Thompson, who recently moved to Moruya Heads from Sydney, is looking forward to “a great spectacle”.

“It’s a really good field, lots of big names and good drivers,” he said. “It’ll be great to see all the cars, and I think it’ll be good for the community.”

Thompson and his co-driver Ken Hind drive a 1976 RA 23 Celica, and Thompson has been rallying Celica’s since the 1980s.

“We did a rally in it a couple of weekend’s ago, and did a bit of damage, so we’ve been working through some repairs,” Thompson said. “I’ll take her for a run and make sure everything’s okay before the race.”

Thompson said he expects to be exhausted after a full day’s racing.

“There’s a lot of adrenaline in the build up as you start the stages,” he said. “It’s quite tiring, because you’re concentrating pretty heavily during the stages.

“You’re not physically tired, but it’s still quite exhausting. Even on a cold day you finish a stage covered in sweat because you’re concentrating so hard.”

Despite the expected fatigue, Thompson can’t wait for the rally to start.

“I’m looking forward to getting out there and having a bit of a go,” he said. “I’m also looking forward to see some of the other cars, and catching up with a few mates.”