A 42-strong field headed by defending champion Steve Williams is expected to contest the North Island Saloon Car Championship at Baypark Speedway tomorrow night.
With the postponement of last weekend's North Island Stock Car title, the saloon car event becomes the third of four Speedway NZ titles to be raced at the Mt Maunganui track this summer.
Williams, who won the North Island title at Rotorua last season and the New Zealand title at Baypark last season, has a break from his caddying duties with Tiger Woods this weekend, allowing him to race his Ford Mustang at Baypark.
It's a chance for Williams to resume a battle with local racers Brent McClymont and Terry Corin that went to the closing lap of the 2010 national title.
Corvette racers McClymont and Corin are again the in-form drivers at Baypark this season.
On feature races, Corin holds the advantage with an impressive five victories from nine starts and McClymont has won three times.
The only other driver to win a saloon car feature race at Baypark this season has been Tirau's Michelle Wymer, with a consistent record including a second and four third placings in her Corvette.
Other likely challengers this weekend include Tokoroa's Chris Taylor (Mustang) who recently won Rotorua's version of the BOP champs while Hamilton's Geoff Webb (Corvette), Tauranga's Steve Muir (Corvette) and Matamata racers Jeff Barron (Corvette) and Paul Cressy (Monaro) are other home track hopes.
Heading the visitors is Whitianga racer Phil Towgood. As the inaugural saloon car champ in 2008, Towgood had a NZ GP victory at Gisborne last weekend.
Line-up
1NZ - Steve Williams
4A - Anita Sloot
5M - Brent McClymont
6M - Tony Christiansen
8G - David Moorcroft
8S - Craig Korff
10H - Kevin Moore
10M - Neil Head
11M - Zach Rayner
13R - Murray Guy
14M - Brett Kaye
15M - Murray Belz
16S - Thomas Korff
16M - Steve Muir
17W - Stuart Cunningham
17M - John Lourie
18M - Chris Taylor
24G - Daniel Corrin
37M - Stuart Neave
42H - Daniel Davis
43H - Aaron Tonks
45M - Paul Cressy
46M - Terry Corin
48A - Philip Towgood
51M - Tony Heuvel
59A - Bryan Skelton
66A - Peter Church
66M - Geoff Webb
68A - Dan Oliver
69M - Jeff Barron
74A - Scott Lansdowne
75M - Michelle Wymer
77K - Rossco Cresswell
77M - Karl Knedler
78A - David Fisher
78S - Chris Betts
78M - Mike Balsom
79M - Mike Griffiths
81M - Darryl Cobb
82M - Paul Managh
86G - Ralph Scott
97A - Robin Thomas
98M - Bryan Fraser
271M - Steve Cowling
272M - Chris Cowling
Key to tracks:
A - Auckland
G - Gisborne
H - Huntly
K - Kihikihi
M - Baypark
R - Rotorua
S - Stratford
W - Wellington