Targa New Zealand is taking a new route this year - and there's already a field of 100-plus racers lined up to take part.
For the first time, the well-established tarmac rally will head north. It kicks off at Wyndard Quarter on the Auckland waterfront on October 25 before going to Whangarei for the first overnight stay.
Following that, the field - ranging from classic cars through to turbocharged four-wheel-drive moderns machines - will head south via Auckland to Taupo, Palmerston North and eventually to the chequered flag at Havelock North on Saturday October 29.
"It's all about keeping things fresh and interesting for the competitors," says event director Peter Martin who, with wife Vicki bought and took over the running of the event in 2008.
"For the first couple of years (after the takeover) it made sense to continue with what we - and many of the competitors - knew. But this year, particularly after the positive feedback we received from changes we made to the Bambina and Rotorua events, we decided to do things a little differently."
This features 745km of racing over 37 special stages, plus a massive 1478 touring kilometres. Special stage length varies from the short and sweet 8.50 km Whatawhata stage west of Hamilton on Thursday morning to the marathon 51.34 kms of the Rangitoto/Otewa stage east of Otorohanga that afternoon.
While some of the stages - including the iconic Windmill Alley one between Ashhurst and Woodville in the Manawatu - will be familiar to long-time Targa regulars, most will be new, a fact Martin is particularly proud of.
He is also expecting a positive response from an early finish - at Springhill Farm between Warkworth and Wellsford - on the second day of competition.
The farm has a sealed 870 metre runway which will be used for a series of dual sprints before an early dinner then evening drive south - to avoid the worst of the Auckland motorway traffic - to the overnight stop in Takanini.
Though entries will not officially close until late next month nearly 100 have already been received for the main event with a further 15 for the two-day regional 'event-within-an-event' on Friday and Saturday, and close to 30 for the concurrent Targa Tour (non-competitive, but popular for those who want a fun event-based drive with less likelihood of a bent classic).
Early favourites are Australian Tony Quinn who is gunning for his fourth event victory and third in as many years, and fellow Nissan GT-R drivers, expat Kiwi race and rally ace Steve Millen, and Auckland businessman Harry Dodson and regular co-driver Glen Cupit.
