How I Came to be Competing in Targa for Nissan

It Started at the Micra Launch

When Nissan introduced their all-new Micra in May, they invited my blog to the national launch in Montreal.

During the launch there was a game – all journalists were given 4 shots on NHL goalie Jose Theodore, and I scored the most.

Jose would like to thank the Academy.

I was called to centre stage and informed the prize was … I’d be driving for Nissan in the upcoming Targa Rally. Basically, I won a dream.

What is the Targa Rally

The Targa Newfoundland Rally is an annual 2,200 km, 5-day road rally across all of Newfoundland. Like, the whole province agrees to this, ropes off their front yards and cheers from the road side.

To be honest, I still didn’t believe it was going to happen. And that’s why I never said anything here, because the golden-rule of blogging: until you can link to it, don’t type a word.

Some time passed, and I had to sign a few forms.

I was still not totally believing; I’ve signed lots of stuff that never happened.

But that was followed shortly by a lunch with Nissan…

… and that’s when it started to become real. Holy crap this is actually happening to me? It wasn’t processing, I don’t get lucky like this.

Because this is as good as a rally experience gets… a whole team (logistics person, a dedicated mechanic and tech, photographer, more) and I just show up and get behind the wheel. Someone will even make sure I get fed. Phft.

Plus Jenn is going. She’ll be behind the hashtag #TeamNissanTarga, say hi, she’s very quite @NissanCanada

Then the Unveiling Made it Real

On Friday, in the lobby of Nissan HQ Canada, I pulled off a silk cover to find my official race car, my name pasted on the side.

It wasn’t until that moment that I realized this is really happening to me. My hands got shaky, my words turned into babbling (oh Wendy it just hit me I ah gah mmm ermahgerd), then I got pretty awkward, and ran away soon as the silk was off.

Here’s a time-lapse video by fellow competitor Danny Bailey.

Hi my name is ON THE CAR?!

About the Micra

This car is right up my alley – manual transmissions available in all trims, so minimal, no screen, designed specifically for Canada, and it’s a new-car and a used car price. Along the lines of – the Keri Eco Car.

Here’s the blog tag – Micra.

It’s a car-car.

That’s a term I coined to describe my favourite kind of vehicle: minimal, only the essentials, not a computer-on-wheels, a car-car.

Here’s 30-seconds about it.

I also tested it for a week, here’s the newspaper review.

And here’s an old ‘Keri on Driving’ column, where I interviewed the gentleman who decides what features go into a car, including the Mircra.

So find me in Newfoundland

From September 10 – 20, the first 2-days of which are racing school. Which is good because I’m ignorant about this rally racing stuff, and I really want to win.