As the race returns for the first time since then, with a new name - Rally Launceston - in tow, the 27-year-old Canberran is ready to tackle the roads.

"They are really tricky conditions often, if it's not raining it's icy and if it's not icy, it's raining, so that's an added challenge," he said.

"But that's a part of rallying as well, those extra sorts of challenges are what makes rallying such a unique and interesting sport to watch, so from that point of view Tasmania has got it all.

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"The other cool thing about it is that there are so many amazing stages within 20 or 30 minutes of the Launceston CBD.

"It's not often that you've got a rally that can be based out of the middle of a city with the stages that close."

For spectators, there's a rally show at Civic Square on Friday night, with spectator points at Security Road in South Retreat (Saturday) and on the Sideling (Sunday).

While Bates is familiar with the roads on the outskirts of Launceston, he'll be in slightly unfamiliar territory this weekend due to a new co-driver.

His regular companion, Brisbane's John McCarthy has COVID-19 but despite some early stress, he's replaced him with someone with a lot of experience.

"It was something that we planned for and we've actually got our team manager Coral Taylor, who is a four-time Australian champion herself, co-driving for me, so I've got a pretty strong back-up in Coral," he said.

"It's one of those funny things, I've grown up watching my dad and Coral compete together for many years.

"I know Coral very well and having Coral's voice in the rally car is always a weird experience because I'm used to watching her on TV."

Bates' father Neal is a four-time Australian champion in his own right and his brother, Lewis, also competes in the Australian Rally Championship.

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The championship leader admitted he didn't get into motorsport straight away but since he has, he's certainly enjoyed having a mentor like his dad.

"It's funny because growing up, I just thought it was normal, I didn't see my dad's job as being different to anyone else's," he said.

"As I got older and became interested in the sport myself, it became obviously apparent to me that growing up in that environment was a massive help to my career.

"I didn't get into the sport myself until I was 19 but I had already a strong understanding of what was required despite not having really that much first-hand experience."

Before the drivers battle across 13 stages and 194 competitive kilometres in the forests surrounding Launceston, Bates leads the championship by 69 points, ahead of Richie Dalton.

The Australian Rally Championship round has attracted 17 pairs, six of which will double up in the Tasmanian Rally Championship.

Edwin Maguire and Zak Brakey, Bodie Reading and Mark Young, Stephen Maguire and Stuart Benson, Ben Newman and Steve Glenney, Aidan Peterson and Mitchell Newton and David Thomson and Matthew Sanders are the Tasmanians doubling up.

The Tasmanian Rally Championship has 11 other competitors involved.

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