Paddon Takes Start-to-finish Win At Rally Otago

Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have made it a flying start-to-finish win as the 2023 New Zealand Rally Championship got underway in Otago this weekend.

The pair dominated the Otago Rally, which ran 1 and 2 April, piloting their Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car to stage wins on every one of the 14 special stages (one of the 15 scheduled stages was cancelled due to a crash) and finishing more than four minutes ahead of their closest rival after 238 km of competition.

Along the way, they added to their collection of Rally Otago stage records, including a ripper time of seven minutes, 12.8 seconds on the iconic Otago rally stage, 15.05km Kuri Bush, beating their own record of seven minutes, 13.3 seconds set last year in the Hyundai i20 N AP4 car. They hit top speeds of 125 km/h on the rolling, cambered gravel road near Taieri Mouth.

Paddon was delighted with the win. “It’s been a really good weekend for the whole Hyundai New Zealand Rally/PRG team. To come away with this win and to make it ten wins here in Otago is awesome for us all. There’s certainly some pressure when you’re trying to achieve a personal goal like that.”

He was also pleased with the Rally 2 car’s first run at Rally Otago. “The car performed well and the team did an amazing job in its preparation and running over the two days. We ticked all the boxes.

“The Rally 2 car is very different to what we’re used to in these conditions, so there’s been a bit of adapting and, even with my driving style, there’s an element of trying to adjust that to the car as well. We’ve learned a lot about the car over the weekend which I’m sure will help us for the rest of the season and there’s definitely still more to come.”

Paddon also drives a Hyundai i20 N Rally 2 car in the 2023 FIA European Rally Championship, where it’s run by Italian team BRC in partnership with his PRG personnel.

“The more seat time and competitive driving we get in this car, more information we’re gathering so of course we’ll keep improving and keep developing.”

The Hyundai New Zealand Rally/PRG crew prepared and ran five cars at Rally Otago including one for team member Ari Pettigrew and a new car for Dunedin local and long-time NZRC top-runner Emma Gilmour. Paddon is proud of the whole team for their efforts over the busy weekend event.

It’s been a massively busy rally as well the build-up to the rally. Every single person has done an incredible job. I’m very proud of everyone involved and the dedication shown. It makes my job so much easier and to get results like this with Ari in second and Emma having a good run in the top five is a huge credit to the whole team.”

Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand Rally appreciate the support of Hyundai New Zealand, Mitre 10 Trade, Z Energy, Makita, Open Country, Bars Bugs, Pirelli, OMP/Racer Products, Winmax Brake Pads, South Canterbury Road Safety, Ben Nevis Station, Bailey Caravans, Repco NZ, Highlands Motorsport Park, MITO, ETCO, Jacanna Freight, Pak N’ Save, Machinery House, Bartercard, Mike Greer Homes, Provident Insurance, Zealandia Systems, Carters Tyres and Signbiz.

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