New Zealand rally star Possum Bourne is in Japan and Singapore this week chasing backing for his defence of the Asia-Pacific title.
Before he left his Pukekohe base, Bourne said he was hopeful of getting the sponsorship he needs, but the decision could go either way.
In any case, he is likely to again miss the Indonesian round of the championship because of uncertainties about security.
The championship begins with the Canberra Rally from May 3-6 and includes the Rotorua International for the first time.
The Rotorua event has again changed its dates, reverting to the original choice of June 29-July 1. Earlier the organisers had moved to delay the rally by a week to accommodate Japan's Monster Tajima, who wanted to avoid a clash with the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in the United States.
But Bourne told them Rotorua would then clash with the Adelaide round of the Australian championship to which he was committed.
Bourne will seek a record sixth Australian rally championship in the Subaru Impreza world rally car that Juha Kankkunen drove in the final round of last year's championship.
Subaru Australia has bought the car for Bourne as the New Zealander attempts to become the most successful driver ever in the championship.
The car, lighter and with a sequential gearbox, is being rebuilt ready for the start of the championship at the end of March.
The 1998 world rally car Bourne has used for the past two seasons would be his mount for the Asia-Pacific championship and the Group A model he used in Asia last year is headed for a client in Argentina.
Bourne intends to use the new car in the Rally of New Zealand in September and the Rally of Australia in November.
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New Zealander Greg Murphy has lost his regular drive in the Australian V8 Supercar championship, but he has picked up a coveted seat in a Lamborghini support series for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne at the beginning of March.
The two wildcards in the field of 22 stunning Lamborghini Diablo GTRs have gone to Murphy and former world 500cc motorcycle champion Wayne Gardner.
When the Lamborghinis last visited Melbourne in 1998, Murphy won one race and was third in two.
Murphy lost his Supercar drive in the shuffle which saw Craig Lowndes move from Holden to Ford. The Melbourne-based New Zealander is expected to join the Holden Racing Team for the long-distance races while negotiating one-off Holden drives.
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Scott Dixon's impressive first test on the one-mile Phoenix oval was achieved on a day which saw mixed fortunes for some of the leading contenders for this year's championship.
Dixon, driving team-mate Mauricio Gugelmin's car, achieved a best lap of 21.5s. Gugelmin had managed 21.46s the previous day.
"Scott is definitely going to keep me honest," said the Brazilian. "I haven't seen anything so far in working with him that suggests he is anything but championship material."
The fastest time of 20.6s at the Phoenix test was set by Cristiano da Matta in a Newman-Haas Lola.
Last year's champion, Gil de Ferran, hit the wall in his Penske-run Reynard Honda and suffered bruising to his left leg and foot.
The championship begins on March 11 with a road race in Monterrey, Mexico. It has attracted a record entry with 31 cars, which may force some to pre-qualify at tracks where pit facilities are cramped.
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Racing on the Isle of Man and in Europe 50 years ago will be recalled this weekend at Pukekohe when the three members of the official New Zealand team meet again at the classic motorcycle racing festival.
Aucklander Len Perry, winner of no fewer than 42 New Zealand titles and now aged 88, was the team captain.
The others were Rod Coleman from Wanganui, who won the 1954 Isle of Man junior TT on an AJS, and Ken Mudford from Matamata, winner of the 1953 junior Ulster Grand Prix.
Star attractions will be rare European twins from BMW, Jawa and Moto-Guzzi.
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Christchurch driver John McIntyre will drive Peter Sturgeon's VL Commodore in the final round of the NZ V8 Touring Car Championship at Manfeild this weekend.
McIntyre's entry will add spice to a series which has been dominated by Aucklander Paul Manuell's Commodore.
The last time McIntyre competed in the Sturgeon car he won two races at Pukekohe. He has been on the sideline for much of the season through lack of funds.
McIntyre sees the two Manfeild races as a chance to impress Team Kiwi, who are looking for extra drivers for their endurance races in the Australian V8 Supercar championship.
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The Formula One flying circus is growing. For the past few years six jumbo jets have carried the teams and their equipment to Australia.
This year, for the March 4 opening round in Melbourne, seven big jets have been contracted for the job.
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