KEY POINTS:
Australian driver Cody Crocker knows the heat is on in his season debut in the international rally of Whangarei starting today.
The event doubles as the second round of the Asia-Pacific championship and the New Zealand championship.
Crocker, the defending Asia-Pacific champion, bypassed the opening round in New
Caledonia last month, with his new Subaru Impreza prepared in Pukekohe by Possum Bourne Motorsport.
He has memories of last year's rally in Northland when two-time New Zealand champion Richard Mason upset the international field, sneaking ahead of Crocker on the final morning to claim overall honours.
"We've missed a round so it's going to be important to get points on the board and, hopefully, 16 of them with a win in the Asia-Pacific championship," Crocker said.
"Points in the Asia-Pacific championship are the main priority. Having said that I am a racer and I don't want to take the APRC points but get beaten like last year.
"The battle last year was fantastic so I am expecting it to be fierce."
Mason, of Masterton, who won the opening round of the NZ championship in Otago last month, is excited by the additional challenge from the international drivers this weekend.
"Without in anyway demeaning our own national championship drivers, this is a fantastic challenge for us to take on the best in the Asia-Pacific championship," Mason said. "The more competition, the better."
This is the first time the Asia-Pacific event has been staged around Whangarei, with the previous nine editions of the race based at Rotorua.
Because Mason will start in position 12 after the Asia-Pacific drivers, the weather could play a real factor.
"If it's dry then we will have the advantage over Cody and the other APRC drivers because they will be sweeping the roads for us. But, if it's wet, then they will have the advantage because it may cut up by the time we run."
Crocker is one of 32 drivers from seven countries to line up in the Northland event. Crocker and co-driver Ben Atkinson, brother of world rally championship driver Chris, will head the Subaru Motor Image Rally Team in a two-car campaign with Indonesia's Rifat Sungkar and Herkusuma Mohamad.
Japan's Hiroshi Yanagisawa, last year's runner-up in the Asia-Pacific Championship, will be starting after failing to finish the New Caledonia round in his Subaru.
There will also be interest in the performance of India's Naren Kumar with co-driver Dorairaj Ramkumar, who guided their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 to fourth placing on debut in New Caledonia.
The five French drivers are led by third seed Patrick Yanai, Patrick Christian, Jean-Lois Leyraud, Alex Barbou and Robert Christian (both Mitsubishi Lancer).
There is only one Kiwi in the Asia-Pacific championship field in Manawatu's Brian Green, who is again joined by Fleur Pedersen as co-driver in their Evo 9.
The NZ championship is headed by defending champion Mason, with Taihape's Brett Martin the second seed ahead of Dunedin's Emma Gilmour.
- NZPA