STILLEN GT-R MAKES IMPRESSIVE DEBUT AT THE 2009 TARGA NEWFOUNDLAND by:Nicolas Martinez

—On the verge of becoming a decade-old North American tradition, Targa Newfoundland is a unique event in the spirit of the legendary road rallies of a by-gone era. This grueling 1,400-mile competition pits classic automobiles against their modern counterparts on closed public roads spanning the rural Newfoundland landscape. For the drivers and navigators lucky enough to take part, the Targa can provide a truly unforgettable experience with its picturesque views and its challenging stages, lined by a staggering 175,000 spectators.

For 2009, renowned performance giants STILLEN set out to build the ultimate Targa challenger. The end result was a display of Stillen’s studied manufacturing and tuning capabilities in the form of Nissan’s new GT-R.The entry was to be piloted by the experienced hands of racecar driver and STILLEN owner Steve Millen, with navigation courtesy of Road & Track Magazine Feature Editor Mike Monticello. After an action-packed seven days of racing, the OMP clad duo managed to clinch a class win and the fastest overall time for the event. In keeping with its mission of real world product testing, OMP America jumped at the chance of joining the duo on this exciting adventure by providing them with the necessary safety equipment including suits, gloves, and shoes.

This being Mr. Monticello’s initial experience as a navigator (and undeniably a successful one at that), I set out to get a glimpse of his unique perspective on the little known art of navigating, and the Targa as a whole:

Q: What was going thru your mind as you set off on your first ever stage as a navigator (which happened to be in the wet)?

Well, I was quite nervous. My biggest fear was that I would lose track of my place in the route book and be unable to give Steve Millen proper instructions. What if I gave him a late call, or completely missed a call, and we consequently missed a turn? It would all be my fault. Millen desperately wanted to win the Targa Newfoundland, and he told me the only way we would is if we made zero mistakes: “We can’t lose any seconds, no mistakes,” he told me. Talk about pressure.

Q: Riding with legendary drivers has inspired many an automotive writer in the past. Denis Jenkinson (The Racing Driver) comes to mind. What can you tell us about seeing Steve Millen at work in the Nissan GT-R?

You never really know how good of a driver someone is until you witness him driving flat-out. For Millen, it’s almost effortless, or maybe more appropriately—it’s second nature. The in-car video footage is incredibly telling of the work he was doing, constantly correcting for power-on oversteer moments. There were a couple of vicious slides that I thought weren’t “coming back,” yet he always corrected in time. He’s got quick hands. I was mightily impressed by his ability to go that fast, and never go off the road, or even spin. Even more amazing: Millen is 59 years old!

Q: Accounting for the fact that you can now call yourself a champion navigator, do you recall making any mistakes on the road? What are some tricks of the trade you absorbed?

“Champion navigator.” That’s got a nice ring to it! Amidst the 5000 or so instructions I gave Millen during the Targa, I lost my place temporarily only a couple of times—and luckily, I was always able to get back on track. Because of that, we didn’t miss a single turn, which I think is a pretty good accomplishment for two Targa Newfoundland rookies. My biggest mistake was that I almost got sick on the second stage of the first day, which, if it had happened, would have ruined our Targa and my magazine story about being a navigator! The stage was so busy, I kept my head down in the route book notes the entire time, and I almost lost my breakfast after the stage was over. From that point on, I realized I needed to look up as much as possible and hold the route book as high as possible. Everybody is different—some navigators prefer to look down the entire time—but this is what worked for me. The other trick I learned is that you’ve got to re-write your route book each night to make everything as simple as possible.

Q: What are your final thoughts on the race and the rules involved?

I think Targa Newfoundland is a great event. Not only is there no other event quite like it in North America, but the scenery is spectacular, and the organizers truly do a great job. I wish there were less (or shorter) transit stages and more (or longer) competition stages, but it truly is a fun, once-in-a-lifetime event. Some of the Targa competition stages are beyond phenomenal, a total blast to drive and to navigate—stages like Gander, Brigus, Greenspond and Marystown. As to the rules, I don’t like them. I understand the organizer’s goal is for any car to have a true chance of winning the Targa overall, regardless of its vintage or lack of power. But in my opinion, the fastest and best-driven car—in other words, the one with the lowest overall time—should be the Targa winner. This year, that was Millen and I in the Stillen Nissan GT-R.

Q: On that note if you decided to make a comeback to the Targa, which car would you like to bring along?

Boy, that’s a tough one! Ultimately I’d like something rear-wheel drive, simply because it’s more fun and a bit more challenging, but if it rains a lot I know I’d be longing for all-wheel drive. I was surprised there wasn’t a single Mazda Miata in the event, as to me, that’s the ultimate inexpensive sports car. But honestly, I’d drive anything that had some semblance of power and a well-sorted, race-ready suspension system.

Q: What were your thoughts on the OMP suits you and Steve Millen wore during the Targa?

I was pleased with both the comfort and level of quality of the suits provided to us by OMP for the Targa. Millen’s praise of the suit was especially noteworthy as this was the first off-the-rack suit he has ever used.

OMP PARTNERS