Mount Maunganui rally driver David Holder will swap the steering wheel for racing notes at Fuchs Rally Gisborne this weekend.

Holder will jump into the co-driver's seat alongside good mate Jono Shapley for round four of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.

Mount Maunganui raly driver David Holder is swapping the steering wheel for racing notes for this weekend's Fuchs Rally Gisborne. Photo: Supplied

Rally Gisborne features six special stages totalling 146.8km and includes the legendary ‘Motu' stages, before returning to Gisborne for the event finish at Reads Quay.

Holder, 26, began the season chasing the dream of being a professional rally driver but a prang during season opener Rally Whangarei saw heavy damage to his Mitsubishi Evo 8 and limited budget.

Shapley is competing in the Gull Rally Challenge and the pair are not only former crew members but really good mates.

'Jono has done a fantastic job so far in his first year in the championship,” says Holder.

'[He's] currently sitting in third overall in category five of the championship.

'So to be asked to co-drive him is a huge honour to say the least, although if I said I wasn't nervous I'd certainly be lying.”

Holder admits that as a driver he normally relies on co-drivers to do everything in the car, so to change roles and to be the one with all the information is 'a wee bit daunting.”

But he'll still approach the event like any other rally, except this time his pre-event focus will be on studying notes from a different angle.

'So over these next few days I'll be taking time to practise calling notes out loud as well as brushing up on the rules, lets hope I don't get us lost!”

Holder is now aiming to returning to the driver's seat for round five of the championship at the Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel.

Fuchs Rally Gisborne takes place this Saturday, June 27. For more information visit: www.nzrallychamps.co.nz