Favourites set record pace to win 2019 Otago Rally

Hyundai New Zealand star, Hayden Paddon, has completed a dominant weekend at the Otago Rally, winning all but one stage to take victory by over nine minutes.

Not registered for the New Zealand Rally Championship, Paddon returned to New Zealand this weekend with the goal of winning the Asia Pacific component of the rally, and duly succeeded.

Subaru driver Ben Hunt produced a come from behind victory in the opening round of the NZ Championship, ahead of Dylan Turner in an Audi.

On his second trip to Dunedin, Norwegian Mads Ostberg won the Winmax Brakes International Otago Classic Rally.

Driving a Ford Escort RS1800, Ostberg and co-driver Torstein Erkisen led home fellow Escort driver Derek Ayson by almost two minutes.

APRC 

Paddon and co-driver John Kennard finished victorious, winning the APRC Pacific Cup section of the Otago Rally.

The WRC round-winning pair scored 14 stage wins across the weekend, and will move to the next round in Whangarei full of confidence, and with their eyes keenly focused on the APRC grand final in China later this year.

Driving a pair of Mazda 2 AP4s, father and son Andrew and Jack Hawkeswood finished in second and third places.

NZRC

Subaru driver, Ben Hunt, chased down Dylan Turner over Sunday’s seven special stages to finish as NZRC winner and starts his title chase off in perfect fashion.

Leading after Saturday’s stages, Turner could not hold his lead as he struggled for speed on the roads north of the rally’s base in Dunedin.

Phil Campbell brought his Ford Fiesta AP4 home in third place, followed by Andrew Hawkeswood (Mazda) and Josh Marston (Holden Barina) in fourth and fifth.

INTERNATIONAL OTAGO CLASSIC RALLY 

Mads Ostberg completed a stellar drive behind the wheel of the Rossendale Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800.

Gore driver, Derek Ayson, held off the flying Regan Ross for second place after a spirited drive on the final few stages of the rally.

Ross had been ahead of Ayson early in the rally, but lost time with a mechanical problems late on day one and could not claw back the time lost.

There was total Escort RS1800 domination, with Jeff Judd and Graham Ferguson completing the top five, ahead of the first Australian, Stewart Reid, in sixth.

4WD CLASSIC RALLY

Ray Wilson led home Phil Collins in the 4WD Classic Rally, making it an Audi Quattro 1-2.

The pair, from Pokeno and Motueka respectively, led home Tom Bond in his Subaru Legacy.

Ray Casey (Nissan) and Wayne Muckle (Mitsubishi) were fourth and fifth.

LEVIATHAN HOTEL ALLCOMERS RALLY

In the Allcomers Rally, Jack Williamson finished over a minute ahead of his nearest rival.

Williamson, driving a Subaru, finished ahead of Bryn Smith and Garet Thomas.

New Caledonian, Eugene Creugent, finished in fourth position, whilst Matt Adams took fifth place.

The Otago Rally receives Major Events funding from Dunedin City Council, and is supported by the Otago Community Trust.

 

2019 Otago Rally – Final Results (provisional)

Drivesouth Otago Rally

1. H. Paddon / J. Kennard, Hyundai i20 AP4, 2h25m54.3s

2. B. Hunt / T Rawstorn, Subaru Impreza WRX, +7m16.9s

3. D. Turner / M. Read, Audi AP4, +8m25.0s

4. P. Campbell / M. Peden, Ford Fiesta AP4, +8m25.0s

5. A. Hawkeswood / J. Cress, Mazda 2 AP4, +15m25.6s

6. J. Marston / A. Graves, Holden Barina AP4, +16m11.4s

FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship – Pacific Cup

1. H. Paddon / J. Kennard, Hyundai i20 AP4, 2h25m54.3s

2. A. Hawkeswood / J. Cress, Mazda 2 AP4, +15m25.6s

3. J. Hawkeswood / A. Parkin, Mazda 2 AP4, +33m59.8s

Dunedin Isuzu Otago Rally (NZRC)

1. B. Hunt / T Rawstorn, Subaru Impreza WRX, 2h33m11.2s

2. D. Turner / M. Read, Audi AP4, +1m08.1s

3. P. Campbell / M. Peden, Ford Fiesta AP4, +4m40.3s

4. A. Hawkeswood / J. Cress, Mazda 2 AP4, +8m08.7s

5. J. Marston / A. Graves, Holden Barina AP4, +8m54.5s

Winmax Brake Pads Otago International Classic Rally

1. M. Ostberg / T. Eriksen, Ford Escort RS1800, 2h42m32.0s

2. D. Ayson / N. Gibson, Ford Escort Mk2, +1m53.8s

3. R. Ross / S. Gray, Ford Escort RS1800, +2m01.4s

4. J. Judd / S. Brennan, Ford Escort RS1800, +7m41.6s

5. G. Ferguson / R. Moody, Ford Escort RS1800, +8m24.1s

6. S. Reid / J. Mortimer, Ford Escort Mk2, +8m46.8s

7. G. Walker / T. Dewhurst, Ford Escort RS1800, +10m02.8s

8. A. Martin / M. Hayward, Mazda RX3, +16m01.4s

9. D. Snooks / M. Foreshaw, Datsun Stanza, +16m14.0s

10. R. Chadwick / R. Chadwick, Toyota Corolla, +18m43.8s

Classic 4WD Rally

1. R. Wilson / D. Elder, Audi Quattro S2 Coupe, 2h54m14.2s

2. P. Collins / T. Spark, Audi Quattro Coupe, +2m18.6s

3. T. Bond / N. Wookkey, Subaru Legacy, +3m40.3s

4. R. Casey / J. Martin, Nissan Pulsar GTIR, +7m44.4s

5. W. Muckle / T. Cresswell, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 3 GpA, +8m08.7s

Leviathan Hotel Allcomers Rally

1. J. Williamson / B. Williamson, Subaru Impreza STi R4, 2h44m26.6s

2. B. Smith / A. Beck, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9, +1m03.7s

3. G. Thomas / G. Thomas, Subaru WRX Sti, +2m39.6s

4. E. Creugnet / P. Delrieu, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9, +3m36.6s

5. M. Adams / L. Hudson, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9, +5m25.1s

Photo and media release: Peter Whitten