Phil Campbell has started his campaign to reign supreme in the national Rally Championship by becoming the New Zealand Gravel Hillclimb champion.

Campbell contested the series over the rallying off season as well as a successful debut at the recent Tauranga based Rallycross event and over the weekend, and took out the finale in Taumaranui.

He was the top four-wheel drive finisher at last year's Rally Otago, which is this weekend's opening New Zealand Rally Championship round.

Last year Campbell was one of the pace setters right across the season which he ended with the runner up spot.

This year Campbell is keen to continue to build on his speed, which increased nearly every event and is looking for more stage wins to compliment a consistent performance across last season.

'Last year was a great year for us. We really developed our speed across the year and we were really happy to get second.

'This year, we want to get even faster and really put down some stage wins,” says Campbell.

'It's certainly a great confidence booster for us to win the national gravel hillclimb championship in the lead up too.”

The new rally season began yesterday in Dunedin's Octagon. Today teams head as far north as Oamaru before returning south via the infamous Dansey's Pass to the traditional tarmac super special in Dunedin to finish the opening day.

On Sunday there are another nine special stages raced to the west of Dunedin. The weekend at the railway station at around 3.30 pm.