The date for 2013 Rally of Otago has been moved forward a week, with the event now to be held from April 5 to 7.

The change of date became necessary after the recent release of the V8 Supercar calendar, which saw the NZ round of the series clash with the opening round of the 2013 New Zealand Rally Championship.

The Rally of Otago will return to its regular place as the opening round of the New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) in 2013.

The Dunedin-based rally will be held from April 12 to 14 next year, and is one of only two events in the 2013 championship to be held over more than one day.

This documentary follows the 1973 Heatway Rally, a mud and oil-splattered event in which 120 drivers covered 3600 miles over eight days. Classic viewing!

WATCH THE HEATWAY RALLY COVERAGE HERE

Check out a range of photos from the 2012 Drive South Rally of Otago on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/otagorally

Richard and Sara Mason, the husband-and-wife rally driving duo from Masterton, led from start to finish at this weekend’s Drivesouth Rally Otago to win the rally and take the lead in the 2012 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, powered by Brother (NZRC).
 
The Otago event is the third NZRC round of the season and Sunday’s conditions included bouts of strong winds during the morning stages, especially across the ridge-tops, before teams returned to an unseasonably calm and warm Dunedin for the afternoon ceremonial finish.
 

New Zealand's leading hotel chain, Scenic Hotels, has joined forces with the Otago Rally to become the event's accommodation partner in 2011.

Multiple New Zealand Rally Champion, Richard Mason, holds a commanding 53.2 second lead after the second day of the DriveSouth Rally of Otago.

Mason and his co-driving wife, Sara, put their Subaru into a clear lead over Chris West's Mitsubishi, as Sloan Cox slipped to third.

A punctured tyre has ended Hayden Paddon's hopes of winning the Stadium Cars / Nichibo International Classic Rally of Otago for 2012.

Paddon was dominating the event in a brand new Ford Escort RS1800 and held a one minute and 20 second lead after eight special stages, but his victory hopes were dashed on the very next test.

Multiple New Zealand Champion, Richard Mason, holds a commanding 35.5 second lead after the opening three stages of the 2012 DriveSouth Rally of Otago.

New Zealand's leading rally driver, Hayden Paddon, leads the Stadium Cars / Nichibo International Classic Rally of Otago by almost a minute after the first three night stages of the event.