | 10.85 | 10.85 | 10.85 |
| Time Allowed (Min:sec) Trophy | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 |
| Time Allowed (Min:sec) Actual | 8:00 | 8:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Time Taken (min:sec) Penalty | 5:45 | 6:00 | 6:43 | 8:47 | 9:14 |
| Score (min:sec) Targa | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:43 | 2:27 | 3:14 |
| Trophy (Y/N) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Car 960 finishes in 5 minutes 45 seconds. A zero penalty score results because the time is under the base.
Car 881 finishes in exactly 6 minutes. A zero penalty score also results, because the time does not exceed the base.
Car 795 finishes in 6 minutes 43 seconds. A penalty score of 43 seconds results (subtracting the base time from the actual time).
Car 683 finishes in 8 minutes 47 seconds. A penalty score of 2 minutes and 47 seconds results, and the crew qualifies to retain their Targa Trophy because the trophy time for the car's class is 9 minutes.
However, Car 692, which is in the same class as Car 683, finishes in 9 minutes and 14 seconds. The penalty score is 3 minutes and 14 seconds, but the crew has failed to qualify for a Targa Trophy because their trophy time has been exceeded by 14 seconds.
To ensure that wet weather does not unreasonably impact on the opportunity for competitors to win Targa Trophies, there are "wet weather trophy times" and "intermediate weather trophy times" determined in advance for every targa stage and implemented by order of the Clerk of Course if adverse weather conditions occur.
Road books include safety notes to identify known hazards and, as far as possible, to identify "indiscretion sites" (the locations of incidents in previous years). Competitors are encouraged to drive on the course before the event and to make such notes as they believe will assist them to drive more safely during the competition. Pace notes are permitted. However, any form of practicing at speeds above the speed limit is strictly prohibited.
Town stages are designed in accordance with public safety practices developed from the recommendations of the Safety Review Task Force established by the Targa Tasmania Management Committee. In particular, town stages are no longer than six kilometres, and the base time is intended to be attainable at least by all post-1965 vehicles.
All turns on town stages are identified with arrows large enough to be seen and interpreted by a driver approaching at competition speed, and non-exit streets are marked with yellow tape.
