Rally New Zealand will move to November next year as part of a radical restructuring of the world rally championship.
The Propecia-sponsored event will be staged from November 10-12, after Rally Australia and before the British round.
Rally boss Morrie Chandler said yesterday the date presented challenges but also excitingpossibilities because it would be the penultimate round of the championship and the titles could be decided here.
Two difficulties presented by the dates are conflict with the circuit-racing season and integration with the national rally championship, which this year finished early this month.
The world championship will reinvent itself next year with provision for manufacturers to run subsidiary teams that can compete in the championship with an array of drivers who can all earn points towards the drivers' crown.
The manufacturers will pay a substantial entrance fee, with the subsidiary teams paying a much lower one. Citroen, which intends not to run works cars next season, could pay the major fee and support a subsidiary team employing its world champion driver, Sebastien Loeb.
Ford has already indicated that it is prepared to run three two-car teams under the new setup. Chandler hopes to have eight to 10 teams contesting the championship as against the three or four likely under the present rules.
The new rules will be rubber-stamped next month but should allay the frustration of Loeb, who has dominated this season's championship but has been in doubt about a drive for next season.
The decision to open up the championship to competitors outside the works teams should broaden its appeal to a public that has been offered more restricted opportunities to see fewer realistic contenders.
Moves are also being made to shift the whole championship out of competition with the Formula One season. The rally season would run from August 2007 to May 2008.
