KEY POINTS:
Many of the drivers and teams have already arrived in New Zealand for the running of the 11th round of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship on August 28-31.
New Zealand has held international rallies since 1969 and what makes this year's event even more special is from next year the Repco-sponsored event will alternate with Australia.
We in New Zealand won't see the top teams back on our soil until 2010.
Unless the all-conquering Sebastien Loeb confirms he wants to equal, or beat, Michael Schumacher's record seven world Formula One titles, this could be the last time we see the Frenchman on Kiwi gravel.
Loeb starts the Repco Rally New Zealand back on top of the points table after his seventh consecutive win of Rallye Deutschland and looks in ominous form.
"Germany is a special rally for me and, as we won't get the chance to come here next year, it was good to finish like this," Loeb told the Guardian .
"We had a good feeling in the car all weekend and had no real problems to contend with. Everything worked out well and now I am in the best position to start the rest of the season.
"Maybe New Zealand will be a little more difficult now I will be first on the road, because there is a lot of loose gravel - especially if it's dry - but at the moment I'm happy to take the lead of the championship."
Ford's young Finnish driver Mikko Hirvonen will be going all out to stop Loeb winning another world title. Having won two of the toughest events in 2008 - Jordan and Turkey - and coming second to either Loeb or his Ford teammate Jari-Matti Latvala in four of the other 10 events to date, the 28-year-old has been one of the more consistent drivers.
However, with his German victory a fortnight ago, Loeb now has seven WRC wins this season to add the 36 WRC victories he's earned over the past few years.
Comparing their New Zealand results over the past few years, 34-year-old Loeb has the wood on Hirvonen. In 2007 Loeb was second and Hirvonen third. In 2006, Hirvonen was second but Loeb was absent due to injury. Loeb won in 2005, but Hirvonen didn't have a WRC drive that year. In 2004, Loeb was fourth while Hirvonen was seventh in a Subaru. Loeb was also fourth in 2003 as Hirvonen finished 10th in a Ford. Neither had rallied here before 2003.
The lead in this year's championship has changed hands six times and before Rally New Zealand get started, Loeb leads on 76 points from Hirvonen on 72 points and Dani Sordo a distant third with 43 points.
With five rounds to go it would appear Loeb is making a move to clinch his fifth world title.
The rest had better be on their toes if they're to stop the Citroen driver's march to the title.
Rally New Zealand is the third to last gravel event of the year and past results indicate the fight between Loeb and Hirvonen will be every bit as intense this year.
Last year's duel, which came down to the last 10th of a second, between Loeb and Ford's now-retired world champion Marcus Gronholm, created the closest finish in WRC history. Gronholm won his fifth New Zealand title by just 0.3 seconds.
