Two weeks after the smooth asphalt of Germany, the WRC returns to gravel once more for the 37th Rally New Zealand. The stunning gravel roads of Hamilton are like rollercoasters that carve through the lush green countryside of the North Island. Heavily cambered, they favour the brave, and speed comes with flat-out commitment.

The shift to an earlier slot in the WRC schedule means it will be approaching springtime in New Zealand and consequently slightly cooler than last year’s event, which ran in November. The usual conditions for this time of year are approximately 10-15 degrees Celsius with a chance of intermittent showers.

As on most gravel rallies, running first on the road at this event is generally a disadvantage as the stages are covered with loose gravel, sand and dust. The difference between the first and eighth car on the road can be worth as much as a second per kilometre.

The cleaning effect is normally quite pronounced in New Zealand, but rain can neutralise or even reverse the process. A little rain will bind the loose gravel and dust together and stop the road from cleaning so quickly, while a lot of rain will soak through the loose surface and make the base increasingly slippery.

As in Germany, tyre choice is absolutely critical. However, rather than the very unpredictable weather of two weeks ago, here the choice is largely dictated by road position and calculating how much the surface has been cleaned by the cars ahead. With lots of loose gravel still on the line, an open tyre (with more cuts) is needed for extra traction, whereas once the road is cleaner fewer cuts can be used. Fewer cuts means there is more rubber in contact with the road, improving general stability and grip through the many fast and flowing corners.

Like last year, the event is based at Mystery Creek near Hamilton, about 100km south of Auckland. It is made up of 18 special stages (including three runs at the Mystery Creek superspecial) and the total competitive distance will be 353.56km. The rally commences with a ceremonial start in Hamilton city centre at 1830hrs on Thursday 30 August, with the finish podium taking place at Mystery Creek at 1515hrs on Sunday 2 September.

The Subaru World Rally Team has entered three Impreza WRC2007s for the eleventh round of the World Rally Championship. The pairing of Petter Solberg and Phil Mills will drive car number seven, Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot will drive car number eight, while Xevi Pons/Xavier Amigo will be in car number 14.

In the two weeks between Germany and New Zealand, Chris and Petter have been in Australia at the launch of their new generation Impreza WRX.

Held on the east coast town of Port Douglas, Petter and Chris each drove the new car on a demonstration track inside a huge marquee. A major launch event to 300 Subaru dealers in Australia, the timing provides a strong link to Subaru’s WRC activities. Petter, Chris and Xevi will arrive in Auckland on Saturday 25th August and travel to Hamilton the following day to prepare for the reconnaissance.