What's it all about?
The Rally of Otago is the second round of the six-event New Zealand Rally Championship. The opening round was in Whangarei three weeks ago.
There are three components to it. The national championship class is for the country's leading competitors in modern, state-of-the-art 4WD turbo rally cars, together with 2WD cars, which have their own category.
The event also incorporates the International Classic Otago Rally, for pre-1982, 2WD cars.
There is also an Allcomers option, which attracts mostly local drivers wanting to compete in the rally but not the whole NZRC.
Who is worth watching?
We are a bit spoiled for choice this year. In the national championship, you can't go past American rally and Gymkhana viral video star Ken Block. He calls himself the ''hoonigan'' and is driving his own Ford Fiesta. He won in Whangarei last month and will be leading out the 47-car NZRC and Allcomers field.
Three drivers have entered eye-catching, purpose-built rally cars that break out of the traditional Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru Impreza moulds. Alex Kelsey (Coromandel) is driving a Peugeot 207-bodied, space-frame car powered by a Renault 3.5 litre V6. It sounds like an Formula One car but is better at doing skids.
Our own Emma Gilmour is competing in her Suzuki Swift Maxi. Built in her Dunedin workshop three years ago, it is a mighty midget on a mission to win at its home event.
Aucklander Andrew Hawkeswood has taken a Mazda 2 and modified it into a rally monster. He is somewhat of a boom or bust driver - either charging spectacularly ahead, or off the road at equal pace.
Over in the classic rally, former British Rally champion Alister McRae (brother of the late, legendary Colin) will be doing battle with our top rally export, Geraldine WRC driver Hayden Paddon. They are driving virtually identical Ford Escorts RS1800s and both being extremely competitive by nature, it is sure to be a mega driving showdown between the pair.
Where can we see the rally cars?
Tonight: They are on display from 5pm in the Octagon, with a ceremonial start from 6.15pm.
Tomorrow: Service park in Palmerston from 11am. Then back in Dunedin for the tarmac super special stage at the wharf area by the Anzac Ave overbridge from 3.25pm. Each car does four laps of the block.
Sunday: Service park at Waihola from 10am and again from noon.
