Pair are aiming for top 10

Whangarei's Ben Jagger and co-driver Ben Hawkins went into panic-mode when two days out from the start of the International Rally of Whangarei, they experienced mechanical problems with their Seed Force Subaru STI.
"The preparation for the rally in our home town had been going really well until we had problems on Wednesday ... we were out practising and the fourth gear let go of the gearbox," Jagger said.
It was a late night for the pair who took their car down to Auckland where it was repaired overnight.
The rally is a two-pronged battle for Kiwi teams as they chase championship points while competing against the largest-ever international field for this event for outright honours.
It is the fourth of five rounds in the 2011 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), in association with Neil Allport Motorsports, and it is also the fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The rally covers 301.9 competitive kilometres on roads through the Kaipara and Whangarei districts.
Jagger and Hawkins will line up among the 22 APRC-registered competitors having secured, for the second time, one of the coveted wildcard APRC entries.
This means the pair start ahead of their New Zealand championship rivals, and potentially enjoy better road conditions afforded by starting further up the running order.
Jagger said being a part of the Shakedown was a good way to give his car a test run ahead of the start of the rally this morning.
He and Hawkins were out to get the best result but a top 10 finish would be ideal.
Other Kiwis drivers racing in the APRC class include Sloan Cox, Emma Gilmore, Richard Mason, Ben Hunt and Matt Jansen.
Meanwhile, another local Whangarei driver Brendon Oakden and his sister Natasha will line up in the Pre 96 4WD (E Class) as they chase their third Clubman's Rally title.
The siblings who have raced together for five years won the Clubman's title in Whangarei in 2008 and 2009, but had mechanical issues last year.
"So we will be going for that this year," Brendon Oakden said. Their preparation for the Whangarei event had been very minimal, he said.
"We haven't done anything since the last event - the Possum Bourne Rally at Hampton Downs and Port Waikato - we got fourth overall there and were first in our class."
Oakden said he loved racing at home.
"We love the roads up here, they are great for racing, you get to sleep in your own bed and we hope there will be lots of local support."
The rally action starts from Whangarei's Quayside Town Basin today , taking competitors as far south as Maungaturoto and back to Whangarei for the super special stage at Pohe Island.
The event wraps up with the ceremonial finish at Quayside Town Basin 3:30pm tomorrow .