Defending champion and top seed Jeff Judd of Christchurch made the early running as the first North Island-based edition of the epay Silver Fern Rally raced through the Bay of Plenty yesterday.
The 48 crews started from Auckland's Botany Town Centre on Sunday morning and completed five stages near Mercer, the Maramarua Forest, Kaihere and Richmond Downs before stopping at Mt Maunganui's Baypark Speedway for an early afternoon service halt.
The week-long marathon with 43 special stages - totalling just over 1000km - is primarily for classic and historic rally cars.
The rally may be a marathon but the margins were those of a sprint event.
Judd, the 2010 Silver Fern winner and British visitor Vince Bristow - both driving Ford Escort RS1800s - were tied in the lead at Baypark. Former New Zealand champion Neil Allport had moved up from 10th seeding to third in his Ford Escort RS1600 ahead of double Australian rally champ Geoff Portman (Escort RS1800) and the top four were separated by just 10s.