Coromandel win gives Paddon fourth New Zealand title

Kiwi rally star Hayden Paddon has wrapped up the 2018 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship title by winning the one-day, Hyundai NZ-backed Rally of Coromandel today (18 August). With Malcolm Peden in the co-driver’s seat for the second time this season, Paddon overcame turbo hose issues in his Hyundai i20 AP4+ rally car to win his fourth NZRC event this year.

The Coromandel rally with its twisty, slower roads represented unfinished business for the Hyundai driver, having been the only national championship event he had never won.

It wasn’t an easy win either – issues with the turbo hose meant Paddon’s early lead of 70 seconds after the first two special stages over second-placed Ben Hunt dropped Paddon down the leader-board to third. Running repairs and intensive work by the Paddon Rallysport team during the midday service meant Paddon could secure two more stage wins before the turbo hose problem returned.

“It was down to the wire as we battled to get the car through with no power,” said Paddon. “Luckily the five stage wins throughout the day built enough of a margin for Mal and I to hold on for the rally win.”

His final winning margin of just 18.7 seconds over Hunt was less than many were predicting for the eight-stage gravel rally which took competitors in a loop around the Coromandel peninsula from the rally’s base in Whitianga.

This is Paddon’s fourth New Zealand title and while his domestic competition goals are more about keeping him match-fit for his World Rally Championship duties with Hyundai Motorsport, the championship honours still mean a great deal to the loyal New Zealander.

“It is obviously great to wrap it up, but it was a pretty difficult day,” Paddon said. “To keep blowing the turbo hoses off on three stages was frustrating, so we had to work for it. Essentially it was damage limitation, but we were able to hold on in the end.

“Big thanks to our guys who have done a great job all year and to Hyundai NZ for making this NZRC campaign possible. It is good for the team, good for the boys and good for Hyundai who now have their first-ever New Zealand motorsport title.”

During Friday’s reconnaissance of the four stages repeated to create the Coromandel rally itinerary, Paddon may have created a world-first by using an electric version of Hyundai’s Kona compact SUV as his recce car. Released earlier in August, the Kona EV’s range of more than 450 km allowed Paddon to easily complete two passes through the 113.93 km of special stages.

Paddon now returns to Europe to test for Rally Turkey which takes place 13-16 September, the first time most of the current crop of WRC competitors have contested the Turkish event which returns to the WRC calendar this year for the first time in eight years.

Meanwhile the Paddon Rallysport crew will be putting the Hyundai i20 AP4+ car into hillclimb mode ready for Paddon’s swift return to New Zealand for the 22-23 September running of the famed Ashley Forest Rally Sprint.

Paddon RallySport appreciates the support of their exclusive partners, Hyundai New Zealand, Pak’nSave, Winmax Brake Pads and Z Energy.

Follow Paddon RallySport on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/paddonrallysport/, or via www.haydenpaddon.com. Watch #RallyLive from the NZRC team via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/newzealandrallychampionship/ and find the results on www.chrissport.kiwi.

Hayden Paddon’s 2018 New Zealand events

NZRC round 1: Otago, 14-15 April

NZRC round 2: Whangarei, 4-5 May

NZRC round 4: South Canterbury, 23 June

NZRC round 5: Coromandel, 18 August

Ashley Forest Rally Sprint, 22-23 September

NZRC round 6: Rally New Zealand, 12-14 October

Release: Relish Communications

Photo: Geoff Ridder