The Otago Rally will be the first round of the 2017 New Zealand Rally Championship, and will again incorporate the hugely popular Otago Classic Rally.

Hayden Paddon has continued his domination at the opening round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, powering to an eventual winning margin of 9 minutes 22.1 seconds, a new record.

New Zealand’s home-grown World Rally Championship star, Hayden Paddon, has confirmed his entry in May’s Otago International Classic Rally, with regular co-driver John Kennard alongside.

The factory Hyundai driver will compete in the classic rally for the third time, once again driving the Stadium Finance BDA.

Finnish World Rally Championship star, Mikko Hirvonen, will contest next year’s Stadium Cars International Classic Rally of Otago in a huge coup for the New Zealand event.

Competitors, service crews, officials and rally fans are invited to attend a “Dinner with the Rally Stars” ahead of this year’s Otago Rally in Dunedin.

The 2016 Otago Rally “Intention To Enter” form  has been released, and can now be downloaded.

The entry list for the 2015 Otago Rally has been released, with nearly 80 cars to contest the event over the weekend of May 8-10.

Heading the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship list is American superstar Ken Block, while Scotland’s Alister McRae and World Championship driver Hayden Paddon will battle it out for honours in the Stadium Cars SsangYong Otago Classic Rally.

The competitive stages for the 40^th running of the Otago Rally have been named in honour of some of the drivers who have contested the Otago Classic Rally over the past 15 years.