Motorsport: Rally NZ returns to Auckland

Rally New Zealand will leave the Waikato for the 2010 event.

Rally New Zealand will return to Auckland next year.

Organisers of the World Rally Championship round have confirmed a deal with the Auckland City Council for the popular event.

"Rally New Zealand is one of the WRC drivers' most popular rallies," says event chairman Chris Carr.

"They absolutely love driving on New Zealand roads – just as we have a great heritage of getting out and enjoying the top level skills of these drivers among our beautiful scenery," says Carr.

He thanked the Hamilton City Council for the last three years, where the event was hosted in the Waikato.

Official Clerk of the Course, Willard Martin says that the rally will again extend both sides of Auckland.

"With the move back to Auckland, we have the opportunity to take the rally route both north and south of our largest city, offering excellent spectator viewing," says Martin.

The event attracts extensive worldwide television coverage with an estimated audience of over 50 million in 186 countries, and is expected to inject $12.7m into the Auckland economy.

- NZ HERALD STAFF