The opportunity to race in the Cardrona Valley hillclimb for the first time in seven years has attracted an eight-entry unlimited class.
At the forefront is Highlands Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn, whose team is behind the event's revival, in a 850hp car he is having built especially for the 14.5km course.
Rotorua rally driver Sloan Cox will be taking on both Quinn and Tajima, having rebuilt the hillclimb special Evo 8, formerly campaigned successfully by Aucklander Andrew Hawkeswood.
Three Australians will compete in varied machinery, which are all unlimited class entrants.
Brett Hayward, who is bringing over his new open-wheel racer, has used his five previous Race to the Sky entries to improve stability and create a lighter, supercharged car, which weighs ''well under 500kg'' but ''develops in excess of 400hp.''
Former Australian off-road motorcycle champion Steve Riley has built a 4x4, cross-country Holden ute, featuring a seven-litre, nearly 1000hp engine, while Anthony Kovco will make his Race to the Sky debut in a purpose-built, turbocharged 4WD Nissan buggy.
Among the 10 off-roaders Christchurch's Bryan Chang is campaigning his national championship-winning and hand-built race truck.
He faces off against four-time Taupo 1000 off-road race winner Clim Lammers, of Whangarei, and Auckland's Jono Climo, who competes in his self-designed and built Toyota Hilux.
Dunedin's Mike Turfus, a past top-10 competitor in the open 4WD rally class, returns with his Mitsubishi Evo 8 to challenge 12 other contenders for category victory.
Christchurch's Trevor Crowe headlines the six-strong, open 2WD class within the national hillclimb class.
The 2WD and 4WD rallycourse division has attracted 13 competitors and the historic and classic rally category features Wanaka's Allan Dippie, Rangiora's Deborah Kibble and Christchurch's Wade Henshaw.
Recognised riders ''Rocket'' Ron Kirkman (78), of Whangarei, on his 1000cc Honda Rocket Racing quad, and Christchurch's Mike Shackleton, returning with his turbo-charged 1300cc ''Quadzilla'', will race among the 22 quads.
Invercargill's Craig Hyde will again be challenged by his two-wheeled rival, former Mosgiel man Nathan McAlwee.
Hyde will race a 1992 single cylinder, two-stroke Kawasaki KX500, while McAlwee competes in two classes - middleweight on a KTM SXF 450 and lightweight on a KTM SXF 250 - among the 19 motorbikes entered.
Highlands general manager Mike Sentch described the provisional entry list for the April 18-19 event as ''very exciting''.
