The Central Motor Speedway will host the New Zealand Super Saloon Championships today and tomorrow.
The event has been held since 1970 but only once previously in the town, in 2008.
Club promotor Graham Williamson said the cars were so powerful they were ''beasts''.
''They're custom-built weapons - a lot of them are over 800 horsepower.''
About 44 entrants from throughout the country will race in the main event, among them the holders of 16 national titles.
Locals in strong contention for the title include Ray Stewart, Peter Dickson, Paul Wright and club president Daryl Ainsley.
Mr Ainsley said the speedway was aiming for its largest attendance in more than 30 years of operation, but it was difficult to gauge numbers.
''The sport has grown since the last time we hosted it,'' he said.
''Some of those cars are worth over $100,000, so there will be millions of dollars worth on the track.''
Its season-opening weekend in October attracted between 500 and 600 people.
The cars' technology was crucial, he said.
''The driver is important, but they need the high-tech set-up. There are a lot of components in these cars and they have a serious amount of grunt.''
The event will begin with time trials today, after which competitors will be put in seeded groups.
It will end with the championship race tomorrow night.
''There are campers there for it already and there's a lot of hype around town,'' Mr Ainsley said.
The weekend's entertainment will also include bands and supporting events such as burnout and youth mini-stock competitions.
