Supercars ace Shane van Gisbergen will contest round four of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship in Hawke’s Bay later this month.

The reigning Supercars champion will compete at Repco Rally New Zealand later in the year and has confirmed he will take part in the one-day Kennedy Park Resort Rally Hawke’s Bay as well as this weekend’s Copthorne Bay of Island Far North Rally as preparation.

The talented Kiwi impressed in his rallying debut in 2020 when he won his class at the City of Auckland Rally before blitzing the field a day later in the Battle of Jacks Ridge.

He finished second in a round of the Australian Rally Championship earlier this year and has brought the same car – a Skoda Fabia R5 – over to New Zealand to compete in three events this year.

“It will be good experience for me,” Van Gisbergen said. “I can drive the car but I'm still very new to rallying, so I have a lot to learn still.

“I’m looking forward to it and getting myself ready for a three-day event in a few months.”

Championship coordinator Blair Bartels was delighted that Van Gisbergen had entered Kennedy Park Resort Rally Hawke’s Bay.

“It is a real coup to have someone of Shane’s stature competing in our championship and I am sure there will be many fans in Napier out watching in a few weeks,” Bartels said.

“Shane is one of the biggest names in Kiwi sport and his entry will bring a significant level of wider interest, which is great for our championship.

“Rally fans too will be eager to see how Shane performs – his talent is unquestioned, and we have already seen that he can do things most people can only dream of despite limited rallying experience.”

Kennedy Park Resort Rally Hawke’s Bay will take place on Saturday July 23.    

Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard were delighted to secure first place in the Tour European Rally (TER) Championship category at Rally di Alba in Italy’s Piedmont region on 24 and 25 June. Driving a Hyundai i20 R5 car run by Hyundai Motorsport Italy (HMI), the pair were fourth overall, just 20 seconds behind the winner after nine special stages of tarmac competition.  

With five years since Paddon last contested a tarmac rally, his expectations were modest. As the rally progressed, he was happy to get into the groove of tarmac competition once again to secure a solid result. With several top three times to their credit, the Kiwis were pleased to finish ahead of a French national and WRC2 champion and a 11-time Italian rally champion.  

Now they have joined up with other members of the Hyundai New Zealand Rally team in Latvia where they took delivery of their brand-new Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car on Wednesday, ahead of competing in Rally Liepaja this weekend. The tight timeline means that they are looking at this rally, the Latvian round of the European Rally Championship running 1-3 July, as a test rally. They’ll try various setups and gather data about the car over the 12 special stages, as Paddon and Kennard get familiar with the freshly-built Rally2 car in preparation for their first scheduled WRC2 event in Estonia two weeks later.

“It’s great to get our European tour off to a good start with fourth place, out of 250 cars, at Rally di Alba and first place in the TER category in the Hyundai i20 R5.  

“With five years since our last tarmac rally, our expectations were quite low. The car and the road surface felt very foreign on our test day which was the same day I hopped off the plane from New Zealand. With the level of competition here in Italy we thought a top ten result would be good. However, as the rally progressed, we got more and more into a groove, setting several top three times. At the end, we were only 20 seconds from the lead and were pleased to finish ahead of a French national and WRC2 champion and a 11-time Italian rally champion. Overall, it was a very enjoyable weekend and big thanks to the HMI team who ran us.  

“We’re excited to take delivery of the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car in Latvia. It was a big push by Hyundai Motorsport to get the car built in time for us, so the first opportunity for me and John to sit in it will be at shakedown for Rally Liepaja on Friday 1 July.

“We’re treating this weekend’s event in Latvia as a test rally, trying many different setups and gathering as much data as we can over the 12 special stages. We’ll still give it our best shot, but there’s a lot to learn about the car which we’d normally do on a pre-event test. It can’t be helped that there’s no time for a pre-event test in this case, and the car’s signwriting in its iconic black and white Kiwi livery will also have to wait until after this weekend’s rally. We are very much looking forward to driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car and finding out more about this awesome rally car.”  

Hyundai New Zealand CEO Andy Sinclair is thrilled yet unsurprised that Paddon’s European campaign has provided positive results already.    

“Hayden and John are a world-class pair,” Andy says. “Despite not competing overseas over the last few years, they and the team have been busy preparing themselves for this inevitable return. We now look forward to seeing how the team performs with our new Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car.”  

Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand Rally appreciate the support of Hyundai New Zealand, Mitre 10 Trade, Z Energy, Makita, Bailey Caravans, Ben Nevis Station, Winmax Brakes, Gravity Internet, Pak N’ Save, Bars Bugs, Pirelli, OMP/Racer Products, Mike Greer Homes, Bartercard, Accessman, Sign It Signs, Carters Tyre Service, ETCO and Provident Insurance.

For more info on the Latvia event: https://www.fiaerc.com/erc/championship/calendar/erc/erc-rally-liepaja/overview/   https://2022.lvrally.com/eng/tet-rally-liepaja/rally-programme  

Keep up with news on Hayden Paddon and the Hyundai New Zealand Rally team via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonrallysport.             

Ford New Zealand today announced it has signed on as an Elite Sponsor of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) round to be held in New Zealand from 29 September to 2 October.  

“New Zealanders – including all of us here at Ford – love all things Rally, so we’re really excited to be supporting the New Zealand event,” said Cameron Thomas, Marketing Director, Ford New Zealand.

“It’s especially great to have it back after such a long hiatus. We’ve got big plans for the event and getting Ford fans, our customers and our dealer teams involved. There will be plenty of fan support for the Ford teams.”

New Zealand’s own Robbie and Amy Stokes will be competing in Repco Rally New Zealand, sponsored by Team Hutchinson Ford and Ford New Zealand.

The Stokes family have a long history of rally competitions, Robbie attending his first rally at three months old. He also saw his father compete in a Ford Escort Cosworth.

Robbie is now racing himself alongside his sister Amy in their Ford Fiesta AP4.

“It’s certainly a Stokes family tradition now and a dream come true to be competing in the WRC event in New Zealand,” said Robbie Stokes.

“It’s always good to race on home turf and especially with the international field.”  

Ford New Zealand is planning a special event site during the Jack’s Ridge special stage on Sunday 2 October with a hosting area for Ford supporters and dealer teams.

The site will feature one of the best viewing areas on the stage along with a special Next-Generation Ford Ranger drive activity.  

“With both our local team and the M-Sport Ford Pumas to cheer on, it’s going to be a fantastic event,” added Cameron Thomas.      

Rally driver Ari Pettigrew and navigator Jason Farmer have reached up to 3rd in the 2022 NZ Rally Championship (NZRC), following round three at Stadium Finance Rally of South Canterbury. Another great result was achieved with fourth outright by Ari and his team, halfway through the 2022 Brian Green Properties NZRC, this in Ari’s first season in the outright 4WD championship.  

The South Canterbury event is known as having the highest speed average for the NZRC season, but that did not worry Ari, Jason or the Manukau Auto Centre owned Barina AP4. Despite his lack of experience in the full class cars, Ari put up a suite of fast times over the 9 special stages. Twice they took 2nd fastest behind Hayden Paddon and took two 3rd places also. After stage 6 and with 3 stages remaining, he was in 4th overall and less than 15 seconds behind third held by Matt Summerfield.   

In stage 7 Ari halved the gap to Summerfield. With 22km’s in stage 8 before a short run around Levels racetrack for stage nine – it was stage 8 that needed to make it happen.  A full speed attack was made but halfway through the car faltered, 10km’s from the end of stage 8.  

The power steering failed, and the boys had to slow right down. Rallying requires split second changes of steering and it is simply not possible to go fast when failed steering is taking all your strength to move the wheel. But 4th at the event was still enough to move Ari up to third equal in the championship points.  

Ari comments “We are getting more confidence in the Manukau Auto Centre owned Barina AP4 and are stepping up our pace at each event. By the later stages in South Canterbury we were having a close battle with Ben Hunt and Matt Summerfield and were hopeful of taking third from Matt in stage 8. Unfortunately, power steering failure slowed us for the last 10km’s. Luckily, we managed to do some roadside repairs in time for the quick run around Levels racetrack. We do a huge amount of preparation before each rally and the Manukau Auto Centre AP4 has run perfectly all season until then – which is pleasing giving how hard we all treat our cars in the stages”  

“We have to be pleased with placing fourth in our third event, in the Manukau Auto Centre AP4 Barina. Hayden Paddon spent some time with me before South Canterbury Rally, giving me some tips to improve my driving along with helping to develop the car– and that certainly helped my speed. A big thanks to my boss Hayden. The Paddon Rally Group also helps me prepare the AP4 car and servicing at events and I can't thank them enough for all the support.”  

Next event is Hawkes Bay Rally on 23rd July.  Hayden Paddon is not competing at Hawkes Bay as Hayden is going rallying overseas for five events including WRC Rally of Finland. Paddon’s overseas rallies are in preparation for Rally NZ later this year and to work towards his Rally 2 World Championship attempt in 2023. That leaves an exciting chance for all the rest of NZRC competitors at Hawkes Bay to take a win in the absence of Paddon.  

There will be a large group of teams hoping to take the win at Hawkes Bay Rally.  Second in the NZRC points is Ben Hunt in his late model Skoda Motorsport R5 car. Hunt must have the shortest odds at Hawkes Bay Rally, but Canterbury’s Robbie Stokes is fast and due for some luck and Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield will also be planning to win that event. Rana Horan will also have his near new Skoda Motorsport R5 and currently equals Ari in 3rd NZRC points so far. Horan will also be looking for another NZRC round win. There will be more than 10 hopeful drivers with a chance of take the win, and that includes Ari Pettigrew and Jason Farmer who are getting quicker at every event.  

After Hawkes Bay Rally it will be Repco Rally NZ in late September and there will be tens of thousands of people in the stages watching Ari and Jason rally past, along with the World Rally Drivers, Hayden Paddon and the rest of the NZRC teams.  

Ari and Jason give a big thanks to Manukau Auto Centre - Paddon Rallysport - Mitre 10 Trade - Winmax Brake Pads - The Flooring Warehouse - R&R Hiab Services - KeelowCraft Boats - Dunlop Tyres – Penrite Oil NZ - Guyton Reinforcing - Gilt Edge - Glasurit Ultra Paints – Universal Sign Co - Prolook - Turboshop  

Hayden and John begin their 2022 European campaign this weekend at the tarmac Rally di Alba in Italy.

Results  Here

They are Car 21 and lead the TER part of the 100 car Entry List.

Friday Night (3am Saturday Morning NZ Time) is the 2.29k long Power Stage and makes up Leg 1.

Leg 2 comprises 8 stages and starts at 6pm NZ Time on Saturday evening with the final stage due to start at 4am NZ Time on Sunday morning.

There are 4 separate stages all around 14k long that will run in the morning and will be repeated in the afternoon local time.

Results can be accessed via e-wrc results on the following link here    

Hayden Paddon, with brand-new co-driver Jaren Hudson alongside, has won the one-day South Canterbury Rally to maintain his lead in the New Zealand Rally Championship before he departs for four events in Europe over the next two months.  

Paddon and Hudson, from Cromwell and Christchurch respectively, dominated the field as they contested nine special stages and 148 competitive kilometres of Rally South Canterbury which headed south for stages around Waimate in the morning, then north of Timaru in the afternoon before wrapping up at Levels Raceway.  

With nine stage wins and maximum NZRC points in the bank to count towards missing the next NZRC round in Hawke’s Bay, Paddon’s final winning margin was four minutes, 20.1 seconds over former NZRC champion Ben Hunt in second place.  

Paddon paid credit to his Hyundai New Zealand Rally team who got the Hyundai i20 AP4 car successfully to the finish, despite a small overheating issue which they managed throughout the day.  

Paddon was also impressed with 18 year old Hudson’s performance in the co-driver’s seat. The team had planned a test last weekend where Hudson was to have joined Paddon, but this had to be cancelled due to snow around Central Otago. This made Hudson’s performance even more significant with Paddon commenting on Hudson’s growing confidence as the day progressed.

Having done all he could with his 2022 NZRC campaign, Paddon now heads to Europe where he’ll meet up with regular co-driver John Kennard to compete in a Tour European Rally (TER) event, Rally di Alba in Italy, on 24 and 25 June. The pair will be in a Hyundai i20 R5 car run by Hyundai Motorsport Italy (HMI) for what will be Paddon’s first tarmac rally in five years.  

With no expectations, Paddon says this first rally back in Europe is about enjoying himself and making the most of the seat time.  

Some of the Hyundai New Zealand Rally team join Paddon and Kennard in Europe soon after Rally di Alba as they prepare for the Latvian ERC event, Rally Leipaja running 1-3 July, in the Hyundai i20 Rally2 car. The Kiwi engineers and technicians will take a major role in learning and running the car for Paddon. Various team members rotate between New Zealand and Europe as they head onto the first WRC2 event in Estonia, 14-17 July, then Finland for another WRC2 round, 4-7 August. The next event will be Rally New Zealand running 29 September – 2 October where they’ll look to wrap up their NZRC title.  

Paddon’s quotes:  

“Everything went reasonably well in South Canterbury. The stages were really fast, a couple faster than we’d normally expect there, mixed in with some traditional stages. We were managing a bit of a problem with the car overheating, but we were able to get to the end for the win which was our goal. The team did a great job, as always.

“The fast roads around Timaru offered some important preparation for the events in Latvia, Estonia and Finland because those three are all fast gravel rallies. They flow into one another quite nicely, so it’s been good to get into that mindset this weekend.  

“Jared did an amazing job, especially being thrown in the deep end after our planned test last weekend was snowed out. He did a phenomenal job, growing with confidence as the day progressed. Better than I expected actually, given the circumstances, so I was very impressed with the job he did.”  

Looking ahead to Rally di Alba, Paddon says: “We’re going there for mileage with no expectations; it’s just a way to kickstart our European campaign. I also have a role as ambassador for the TER championship so competing in this rally allows us time in the seat, to go and enjoy ourselves. I drove an R5 back in 2017 at San Remo and haven’t done a tarmac rally in five years so have no idea where we are in relation to the rest of the field.   “I’m certainly excited to be heading to Europe this coming week. The whole team is excited, to be honest, as there’s been a ton of work to get us back to the other side of the world. I can’t wait to get into it.”    

Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand Rally appreciate the support of Hyundai New Zealand, Mitre 10 Trade, Z Energy, Makita, Bailey Caravans, Ben Nevis Station, Winmax Brakes, Gravity Internet, Pak N’ Save, Bars Bugs, Pirelli, OMP/Racer Products, Mike Greer Homes, Bartercard, Accessman, Sign It Signs, Carters Tyre Service, ETCO and Provident Insurance.  

Keep up with news on Hayden Paddon and the Hyundai New Zealand Rally team via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonrallysport.

Hayden Paddon has completed a third successive victory in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship and has taken care of what he can control before heading off overseas.

The ex-WRC rally winner has maximum points after taking victory by over four minutes in his Hyundai New Zealand i20AP4 at the Stadium Finance South Canterbury Rally on Saturday.

Alongside stand-in co-driver Jared Hudson, who becomes the youngest round winner in NZRC history, Paddon has done all he can do before heading off to Europe to start his international campaign.

He led home Ben Hunt (Skoda NZ Fabia R5), who had to work hard on the final two stages after his buffer was erased with a puncture on stage seven.

Hunt did enough to hold off Matt Summerfield (Mitsubishi Mirage AP4) and Ari Pettigrew (Manukau Auto Centre Holden Barina AP4) to give his title chances a significant boost.

Summerfield was awarded the Dunlop Drive of the Rally after his first podium finish of the season while Pettigrew kept his title chances alive with a second successive podium.

Phil Campbell drove a sensible rally to secure fifth in the Roofing Store Ford Fiesta AP4, which keeps him well in the championship battle, while Jack Hawkeswood grabbed sixth in the Toyota Gazoo NZ Yaris AP4.

Glenn Inkster battled back after a slow start to record a solid seventh in his Force Motorsport Mazda AP4 while Andy Martin was delighted with eighth on debut in the Volkswagen Polo R5.

Raana Horan suffered two punctures to ruin his rally as he debuted his new Generator Rental Services Skoda Rally2 evo but he did manage to finish just outside the top 10.

Josh Marston (RDL Holden Barina AP4) also suffered from a costly puncture and then a late mechanical failure at Levels Raceway while Robbie Stokes had a forgettable rally as he suffered mechanical dramas in his Team Hutchinson Ford Fiesta AP4 before rolling the car later in the afternoon.

Marcus van Klink celebrated his return to the championship by claiming first overall 2WD in his Mazda RX8 while Jeff Ward (Subaru Impreza) was the Rally Challenge 4WD winner. Ward led home Sean Haggarty (Subaru) and Paul Cross (Subaru) in the class.

Jordan Grant snared a break-through class win in the NZRC Group N 2WD category and secured an impressive second overall 2WD result as well in his Suzuki Swift.

Charlie Evans (Honda Civic) edged Dylan Thomson (Ford Fiesta) in the battle for second in the NZRC 2WD).

Jonty Brenssell was third overall 2WD and claimed a comfortable win in the Rally Challenge 2WD class.

John Silcock was the sole finisher in the Historic 2WD class after championship rivals Anthony Jones and Shane Murland suffered problems early in the day.

The championship heads back to the North Island next month with Rally Hawke’s Bay on Saturday July 23rd where Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen is expected to make his NZRC debut as part of his buildup to starting in the WRC REPCO Rally New Zealand at the end of September.    

Not content with his considerable lead in the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship, nor his fifth in class finish at the Le Mans 24 Hour race just last weekend, 2020 Bathurst winner Shane van Gisbergen (SvG) has announced he is entering the Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally.

This is not SvG’s first time on the gravel. He finished 15th overall and first two-wheel drive at the City of Auckland Rally in 2020 driving his father’s Ford Escort and followed up the next day by winning the inaugural Battle of Jack’s Ridge in the Ralliart NZ Mitsubishi Mirage AP4. An astonishing 2nd overall at the National Capital Rally in Australia earlier this year was Shane’s first rally in the Race Torque Skoda Fabia R5 that he will be driving at Far North Rally on July 2nd.

These successes have rekindled a strong interest in rallying that developed in his early years watching his father Robert (Cheese), an accomplished rally driver in his own right. SvG is using this rally as a chance to get more comfortable in the Skoda and improve his rally communications process with Australian co-driver Glen Weston. The Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally regulations do not allow reconnaissance but uses pre-prepared computer-generated safety notes that give crews information on every corner and straight along the 150 kilometres of special stages.

The Far North Rally will no doubt help van Gisbergen to prepare for his WRC debut at Repco Rally New Zealand starting 29th September in Auckland.  

The Supercars Champ is taking his familiar laid-back approach into his NZ campaign.

“I’m fizzing”, van Gisbergen said, “I loved the Auckland Rally a couple of years ago and the chance to shakedown this car and get more seat time before Repco Rally NZ is too good to turn down. The Skoda is due in New Zealand any minute now and, although we have limited preparation time, I’m ready to go and excited about this opportunity to increase my gravel experience. I have heard the heavily cambered roads are some of the best in the country. So yes – this will be exciting.”

Far North Rally Chairman, Bob Mitchell said “This is a real coup for the Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally. Having someone of Shane’s mana entering our event is great news for the organising team, our sponsors, competitors, and spectators. We were expecting the rally to be really positive for the Far North. The interest generated locally and internationally with the addition of Shane to the entry list will bolster this.”

So why would an international star in multiple motorsport disciplines want to travel 14,000 kilometres from Le Mans to Darwin then another 5,000 kilometres to Paihia in the space of just a month?

Van Gisbergen sums it up in just four words… “I think I’m hooked”    

Celebrated New Zealand driver, Shane van Gisbergen, current leader in the Supercars Championship, has confirmed he will start in the Repco Rally New Zealand on 29 September to 2 October in and around Auckland.

The 33-year-old, two-time Supercars champion and 2020 Bathurst winner, has tried his hand successfully at a range of motorsports, including winning the Battle of Jack’s Ridge rally sprint last year, and finishing top-five in his class at his first attempt at the famed Le Mans 24 Hour Race at the weekend.

He is amped to be part the FIA World Rally Championship event with tickets going on sale today for Repco Rally New Zealand which will feature the best rally drivers on the globe including New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon and van Gisbergen, who will both race in the WRC2 category.

Tickets for spectator zones throughout the rally are now on sale. Rally New Zealand has offered a multi-stage access ticket for $35 per day for Friday and Saturday. The final day of the rally will be at the remarkable Jack’s Ridge venue in Whitford with tickets from $59 which includes entry to the power stage and car parking adjacent to the venue.

Further options are available at Jack’s Ridge including the Gold Pass zone ($99) or VIP hospitality tickets ($300+GST). Further details around spectator points and the itinerary will be released in the coming weeks. Limited Gold Passes are on sale providing premium spectating throughout the four days of the event along with unique Gold Pass merchandise.

Repco Rally New Zealand organisers believe the remarkable spectating at Jack’s Ridge which offers a full day of rally action culminating in the thrilling finale promises to be world-class sporting experience. With tickets limited and on the back of a sold out Battle of Jack’s Ridge event in 2020 fans are encouraged to get in quickly before tickets are sold out. Repco Rally New Zealand is a family-friendly event with kids 12 and under free and half-price tickets for those aged 13 to 18 years.

Van Gisbergen said that it was his childhood memories of Rally New Zealand that has led to his involvement. “I’ve been around it a long time and going to all the rallies when I was young watching Rally New Zealand. It has always been a dream to do it but I’ve never really had the chance. “My favourite memories were as a young kid. Before the Manukau Super Stage was built, they had it up the road at Totara Park which was not far from where I grew up.

It was in the early 90s and it was at night. I remember being on dad’s shoulders watching the cars go through there.” Van Gisbergen said his father competed and with the advantage of local knowledge, especially in the regularly wet conditions, he was faster than the WRC cars- - until they struck a dry year and his luck also dried up. “For me it’s cool that I will be on the other side of the fence."

He will be supported by Perth-based Race Torque, run by two ex-pat New Zealanders with plenty of experience in rallying, along with his co-driver, former Australian champion Brisbane based Glen Weston.

Van Gisbergen competed in the opening round of the Australian Rally Championship earlier this year in Canberra which rekindled his interest, and he plans to bring his car to New Zealand in advance of Repco Rally New Zealand, potentially to drive in Rally Hawkes Bay.

But he is not putting undue pressure on himself.

“I need to get used to pace notes, how to read the New Zealand roads and just get better. Pace notes are where most of the speed is for me.

“I do not have any expectations for results. For me just competing in the event is going to be epic, to see the stages packed with fans, and having the service park on the Auckland waterfront, it is just going to be an awesome event.

“I am looking forward to being part of it. I just want to do a good job and keep it straight, be there at the end and be part of this incredible event.”

For ticket information go to www.rallynewzealand.com

Friday: $35 + Parking per day accesses all Spectator Points (itinerary to be announced)

Saturday: $35 + Parking per day accesses all Spectator Points (itinerary to be announced)

Sunday: From $59 (includes parking)

Gold Pass tickets: $195 includes exclusive access to Shakedown, Priority Viewing at SSS1 (tba), Friday stages including Priority Gold Pass Parking, Saturday stages including Priority Gold Pass Parking, Jack’s Ridge Wolf Power Stage including Gold Pass Spectating Area and Priority Gold Pass Parking, Gold Pass official merchandise.          

The one-day South Canterbury Rally, running 18 June near Timaru, offers Kiwi rally star Hayden Paddon more competitive kilometres behind the wheel as he readies for his return to European rallying later this month.  

Paddon is ready for the challenge this rally presents, saying it’s the fastest event of the New Zealand Rally Championship, essentially a sprint from start to finish where power and speed are vital for success. He’ll be counting on the great handling of the Hyundai i20 AP4 to aid his performance, acknowledging that the engine package is not the strongest in the competitive NZRC field.  

It’s another useful opportunity for the Hyundai New Zealand Rally team to further refine their on-event processes before their European campaign.  

Young Kiwi co-driver Jared Hudson, from Christchurch, has been offered the co-driver’s seat with Paddon’s regular co-driver John Kennard already in Europe ahead of their first European event in more than two years when they’ll contest Rally di Alba in Italy on 24 and 25 June. Next up will be the Latvian ERC event, Rally Leipaja running 1-3 July, in their brand new Hyundai i20 Rally2 car, then the first WRC2 event in Estonia, 14-17 July, and on to Finland for another WRC2 round, 4-7 August.  

Paddon has a rotating roster of his Cromwell-based team accompanying him overseas so his engineers and technicians can also gain experience of European rallying before next year’s bid to win the FIA World Rally2 Championship.  

Paddon’s quotes: “We expect much closer competition in Timaru, but we are prepared for that and have a few things up our sleeve. Even though it’s where I grew up and where I competed in my first ever rally, it’s our weakest event in terms of performance due to the outright speed of these roads. Our engine package is not the strongest out there, but we’ll try and make up time in the places where we know we can, that is in the corners, thanks to the Hyundai’s great handling package.  

“With John already being in Europe ready to start our European campaign, it was a chance for us to help the next generation of co-drivers so I’m looking forward to a good weekend with Jared Hudson in the co-driver’s seat. John has been helping Jared with his development as a co-driver for some time so it’s a good fit to offer Jared this opportunity.  

“The Timaru rally offers me valuable seat-time before our first event back in Europe which is the first of four events in seven weeks so we’re all really excited for this busy period of competition in Europe. Half our team from New Zealand will join me and John in Italy, then we’ve got a rotation process for the others for more international events later in the year to make sure everyone is a part of the journey.”  

Going into this third NZRC Round Paddon tops the points-table, and now he’ll miss the fourth round in Hawke’s Bay which takes place when he’s in Europe, his goal is firmly to secure another win and maximum points in Timaru.  

Of note, following the International Rally of Whangarei, Paddon achieved a new milestone, overtaking five-time NZRC champion Richard Mason as the driver with the most-ever event wins. The Whangarei win was Paddon’s 29th. Co-driver John Kennard also marked a milestone as the winningest co-driver in NZRC history with 26 event wins, moving clear of Sara Mason. Paddon is particularly proud of the team’s achievement with the Hyundai i20 AP4 now the most successful rally car in the 45-year history of the NZRC with 14 round wins.  

Once again, Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand Rally are running the Paddon Project to support a deserving local in the regions where the NZRC events are held. Thanks to the support of Paddon’s official partners, deserving locals in South Canterbury will share a prize pack including $2000 cash, a $500 Mitre 10 voucher and more. More information on the Paddon Project is available here - https://paddonrallysport.co.nz/paddons-project/ and the winners are shared on the team’s Facebook page.  

Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand Rally appreciate the support of Hyundai New Zealand, Mitre 10 Trade, Z Energy, Makita, Bailey Caravans, Ben Nevis Station, Winmax Brakes, Gravity Internet, Pak N’ Save, Bars Bugs, Pirelli, OMP/Racer Products, Mike Greer Homes, Bartercard, Accessman, Sign It Signs, Carters Tyre Service and Provident Insurance.