The longest day of this year's World Rally Championship has seen Estonian Ott Tanak take the lead of the New Zealand leg, albeit by less than a second, as drivers battled the famous Whaanga Coast and Te Akau stages.
An early wake-up and rain didn't put fans off, keen to catch a glimpse of the famous Whaanga Coast.
The world's best rally drivers were the main attraction, as Irishman Craig Breen looked at home in the wet morning stages to hold an early lead.
One driver that didn't mind the rain was championship leader Kalle Rovanpera, as conditions played right into his hands, as he strives to become the youngest world champion.
The disadvantage of running first on the road weakened, as Rovanpera dropped just 10 seconds on the morning stages.
The only man who can stop his charge to the world title is Tanak, who seized the initiative by taking the lead on stage four.
"Thanks to the rain, the fight and the competition is quite fair," Tanak said.
With Friday featuring 158 kilometres of special stages, eight-time world champion Sebastian Ogier was keeping it calculated, lurking back in fifth.
"It's quite good fun to drive," Ogier told Newshub.
And he pushed to set a stunning time in the second running of Whaanga Coast and storm to the lead, while early leader Breen ended his rally when he crashed on stage five, his Ford Puma beached by the Whaanga Coast.
He wasn't the only one having a bad day. Local Peter Farrell ended up surfing the hills of Raglan.
The best of the Kiwis is Hayden Paddon, who holds a strong lead in WRC 2 at the end of the day.
At the top, Tanak leads Elfyn Evans by 0.2 seconds, while Ogier dropped to third with a damaged rear wing.
The rally heads north to Kaipara Hills on Saturday.
