Atkinson's Whangarei win was the first of three APRC rally victories last season driving for Proton. Countering these successes were two DNFs, leaving Atkinson to finish second in the championship to then teammate Alister McRae.
However, Atkinson and Prevot have recently changed teams, and will line up today for the start of the Rally of Whangarei in their Skoda Fabia, racing for Team MRF, with aims to repeat last year's success at Whangarei, and go one better in the six-round APRC.
"Our preparation seems to be going good and we're happy with the car, although we haven't raced it yet - we will see how it goes," Atkinson said.
The 49 entrants across all the grades in this year's 2012 Brother International Rally of Whangarei is down on last year's 72 drivers.
However, the rally has promised plenty of action with high calibre drivers taking part. The rally gets underway today , leaving Quayside Town Basin at 7am for special stage one at Parahi, at 8.30am.
The cars return to Whangarei at 11.19am for special stage four, before heading back to the districts, and finishing the day with special stage eight, again at Pohe Island, at 4.34pm.
Tomorrow , the cars leave Quayside Town Basin at 6.45am for more racing. The cars will return to the Town Basin for the ceremonial finish at 3pm.