Targa Rally makes a roaring spectacle | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

At any other time passers-by would have thought the Rotorua countryside was full of crazies, people leaning against fenceposts, wrapped up in blankets on the top of a hill or idly standing in a paddock watching the empty road.

It's only when the peace is broken by the roar of an engine, the back-firing cackle of exhausts, and the sound of squealing tyres on the tarmac that it becomes obvious something exciting is taking place.

Targa Rally Rotorua tore apart whatever serenity the Waikite Valley and Manawahe countryside could claim to have this weekend.

Held over two days and including 316km of racing, Targa Rally Rotorua gives car enthusiasts the chance to race hard.

Roads are turned into race tracks with spectators lining wherever they can get a position. The Village Green by the lakefront transforms from a peaceful pasture to a hotbed of mechanical activity. Lights on as mechanics work through the night to prepare the car for the next day of racing and trailers parked up to give the drivers a bit of a rest.

The race started on Saturday morning as drivers headed out for the first of the day's six stages. Each stage was to be completed twice, giving drivers the chance to put their foot down once they'd recorded some familiarisation.

There can't be many other races where the 66 participating cars are on the same road as the spectators, idling along at half the speed they'll hit on the closed road race stages.

But driving towards Lake Rotoma, where stages five and six passed close by, a BMW drove off ahead and on the flat by Hells Gate a grunty Ford Escort overtook - the driver and co-driver giving a friendly wave.

Viewing at the end of Rendall Rd, which links onto Manawahe Rd near the start of the stage, the roar of engines could be heard long before you could see the car. Even after it had sped off into the distance the growl hung around until the next car throttled past.

Residents brought out camp chairs and chilly bins, some wandered up and down the fence-line, trying to find the perfect spot while neighbouring children rode their motorbikes to a peak for prime viewing.

It was simply a case of waiting for each car to come past. Rotorua's Team Abarth car was one of the first to race through among the classics. Other oldies joining Mike Lowe and his team were Porsches, Ford Capris, a Volkswagen Beetle and MGs. But there were some flasher, more up-to-date cars gunning for the modern class - Nissan Skyline, Honda Integra, Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Evo and more.

And as each car whizzed past there was a sniff of avgas and a loud growl before disappearing around the next corner.

Residents can wallow in their peaceful countryside for yet another year but as sure as some cars backfire, Targa Rally Rotorua will be back.

• For results go to www.targa.co.nz