Whangarei win gives Paddon second FIA championship for 2024

Kiwi rally star Hayden Paddon secured his ninth win at the International Rally of Whangarei, with Christchurch co-driver Jared Hudson in the Hyundai NZ i20N Rally2 car, to also win the 2024 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

This is the second time Paddon has won the APRC title, first winning it in 2022 with co-driver John Kennard in the Hyundai i20 AP4 and becoming the first APRC champions to be crowned since 2019 due to Covid interruptions.

Paddon is now in the relatively unique position of holding two FIA rally championship titles at the same time, having secured his second FIA European Rally Championship with Kennard in Poland in October.

As always, he pays credit to his Cromwell-based PRG team.

“It’s awesome to win again in Whangarei, which is never easy, as well as securing this year’s FIA APRC title,” said Paddon. “To win two FIA titles in one year – when there are only six FIA regional championships globally – is probably more than we expected at the start of the season. We’re now the first team to have ticked off this achievement so that’s pretty special for everyone involved.”

The Whangarei event – Paddon’s final rally of a very busy season – took place over the weekend of 8 to 10 November, the dry, early summer conditions adding their own challenges in terms of dust and tyre wear when competitors have been used to a late autumn date and road conditions for many years.

Paddon and Hudson won all of Saturday’s eight stages to take a solid lead of two minutes and 38 seconds over two-time NZ rally champion Ben Hunt. They continued in the same manner on Sunday, in the end winning every special stage with a final margin over Hunt of four minutes and 42 seconds.

“Overall, the rally went well and to secure another Rally Whangarei victory is a milestone as it’s not always easy up here. The roads and the conditions are always challenging, so I’m very pleased. Today’s dry conditions were tough on tyres, but we focused on keeping it clean and maintaining or extending a good lead from yesterday. We were also trying to enjoy it as much as we could.”

Despite having won every special stage and every possible power stage point for the five NZRC events Paddon contested with Hudson alongside, the fact they missed the opening round in Otago gave Hunt the four point margin he required to take the 2024 NZRC title.

“We did everything we could to win the NZ championship, but we can’t be disappointed. We won every NZRC rally we entered and got every point we could, but being a round down, it always going to be a challenge. Obviously, congratulations to Ben on winning the title. Huge credit to everyone in the team with the reliability in the car; the way everyone works together, I believe is second to none. The team’s done an amazing job, and I’m pretty proud to be a part of it all.”

Paddon Racing Group appreciates the support of Hyundai New Zealand, Mitre 10 Trade, Z Energy, Valvoline, Makita, Bars Bugs, Pirelli, OMP/Racer Products, Winmax Brake Pads, South Canterbury Road Safety, TrailLite, Repco NZ, Stedi, Highlands Motorsport Park, MITO, Machinery House, Design Windows, Bartercard, Mike Greer Homes, Provident Insurance, King Gee Clothing and Signbiz.

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