Australia’s Chris Atkinson, starved of top level competition, is set to launch a full-blown attack at Coates Hire Rally Australia from September 11-14.

Atkinson will rejoin the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team for his home event after his sole previous 2014 WRC outing in Mexico netted him a seventh earlier this year.

It had been expected that Atkinson would be handed more rallies in the #8 i20 which is being used by the team to rotate several drivers including Dani Sordo, Juho Hanninen and Bryan Bouffier.

“There’s been a bit of a gap between events but that hasn’t stopped me before and I’ll definitely give it a good crack,” Atkinson told wrc.com.

“I haven’t driven the latest car yet and I don’t know what the conditions are like. But, for sure, I want to be well up in the points and you never know what can happen.”

Atkinson has not competed previously at Coffs but was at the rally as a spectator last year and is au fait with the nuances of Australian roads.

“I should have a good idea about the terrain and fast gravel suits me,” he said.

“Knowing the nature of the Australian roads should play into my hands.

“I just need to write some good pace notes and drive to them.”

With Hyundai entering a third car under the ‘N’ banner for Hayden Paddon the antipodean rivalry will be intense within the German-based Korean team.

Hyundai arrives in Australia on cloud nine after its history-making breakthrough WRC victory at the hands of its full-time driver Thierry Neuville at Rally Germany, where team-mate Sordo took second place.

WRC standings after 9 of 13 rounds