Whangarei (New Zealand), April 28 (IANS): Racer Gaurav Gill and his team MRF-SKODA will renew their assault on the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) crown when the new six-round season commences on Friday with the super fast International Rally of Whangarei.

Gill, the 34-year-old from Delhi who in 2013 became the first and only Indian to win the coveted APRC title, will be seeking to regain the Whangarei crown that he had claimed in 2014. 

He will be piloting a brand new Race Torque-prepared Skoda Fabia R5 car that he drove for the first time on Wednesday during the test session and looked hot and ready for this weekend's battle.

Gill and his Australian co-driver Glenn Macneall, appear unbeatable though they will be wary of new team-mate 23-year old Fabian Kreim along with co-driver Frank Christian.

The two Skoda Fabia R5 cars were extremely quick, responsive and settled as they were given a run during Wednesday's test session. It will take some doing to beat MRF-SKODA team who are eyeing their eighth APRC crown.

"It is well known that the track in New Zealand are among the fastest in the World. They have extremely fast straights and flowing corners. You can expect average speed of around 125 Kmph," Gill said in a statement on Thursday.