The Mille Miglia. Targa Florio. Tour de France Automobile…and the list goes on. With many of the great driving roads located in Europe and remote parts of the world, it’s often difficult for many enthusiasts to see these great events in person. Last week, we asked you what open road races you thought were the best, and were impressed by your picks.
Here are Petrolicious readers’ favorite road races
Targa Newfoundland, mentioned by Evan Bedford
“Finally! The Targa Newfoundland gets a mention on Petrolicious. Where else can you see a Ferrari go flying into the ocean? “
Targa Tasmania, suggested by James Ross
“That’s easy. The 5 day Targa Tasmania tarmac rally! Taking the best parts of Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, Coupe des Altes and Tour de Corsa and putting them in one of the most pristine and unique environments in the world. Even the great Walter Rohrl has done it. Everything from pre-war classics right up to modern Nissan GTRs, Astons, Lambos, and McLarens.”
Targa Florio, suggested by Matthew Lange
“Hard question because I would love to see all the races you mention. Adding in what car and race would I enter it becomes a little easier as I reckon entering a Ferrari 312 Pb in the 1972 Targa Florio would be the ultimate. Watched Michael Keyser’s The Speed Merchants many times and always mesmerised by the on board footage. The 312 Pb and rival Alfa Romeo T33 were basically F1 cars with sportscar bodywork and to see those completing on public roads is extraordinary.”
Liege-Sofia-Liege, suggested by Ockelbo Stoffel via Facebook
“I do think the Mille Miglia is awesome, but what about the Liege-Sofia-Liege that ran from 1961 to 1964? That must be close to the summit!”
Tour de France Automobile, suggested by Benjamin Pette
“I was at Magny-Cours to see the Tour de France Automobile (pictures here) last month. It’s really a good race, even on track. Everyone that [saw] the cars on the road loved it.”
Isle of Man TT, mentioned by Patrick Peters
“The first thing that comes to mind when I hear road racing is The Isle of Man TT [an] event held on the Isle of Man since 1907”
And for an alternate take…
Jarrod H suggested off-road racing…
“In terms of modern day, I am not too sure. Targa Newfoundland and Tasmania are pretty interesting but on/ open road races are going the way of the dodo. I honestly think that the best, multi/ mixed class racing is done off road now. Things like the Rainforest Challenge, King of the Hammers, and the Dakar take it for me. They get coverage and exposure which Tasmania does not, making them far more accessible.”
Image Sources: targa.com.au, wikimedia.org, rainforest-challenge.com
