78-year-old Targa Florio veteran to participate in Targa Newfoundland

St. John’s, Newfoundland – Dr. George Verrilli, a competitor in the Targa Florio rally in Italy in 1953, has been confirmed as a participant in this September’s Targa Newfoundland. It will make him the first to have experienced the oldest and the newest Targa events in the world.

Dr. Verrilli, of Barrytown, New York, competed in both the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in 1953, and in the Mille Miglia in 1955 and 1956. His Lancia B20 broke down in the 1953 Mille Miglia but finished well in its Targa Florio category; he finished fourth in his category in 1955 and crashed in 1956. In Targa Newfoundland, he will co-drive a 1970 Triumph Spitfire in the Open Division with Mark Vandecarr of Rhinebeck, New York.

The fifth anniversary of Targa Newfoundland runs September 9 to 16, beginning and ending in St. John’s and covering more than 2,100 km of roads in the central and eastern portion of the province. This year’s addition will add the Targa Tour category, which will give motorsports enthusiasts and collectors of rare vehicles the opportunity to enjoy the event without the pressure of competition or the need for stringent vehicle preparation. For more information, visit www.targanewfoundland.com.