The International Rally of Whangarei hits the roads this weekend

The International Rally of Whangarei will plunge PROTON drivers Chris Atkison and Alister McRae into the middle of a Kiwi winter, but they don't mind in the slightest. The North Island roads which make up the fourth round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship are, quite simply, some of the best on the planet. The heavily cambered stages allow the drivers to slingshot their cars through the corners, carrying more speed than ever before.
And, this being the sports-mad nation of New Zealand, the town of Whangarei really goes to town when the rally arrives.
PROTON Motorsports scored a second place on this event last year and is desperate to place one of the two factory Satria Neo S2000s on the top step of the podium at the end of 16 gravel stages. While the road surface is smooth and generally kinder to the cars than in some other countries, two runs through the 40-kilometre Bull stage  and more than 300 competitive kilometres across the two days  ensure this event will be anything-but easy.
New Zealand is a fearsome place to come for any sporting contest  just ask any of the 19 teams heading to the Land of the Long White Cloud to face the legendary All Blacks in September's Rugby World Cup. And in a town which will host some of that Rugby World Cup action, the battle for the International Rally of Whangarei will be just as fierce next week.
With two wins from three starts this season, Atkinson is ready for the battle ahead. The Australian could have arrived with a 100 per cent record, after dominating the early stages of APRC round two in his Queensland, Australia backyard. Atkinson's team-mate McRae is also well-acquainted with winning, having taken success on the closing round of the 2010 series in China. Both PROTON Motorsports drivers are in with very good chance of taking this year's coveted APRC title and no quarter will be given when they get started in New Zealand.
The Satria Neo S2000 has demonstrated devastating pace throughout the first half of this year's APRC, courtesy of upgrades to the car from the Malaysian manufacturer, but the weather remains a factor which could upset a formbook favouring PROTON. Typically, temperatures range between five and 15 degrees in the Northland area of New Zealand at this time of the year, but rain can arrive in a moment, varying the conditions greatly from crew to crew.
Event data:
Round: 4/6, FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
Based: Whangarei, New Zealand
Stages: 16
Liaison distance: 398.76km
Competitive distance: 301.90km
Total distance: 700.66km
Shakedown: Pohe Island (Friday July 15, 1000-1200)
Pre-event press conference: Media centre, Whangarei (Friday July 15, 1430)
Post-event press conference: Media Centre, Whangarei (Sunday July 17, 1600)
Time difference: New Zealand is GMT+12 hrs
Event timetable:
Friday July 15
Ceremonial start  Cameron Street, Whangarei 1700
Saturday July 16
SS1 Brooks 1 (13.60km) 0853
SS2 Bull 1 (40.63km) 0926
SS3 Cassidy 1 (23.75km) 1024
SS4 Whangarei Super Special (1.50km) 1127
Service  Whangarei 1137
SS5 Brooks 2 (13.60km) 0853
SS6 Bull 2 (40.63km) 0926
SS7 Cassidy 2 (23.75km) 1024
SS8 Whangarei Super Special 2 (1.50km) 1127
Sunday July 17
SS9 Waipu Caves 1 (21.47km) 0748
SS10 Waipu Gorge 1 (10.99km) 0831
SS11 Batley 1 (20.06km) 0854
SS12 Wairere 1 (18.95km) 0932
Service  Whangarei 1040
SS13 Waipu Caves 2 (21.47km) 1203
SS14 Waipu Gorge 2 (10.99km) 1246
SS15 Batley 2 (20.06km) 1309
SS16 Wairere 2 (18.95km) 1347
Finish  Whangarei 1455
The 2011 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
Malaysian Rally (April 1-3)
International Rally of Queensland (May 13-15)
Rally de Nouvelle Caledonie (June 17-19)
International Rally of Whangarei (July 16-17)
Rally Hokkaido (September 30-October 2)
China Rally Longyou (November 4-6)