Timaru's Richie Taylor and Ray Stewart, of Mosgiel, have lapped the Central Motor Speedway countless times in their 25 and 11-year respective clay circuit careers, but the North Islanders were right on the pace.
"They are getting going fast already," Stewart assesses, adding that the competition between the 36 drivers fighting for the right to write 1NZ on their car's side panel is set to be fierce today and tomorrow.
"Probably any one of 20 will win the championship," he said.
Stewart, the 2006 New Zealand Super Saloon Grand Prix winner, will gun his "700-ish" horsepower four-cylinder turbo-charged Nissan 200SX through four heats today, in one of three groups of 12 cars.
To conclude the night's racing a top-10 shoot-out will be held between the drivers who have set the 10 fastest lap times.
Stewart races for the Cromwell speedway and has clocked a 16.5sec lap there before.
He notes that most of the powerful super saloons will easily be sliding under the 17sec mark by tomorrow's finals for the top 20 qualifiers.
The driver with the highest points tally after the three heats takes the title - meaning consistency is crucial.
Lightning reactions are also essential when hurtling the methanol-fuelled machines through the fastest point at 150kmh-160kmh, before bunching up into an 80kmh bend with other success-hungry speedsters.
To achieve a blistering pace "everybody's always chasing the setup", Taylor, who is contracted to Woodford Glen Speedway says.
Finding the right tyre pressure, suspension heights and weight distribution to the front or rear are "critical".
While the clay might look like a smooth surface to the uneducated eye, its grip level could vary markedly, affecting the amount of acceleration drivers could carry out of the corners, Stewart said.
"The biggest thing is being able to read what the track surface is going to do."
Racing starts both nights at 6.30pm.
