The Invercargill-based rally made a return to the New Zealand Rally Championship calendar last year for the first time in 20 years.
But it has missed out on the calendar for next year’s six events with two of the three events in the South Island being based in Canterbury. The other one is the Otago rally.
Southern Lights Rally organiser Paul Fallon said the event last year was well received by drivers and supporters.
"When you're going to the most southern place in New Zealand to run a championship event, you need to draw on its point of difference," he said.
"The point of difference was the fact that we ran on the shortest day of the year, and we're right at the bottom of the country."
In 2025, the changes to the calendar competitors meant the rally would not return to Invercargill.
"We want to be part of the New Zealand championship, but just the way that the calendar aligns for 2025, it just doesn't work for us running it again next year."
He said it was not the end for the rally, and the next time it was raced in Invercargill it would go up another level.
He declined further comment.
