Ben Hunt leads the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally after an enthralling first day of competition.

Hunt won four of the day’s eight stages in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo to lead by 10.5 seconds over the flying Stokes brothers, Robbie and Jack.

It was the younger Stokes, Jack, who shot out of the blocks early to take a considerable lead after the opening stage. In what is his first rally in a four-wheel drive AP4 car, he won two stages over the course of the day, but dropped back to third by day’s end.

His older brother, Robbie, driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo for the first time, sits in second place, 3.5 seconds clear of his brother, having also won two stages for the day.

Josh Marston’s Holden Barina AP4 is in fourth place, nearly a minute from the lead, with last year’s rally winner, Jack Hawkeswood, back in fifth place.

Hawkeswood last valuable time when he hit a bank and spun on the second stage, but couldn’t match the pace of the leaders.

Local hero, Emma Gilmour, sits in sixth place in her Citroen C3 Rally2, but over two minutes from the lead.

The much anticipated Otago Classic Rally battle between Irishman Kris Meeke and Kiwi Hayden Paddon never eventuated.

Although he was ahead on the split timing midway through the first stage of the day, broken steering forced Paddon off the road 21km into the 34km test, ending his day early. He will return for Day 2.

From there, Meeke ruled the roost to finish the day nearly a minute and a half ahead of Christchurch’s Deane Buist in another Ford Escort RS1800.

Meeke won every stage on the opening day in the Classic Rally and looks set to win the rally for the second time in consecutive years.

Ari Pettigrew’s Nissan-powered Escort is in third place, ahead of Stephen Gill’s Escort RS1800, with Charlie Evans and Ben Harding fifth and sixth in their Mazda RX7s.

Tim Smith has totally dominated the Classic 4WD rally in a Subaru Impreza H6, nearly four and a half minutes ahead of Kevin Laird.

A third Impreza, driven by Australian Glenn Alcorn sits third, just 25 seconds further back.

In the Allcomers Rally, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6s hold first and second places, with James Worker almost a minute ahead of Caleb MacDonald.

Day 2 of the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally continues on Sunday, with a further eight stages to the south of Dunedin, including the world famous Kuri Bush test.