Whanganui hosts round three of the Engine Room Sprint Rally Series on Tokomaru East Rd

Whanganui driver Paul Tulloch (seen here on the Okoia Hill Climb last year) will be pushing his V8-powered Toyota MR2 hard to catch the front runners on Tokomaru East Rd gravel circuit.

The Wanganui Car Club's upcoming rally sprint on Tokomaru East Road has attracted top rally drivers from as far away as Auckland and Dunedin.

The July 18 event is round three of four that form the Engine Room Automotive Sprint Series and has proven so popular with drivers there is a standby list of competitors in the event any accepted entries withdraw.

Originally scheduled as a five-round series, one round was dropped because of the Covid-19 lockdown. The final round is in Levin the weekend after Whanganui.

Five-time New Zealand rally champion Richard Mason will undoubtedly set the pace with series leader Daniel Feck and Dunedin's Emma Gilmour pushing him all the way.

The limit of 35 cars was extended to 45, given the overwhelming interest from prospective competitors.

The course is just under 10km and presents some of the best road conditions for rallies in the country. The Wanganui Car Club is fortunate in having the full support of the Wanganui District Council without whose endorsement running such an event would be impossible.

Spectators are welcome to witness some of the country's top rally drivers performing.

With safety concerns paramount there will be two viewing locations available and these will be marked and managed by the crowd control marshals on the day.