Organizers of the 11th annual Targa Newfoundland car rally said Monday they're not worried about the possibility of a hurricane hitting the island during their event.

"That's a typical Targa," said Targa registrar Alexandra Healey, of reports that project Tropical Storm Leslie to hit the island on Tuesday during the second stage of the rally.

Healey said many Targa drivers prefer wet roads.

"A lot these cars actually, because of the tires and the control of the vehicle, they do very well in the rain. So hurricane, no, not an issue," explained Healey. "Some of them are praying the night before, probably doing the rain dance, praying for that rain because they do better."

Car rally started Monday

About 50 cars and 100 drivers and co-drivers hit the road in Colliers, Conception Bay, on Monday for the first stage of the Targa Newfoundland event. The cars were slated to go through several towns on the Avalon Peninsula and in eastern Newfoundland before moving on to Gander for Tuesday's second stage.

Drivers will have sped through 72 different communities on the island by Sept. 15,.

Targa Newfoundland president Robert Giannou said the event in this province is unique in North America.

"There's one in North America and one of three in the world that you can actually close down public roads, make them safe and enjoy the sport of cars, real cars on real roads, not super-smooth tracks," said Giannou. "This is what you get every day."

Targa organizers have asked spectators to stay back from the road by at least 10 metres while the cars are racing by, and to observe the cars while standing, not sitting.