She may be too young to sit behind the wheel but that has not stopped Amy Hudson from being fully involved in the Rally of Otago this weekend.
Amy, who is just 14 and is a year 10 pupil at Papanui High School in Christchurch, will co-drive in the Rally of Otago over the weekend.
She will partner Dylan Thomson, of Waiuku, who at 20 is a bit of a spring chicken himself.
Amy also co-drove in the Catlins Rally in 2014.
The co-driver's role is a busy one, guiding the driver through all the stages, as well as taking care of timekeeping and basic maintenance.
Amy said she just loved being involved in the sport.
"I would like to get into the driver's seat one day, but I'm happy being the co-driver at the moment,'' she said.
"I like being involved in the drive but not having to worry about being in charge of the vehicle.''
Co-driving runs in the family. Her parents, Rocky and Lisa, will both be co-driving in the event this weekend, and have been doing so for years.
Younger brother Jared (12) will have to be content with watching the action from the roadside.
To qualify as a co-driver, a competitor has to be aged 12 or over, be medically fit and pass a test by Motorsport New Zealand.
Amy and her Ford Fiesta driver, who with their combined ages would still be younger than many of the nearly 100 drivers in the event, aim to finish the rally.
The rally starts at 6.30am today from the Southern Cross Hotel.
The 95 cars will race over special stages in Waihemo, North Otago and Strath Taieri, then in Dunedin and south of Dunedin, before finishing outside the Dunedin Railway Station tomorrow afternoon.
