Daybreaker Rally delivers heartache for many and triumph for Hayden Paddon

The 2024 Daybreaker Rally, powered by Brian Green Properties, proved to be a dramatic and challenging event as competitors battled through 190km of demanding roads across the Manawatū and Rangitīkei Districts. While many drivers faced heartbreak, a select few experienced triumph at the Saturday, 14 September ceremonial finish at Palmerston North’s Central Energy Trust Arena.

Starting early Saturday morning at 4:00am, the rally kicked off from Palmerston North and tested drivers with a mix of damp roads and persistent rain as they journeyed north toward Taihape. By the time the event circled back south, conditions had cleared slightly, though a widespread return of rain later in the day made the final stages slippery. Despite the challenges, the event was ultimately dominated by Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon, who, alongside co-driver Jared Hudson, secured a commanding victory in their Hyundai i20 Rally2 car. Paddon’s impressive margin of victory was 6 minutes and 27.4 seconds, leaving Auckland’s Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn, driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2, to settle for second place. Rounding out the podium was 19-year-old Zeal Jones, alongside his co-driving aunt Waverley Jones, in another Skoda.

Australian rally star Brendan Reeves, paired with local co-driver Amy Hudson, finished fourth in the Paddon Racing Group Hyundai i20 AP4 car, maintaining a strong pace throughout the event despite the challenging weather and road conditions.

“Just incredible stages,” said Paddon at the finish. “A big thanks to the organisers, volunteers and all those out in the rain today.
“They really are driver stages – very technical and demanding but there are a lot of people who put this event on and while it’s a shame about the rain that put a damper on things, everyone has enjoyed it.”

Ben Hunt now takes the lead in the New Zealand Rally Championship with Hayden Paddon moving from fourth to second, 18 points behind Hunt’s total of 108.

Of the 59 starters at Friday’s Harcourts AFC Super Special Stage at the Arena, only 43 cars made it to the finish line. Mechanical failures plagued many competitors, with 12 retirements attributed to various technical issues. Canterbury’s Robbie Stokes was the first major casualty, sidelined due to an intermittent electrical issue in his Ford Fiesta AP4 car. Arriving as the leader in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, Stokes’ hopes were dashed early, leaving him heartbroken as he exited after the third special stage.

The emerging daylight on Saturday morning marked a pivotal point for many competitors, who had struggled through the night stages. As the event progressed north, conditions worsened with persistent rain making the already challenging gravel roads even more difficult to navigate. On the return journey to Feilding for the meet-the-drivers segment, it was a return to clearer conditions however by the time they departed for the next sector of stages, the rain was becoming more widespread.

Notably, Auckland’s Haydn Mackenzie and Shane Reynolds were the first non-championship finishers, driving a Toyota Yaris to a strong result. Bunnythorpe local Geof Argyle and co-driver Kester Olivecrona fought through multiple punctures in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 to finish eighth overall. Christchurch’s Dylan Thomson and Bayden Thomson claimed top honours in the two-wheel drive category, bringing their Ford Fiesta home in 11th place.

However, the heartache continued in the final stages, particularly on Ridge Road between Apiti and Pohangina, where Queenstown’s Caleb MacDonald (Mitsubishi Evo) and Canterbury’s Tim Smith (Subaru Impreza) both made it out of the final stage but were unable to cross the ceremonial finish line. Additionally, the planned final 1.44km Super Special Stage at the Arena was cancelled due to rain, which left the surface too soft for safe competition. The result was Paddon set fastest time across all special stages, including the opening test where he was three seconds faster than imported team-mate Brendan Reeves.

The organisers of the Daybreaker Rally, Rally Race Group, extend their heartfelt thanks to the Manawatū and Rangitīkei Districts for their support in facilitating the use of the roads. The Palmerston North City Council and Central Energy Trust Arena. Special appreciation goes out to the affected landowners, volunteers, marshals, and event officials who braved the tough conditions to make the event possible. Along with the community groups: Manchester Street School, Colyton School, and Waituna West School, plus commercial partners: Brian Green Properties, Harcourts, AFC Motorcycles, Geartech, Palmerston North City Council, Central Energy Trust Arena, Manawatū District Council, Rangitīkei District Council, Central ITM, PTS/Auto Logistics, Traffic Safe NZ, Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand, iSignit, Freedom Print, Omnigraphics, Energy Plant Solutions, Dansco Design, McDonald’s – Bulls, Feilding, and Taihape.