Whangarei includes familiar territory for rally ace McRae

One of the world's best-known rally drivers, Alister McRae, is looking forward getting started in the International Rally of Whangarei on July 2.
The experienced World Rally Championship competitor is making his debut in the Whangarei event, although McRae said he had driven some of the stages during Rally New Zealand, an event he has competed in six times.
The 39-year-old McRae, who is originally from Scotland but now lives in Perth in Australia,  heads to the two-day event as one of two high-profile drivers in the Proton R3 Rally team.
 McRae has enlisted the assistance of  two experienced Australians: Chris Atkinson and Bill Hayes as his co-driver.
"The New Zealand stages are some of the best in the world and I hope the flowing nature will be good for the Proton Satria Neo S2000," McRae said.
As entrants in the 2010 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, McRae and Atkinson have already contested rallies in Malaysia and Japan, with Whangarei the third on this year's APRC calendar.
Their cars, the Proton Satria Neo, are built to Super 2000 regulations and run in the APRC by UK rally specialists Mellors Elliot Motorsport.
The 2-litre Proton Super 2000 engine produces  222kW at 7600rpm, being derived from the 1.8-litre engine fitted to Proton's Waja model and further developed by MEM's engineers.
With a usable power band from 5500 to 8500rpm, the Proton's engine is matched to a six-speed sequential 4WD Super 2000 transmission.
McRae  is seeded fourth, behind current APRC series leader Japanese driver Katsu Taguchi, Atkinson and New Zealander  Hayden Paddon.
The Scotsman arrives in New Zealand  from Belgium where he and Atkinson drove in  this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge events the Proton R3 Rally team elected to run.
The two-day Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium is rated as one of the best asphalt rallies in the world. McRae's many years of experience means he's unlikely to be troubled by the swift change in surface, from tarmac in Belgium to heavy gravel in  Whangarei.
All of the drivers, including  McRae, will be at the Cameron Street Mall in Whangarei for a driver autograph signing session from 3.30pm on July 2 before crossing the start ramp as part of the official start ceremony in the same location.
McRae will be aiming for a top result during the 16 special stages, which include great spectator viewing at the Pohe Island super special stage on Saturday and Sunday's iconic Hella Bridge prime spectator point.