The third round of both the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship and the NZRC gets underway this weekend at the Rally of Whangarei.
While contesting the domestic title, Kiwi drivers will be able to test their skills against the best from Australia, Japan, France, India and Indonesia. NewZealanders have fared well over the past two years with Hayden Paddon last year and Richard Mason in 2007, taking the APRC round win.
Sixty three entries have been confirmed for the international rally which takes place around the Northland and Kaipara District roads with the ceremonial start yesterday and racing today and tomorrow.
Three-time APRC champion Australian Cody Crocker has finished second in the past two years and arrives sitting third. The series leader is another Aussie, Dean Herridge, from Japan's Katsuhiko Tagauchi and long-time APRC competitor, and sole Kiwi Brian Green, is in fourth overall.
National rally championship leader Subaru driver Mason is looking forward to mixing it with the international drivers but his focus will be elsewhere. "We want to get more of a point's buffer in the national series and then see how we stack up against the internationals," said Mason.
Last year's winner Paddon, who sits 29 points behind Mason, is using a left-hand-drive car for the first time and the new car is still undergoing development.
Five points behind Paddon is another Mitsubishi driver, Stewart Taylor, who has shown some good pace this season. Emma Gilmour will have a different priority after her big crash last year.
Kirsty Nelson is the top running female driver after Gilmour suffered mechanical problems at Otago.
In the two-wheel drive competition, defending champ Dave Strong and former winner Aaron Cook have been swapping the series lead, and Ben Jagger leads the Group N 2WD standings. Drivers will also be able to earn points towards the Fram North Island Rally Series and the newly released La Serie de Rallye.
Special stage one starts at Wairere Rd near Paparoa with the first car due to leave at 9.18 am this morning.
