Peter Caughey regained the Superboat title last year from Leighton Minnell after coming out of retirement.
It's all right there on the numbers on the side of their boats.
When Wanganui's world champion Leighton Minnell takes his reconditioned boat into the water at Shelterview on Friday morning for the first practice run at the opening round of the 2013-14 NZ Jet Sprint Championships, he will no doubt glance over at Cantabrian Peter Caughey.
Because displayed proudly on Caughey's boat is the number everybody wants 1NZ while Minnell (2NZ) is now the driver with unfinished business.
Caughey, the four-time world and six-time national champion, had been in quasi-retirement while Minnell and navigator wife, Kelli, were winning their world superboat title and sweeping every round of the 2011-12 national championships.
Coming back last season to reclaim what he felt was his, Caughey would take out four of the six series rounds to win the national title from Minnell, who secured Round 2 but was hampered by engine troubles in Rounds 1 and 3, along with a beaching at Round 5.
Minnell sold his boat before the final round back at Shelterview, sharing the Poison Ivy boat with fellow local driver Rob Coley for his last rides, and has gone back to the future for this season by purchasing his old boat from its Taranaki owner and putting in a reconditioned motor.
He now has something to prove to Caughey and the rest of a competitive field of 13 chasing the Superboat title.
"It's batter up again. Round one, gloves off," said Minnell yesterday.
"I want to get one back on Pete. He's certainly a fiery competitor.
"We blew a drive shaft in the final [eliminator race] this time last year, so I've made sure I've got a spare drive shaft."
Minnell's confidence also stems from the fact this year's six-round series will have a completely different dynamic after Friday's opener at Upokongaro.
Round 2 in January will be a world first being hosted by a landlocked stadium at Mt Maunganui's ASB Baypark for a day/night event.
The traditional Shelterview day/night round has been moved from being the final event to the fifth, with the finale now at Oxbow Aquatrack in Wanaka, which was used for the first time only last season.
It means Caughey nor anyone can hope to plan their campaign in the same way as seasons past.
"It's certainly going to be a war of attrition so if we keep running and that's the key, keep running then we'll do well," said Minnell.
"To finish first, then first you must finish."
This will not just be the Caughey vs Minnell show - another threat looms from across the Tasman as Australian series regulars Phonsey Mullan and Greg Mercier will be joining regular attendee Paul Gaston.
Minnell is delighted with the growth in interest for jetsprinting this season with the use of Baypark, plus other innovations like the introduction of "celebrity racing" to capture the public's imagination. TV3 reality stars Pete and Andy Walker will be racing on Friday.
"The sport's certainly on a high, the waves are building and more and more of the New Zealand public are coming on board," Minnell said.
"There's close to 50 teams."
There will be 11 Wanganui-orientated teams taking part in the three classes this season Superboats, Group A's and 400's.
Most thought last year would be Pat Dillon's swansong, but the veteran is returning after coming third overall.
The live wire Coley is in the process of building a new boat, which won't be ready on Friday, but nonetheless he remains a Superboat dark horse.
Also tinkering away, Peter Huijs has made adjustments to have his Quad Rotor Turbo run on methanol this campaign.
In the Group A series, the story will be Hamilton's Sam Newdick's determination to win the title that slipped from his grasp after a disastrous final round at Shelterview last season, opening the door for Wanganui's Richard Murray to snatch it from him in an extraordinary upset.
There is guaranteed to be a new champion in the 400's series as Wanganui's Gerry Linklater is having the season off, allowing his championship-winning navigator Hayden Wilson the chance to drive.
Last year's runners-up Brett Thompson (Piopio) and Warren Farr (Taupo) are the likely contenders.
Joining this class from Wanganui is Paul Tulloch, who will be double driving his boat with former champion Bevan Linklater, while another rookie entry is Ross Travers with his son Shane navigating.
The first qualifying runs will be at 9am on Friday at Shelterview, with the gates open to the public at 11am.
Turn to Page 25 to read about the celebrity challenge and running order for the 2013-14 season.