Targa event begins

Southland's roads will play host to some of the country’s top drivers today.

The  five-day Targa Rally  begins in Invercargill and  will wind its way through the South to the finish at Highlands Motorsport Park near Cromwell.

Six stages will be raced today, as the rally moves from Titiroa to Ettrick.The first of those — from Titiroa to Wyndham — has a spectator spot at Mataura Island, the first car expected to pass that spot at 8.45am.

From there the drivers will race from Gore through Kaiwera and on to Pukerau, passing the spectator spot at Kaiwera Rd off Old Coach Rd at 10.10am.

The next glimpse of the cars will come just under an hour later at East Chatton Rd, off Otama Rd, as they race from Maitland to Waikaka.

From Waikaka they will progress on to Waikoikoi — the spectator spot being at Seddon Hill Rd, off State Highway 90 in Tapanui — before heading back to Gore for lunch.

The afternoon consists of the fifth stage, from Heriot to Ettrick, before returning to Invercargill via the Catlins.

There are three categories of racing — competition, tour and vintage.

Included in the entries are several  big names, World Rally Championship contender Hayden Paddon and four-time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy.

Paddon will be racing a Hyundai Hatch, while Murphy will join the racing tomorrow in the tour category in a  new right-hand-drive Chevrolet Camaro.

It is the first time the rally has been in the South since 2014 and the 24th time it has been held. 

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