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.

Hayden Paddon has romped to a dominant win at the Daybreaker Rally while Ben Hunt has taken control of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship lead.

In wet and challenging conditions, Paddon showcased his world class ability to power his Hyundai New Zealand Rally2 car to a six-minute win over Hunt and set up what now looks to be a two-horse race for the 2024 title.

Hunt will take an 18-point advantage over Paddon to the fifth round next month.

Youngster Zeal Jones produced a superb drive to secure his maiden NZRC 4WD podium in third place in his Smith & Sons Skoda Fabia R5.

It was a nightmare event for the man who led the championship coming into the second half of the season – Robbie Stokes – who suffered mechanical problems throughout the day that saw him retire his Stokes Motorsport Ford Fiesta AP4.

Australian Brendan Reeves finished fourth in the Hyundai New Zealand i20 AP4 while Emma Gilmour completed the top five in her Vantage New Zealand Citroen C3 and Haydn Mackenzie was sixth in his Toyota Yaris and won the Allcomers section.

Dylan Thomson (Ford Fiesta Rally4) continued his stranglehold on the NZRC 2WD class, as he overcame an overnight deficit to win his class by two and a half minutes and be the first 2WD to finish.

Bryn Jones (Ford Fiesta Rally4) held off a fast-charging Jack Stokes (Ford Fiesta R2) for second place while Tim Mackersy’s debut in his new Ford Fiesta Rally4 earned him fourth place in the class.

Dave Strong took full advantage of Open 2WD championship leader Willy Hawes’ (Toyota 86) mechanical issues to claim maximum points in his Honda Jazz RS. Hawes was still able to limp to the finish line to collect some valuable points.

Paul Fraser steered his Ford Escort RS1800 to another full complement of points in the Historic 2WD class, while Mike Cameron (Mitsubishi Lancer) was second to stay in the title fight. However a change of Co-driver for Fraser here means Helen Cameron now leads the Historic Co-Drivers race.

Andrew Graves proved his class in the Rally Challenge 4WD class as he made a successful first venture onto North Island roads.

Graves won the class in his Mitsubishi EVO 3.

James Macdonald (Subaru Impreza H6) took an impressive second place while Jay Pittams earned a solid third place finish in his Subaru Impreza despite a broken gear lever had him stuck in 3rd Gear for the later stages.

Title contender Caleb MacDonald dropped time late in the day and then couldn’t get his Mitsubishi EVO 6 back to the finish in a costly problem.

Pat Norris has thrust himself into Rally Challenge 2WD class championship contention with a first place in his Toyota Yaris.

After being fastest of all the 2WDs at the Arena Super Stage, defending champ and current class leader Jarrod Parker was forced out early due to a gearbox issue in his Toyota Corolla.

The championship has a three-week break before heading further north to the Bay of Plenty on Saturday October 5th for the penultimate round.          

The Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship title fight reignites this weekend at round four in the Manawatu-based Daybreaker Rally. Championship leader Robbie Stokes takes a one-point lead into the second half of the championship but will face a test on a rally he has not done before.

The Stokes Motorsport Ford Fiesta AP4 driver has added a new level of consistency to his performance this season and he has reaped the rewards.

But he faces a difficult test on roads that might be more suited to a pair of his title rivals.

Two-time national champion Ben Hunt has been a model of consistency over the past decade or so and once again finds himself in the mix to win another championship, trailing Stokes by a point.

The Skoda New Zealand Fabia Rally2 driver will feel more at home on the tighter and more technical roads in his factory produced car having had to deal with a slight disadvantage in top end speed on the fast South Island roads in the opening three rounds.

WRC rally winner, current European Rally Champion and seven-time New Zealand champion Hayden Paddon looms behind Stokes and Hunt, having won the last two events on the back of missing the season-opening round in Otago.

Paddon won at Daybreaker last year – a first staging of the event in over a decade – in his Hyundai New Zealand i20 Rally2.

Australian star Brendan Reeves makes his first start in the championship since prior to the COVID disruptions, running the Paddon Rally Sport Hyundai i20 AP4 and could well have an impact on the championship battle if he can find his best form.

Emma Gilmour (Vantage NZ Citroen C3) will be out to recapture her best form in the second half of the campaign while impressive youngster Zeal Jones (Smith & Sons Skoda Fabia R5) will look to showcase his talent at the pointy end of the field.

Australian Stewart Reid (SR Automotive Mitsubishi Mirage AP4) demonstrated some good speed as he began to get more familiar with his new car and should be one to watch in the second half of the season.

Dylan Thomson (Ford Fiesta Rally4) will look to defend his points lead in the competitive NZRC 2WD battle. He will face a challenge from the impressive Jack Stokes (Ford Fiesta R2) and the ever-improving Bryn Jones (Ford Fiesta Rally4), while Tim Mackersy should find himself increasingly in the mix with his new car (Ford Fiesta Rally4) now all good to go.

The battle between Dave Strong (Honda Jazz  RS) and Willy Hawes (Toyota 86) in the Open 2WD championship will re-start again, with Strong needing to make up ground. Murray Percival (Ford Escort Mk2) will keep the two title contenders honest.

Paul Fraser (Ford Escort RS1800) will be hoping to avoid drama as he protects a championship lead in the Historic 2WD class with Mike Cameron (Mitsubishi Lancer) nipping at his heels.

Championship contenders Andrew Graves (Mitsubishi EVO 3) and Caleb MacDonald (Mitsubishi EVO 6) have headed north in the highly competitive Rally Challenge 4WD class.

They’ll need to secure points at this nominated round while some of the other contenders drop this round but will return for the next round at Bay of Plenty. James Macdonald (Subaru Impreza H6), Jay Pittams (Subaru Impreza), Phil Macquarie (Subaru Impreza) and Gavin Feast (Subaru WRX) all should find themselves in the battle for the class win, while Julien Lenglet (Subaru Impreza) and Amy Keighley (Subaru Magnum H6) will battle hard for a podium spot.

Defending class champion Jared Parker (Toyota FX Corolla) will aim to defend his title advantage over Pat Norris (Toyota Yaris) in the Rally Challenge 2WD class.

The event begins with a running of the Central Energy Trust Arena Super Special Stage on Friday night in Palmerston North before a full day of competition north of the city that starts in the dark at just after 5am.

Palmerston North's Brian Green is a living legend in the world of motorsport, with a career that spans six decades and continues to thrive. As a competitor in seven events already in 2024, Green's dedication to rallying is evident. The Daybreaker Rally, powered by Brian Green Properties, remains a significant part of his life. Not only does he support the event as a sponsor, but he also holds the unique distinction of having competed in every single Daybreaker Rally, including those that predated its official inception.      

Reflecting on the early days of the rally, Green recalls an era that pre-dated health and safety regulations. "It was such a long event," he explains. "You'd start at 10 pm on Friday from Taihape and finish around 2 pm on Sunday at the Manawatu Car Club rooms. People would find that hard to believe now, but it was a hell of a long way. I remember times we wouldn’t leave the clubrooms until after dark on Sunday. It was a huge adventure for a weekend."      

To endure such gruelling events, Green had a simple formula. "We were young in those days," he says. "I lived off NoDoz tablets to stay awake and Coca-Cola to keep me going. The only food I could keep down was baked beans; everything else came back up. Back then, we didn’t have a lot of money either—the car owed us more than the house."      

Green's early successes in the Manawatu Rally, the precursor to the Daybreaker, laid the foundation for his long and storied career. His first win came in a Ford Escort, but it was the Group B Audi Quattro that truly stood out. In 1986, Green had the opportunity to drive the Malcolm Stewart-owned Audi Works Factory car, the very same vehicle that had won the 1984 Acropolis Rally with Stig Blomqvist behind the wheel.      

"Malcolm was offered a drive in the CRC Mazda 323 and said I could use the Quattro if I wanted. I met him at Taihape one Friday, and we drove back down the road to Utiku, where we found a gravel pit with a bit of road, I could test the car on. I nearly told him to put it back on the trailer—it was too fast for me. But we won the event after a good battle, and I learned a lot about the car and its electric clutch. It was a marvellous car and a fantastic opportunity. Farming wasn’t going so well at the time, so I leased it off Malcolm and continued using it."      

As the years passed, the chase of the victory morphed into a new passion. These days it's about camaraderie. "This year, we’ll be in the Mitsubishi Evo 9, and with the 4 am start, it will be a matter of pacing ourselves," he explains. "The first couple of stages won’t be that enjoyable for me, being in the dark, and it’s still a 12-hour day. There are some reasonably long stages, so that will be hard on the frame, but it’s a good event to be involved in, especially as it’s a large event for Palmerston North. It’s the opportunity for old mates who don’t get out as much as they used to, to come along. Last year, I saw people I hadn’t seen in four or five years, even though we live in the same city."      

"The event is always well supported given its history, and there will be quite a few from those earlier years who will be coming along just for the fact that they can say they’ve done it again."      

After a lifetime of competing around the world, there is an additional incentive ahead of this year's Daybreaker: "I’m having a ride with Hayden on Wednesday afternoon. He asked if I wanted to drive, but I said, 'No, no, no—I’m quite happy just going for the ride.'"

Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard performed at their best to take out a dominant win at Rali Ceredigion, the seventh round of the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship, and extend their lead in the championship with just one round to go.  

The pair contested the Welsh ERC event over the weekend of 30 August to 1 September, and were on form from the outset in their BRC Racing-run Hyundai i20 Rally 2.  

They won the qualifying stage on Thursday, which allowed Paddon to choose his preferred road position for the upcoming tarmac stages which covered forestry tracks and high narrow around the Welsh coastal town of Aberystwyth.  

They started out by winning the opening two super special stages on the streets of Aberystwyth on Friday.

On Saturday, Paddon describes the roads as “magic” as he won one stage after another to dominate the day’s proceedings. He continued his strong run throughout the afternoon, taking care to avoid the deep cuts off the edge of the tarmac to look after the car and tyres to win seven of the day’s eight stages and lead the rally by one minute, 18 seconds by day’s end.  

Going into Sunday’s final four stages, Paddon’s goal was to manage that lead and set himself up to do well in the final, bonus points-earning power stage. After touring the opening stage due to another competitor’s accident, the rest of the day went as planned even when the onset of rain made for slippery conditions and changeable grip levels, with Paddon winning the power stage to bank the maximum five points.  

In the end, Paddon and Kennard won the rally by one minute, 47 seconds from Italian ERC competitor Andrea Mabellini while their main ERC title competitor, Mathieu Franceschi, was third. On the ERC drivers’ championship points-table, Paddon now has 131 points to Franceschi’s 104 points. With 30 points available for the winner of the final ERC round in Poland in October, plus a possible 5 power stage points, the 2024 title is still up for grabs.  

Paddon says he’s delighted to secure a strong result and keep his championship prospects very much alive.  

“I’m really happy. It’s been a perfect weekend from the outset and the car has felt great. In qualifying, it was very important to push hard for a good result to get a good road position we wanted for the rally. We were able to capitalise on that for Saturday by working hard during the morning to build a bit of a margin with the goal of then being able to manage that for the rest of the rally.  

“The car felt so good that we could still stay competitive and win more stages and build a healthy lead going into Sunday. Then it was about getting through and trying to maximise points.  

“On Sunday, we cruised through the first three stages to prepare ourselves to push for the power stage. We were able to do that and win the power stage to earn maximum points for the weekend which was the perfect result.  

“Our championship position is that we have a pretty healthy lead but it’s not enough to wrap up the championship title with a round to spare. At the moment, we’re working through the budget with the team so we can do the final round in Poland. We’ll be doing everything in our power to get there.  

“Huge credit to the team who did an amazing job not just this weekend but throughout the year. It’s nice to reward everyone’s hard work with a rally win and now we look forward to the next event.”  

With his win at Rali Ceredigion, Paddon became the seventh different winner of the eight-event 2024 FIA ERC, highlighting how competitive this ERC season has been.  

Before the all-new Rally Silesia in Poland running 11 to 13 October, Paddon competes in two New Zealand Rally Championship events – Daybreaker Rally in the Manawatu on 14 September and Rally Bay of Plenty on 5 October, as well as the Ashley Forest Rally Sprint on 20 and 21 September.  

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.  

Keep up with Hayden Paddon’s news via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup. 

A fresh set of challenges await New Zealanders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard as they join fellow FIA European Rally Championship competitors in Wales this weekend. 

This is the first time that Rali Ceredigion has appeared on the ERC calendar. The 14-stage asphalt rally, running 30 August to 1 September, takes in a mix of forestry tracks, high narrow roads, and single and double-width roads around the Welsh coastal town of Aberystwyth.  

While Paddon contested and won the rally two years ago, it was in a different car run by a different team with a different co-driver – plus only one special stage of this version of Rali Ceredigion is the same as the version he did.  

“I have some idea what the conditions might be like but John and I have to write new pace notes like everyone else,” says Paddon, who currently leads the 2024 ERC Drivers’ Championship leaderboard with 96 to second-placed Mathieu Franceschi’s 82.  

The Welsh event is the second-to-last on the eight-rally ERC calendar and Paddon knows a good result here is vital for his goal of winning his second ERC title in the BRC Racing-run Hyundai i20 Rally 2.  

“For sure we need to find some more performance with the car, and we’ll have to dig deeper because we know Mathieu Franceschi will be very fast there, as will all the locals. The character of the stages is such that it will provide a unique challenge to the ERC unlike any other event on the calendar.  

“We’re getting to the business end of the championship now so need to take the bull by the horns and deliver a result – Wales is possibly our best option to do that. We’ll be going there on maximum attack to do the best job we can.”  

The JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion includes a ceremonial start and finish on the promenade in the town of Aberystwyth, which is a university centre with a population of 18,000. On the coast of Mid Wales, it is surrounded by the Cambrian mountains to the east and the Irish Sea to the west. The 193 competitive kilometres are broken into two stages on Friday, eight stages on Saturday and four stages on Sunday.  

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.  

Keep up with Hayden Paddon’s news via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup. 

Brendan Reeves, one of Australia's most accomplished rally drivers, has officially confirmed his participation in the 2024 Daybreaker Rally, powered by the Brian Green Property Group. Reeves will pilot the championship-winning Paddon Racing Group Hyundai i20 AP4 car, marking a significant return to New Zealand’s rallying scene – 13 to 14 September.

Reeves will be teamed up with New Zealand co-driver Amy Hudson for the event. He expressed his excitement about getting back behind the wheel of a top-level rally car on New Zealand roads after a long hiatus.      

“I haven’t done a rally in a four-wheel-drive car in two and a half years, and it’s been five years since I last rallied in New Zealand,” Reeves said. “Just getting back into the rhythm will take a few stages, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”      

Preparation for the rally has just begun, and Reeves is particularly excited about the dark time sections, a unique feature of the Daybreaker Rally.      

“One of the most obvious challenges will be the early morning stages, which I’m not used to, but I really love a good night stage, so I’m looking forward to it,” Reeves commented. “The roads in last year’s event looked as amazing as New Zealand’s roads always do, and this will also be my first time driving on the control tyre, so there’s certainly a lot to get used to.”      

Reeves’ connection to New Zealand rallying runs deep. His first venture into the Kiwi rally scene was in 2008, where he quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with, competing in events like the Rally Whangārei and Rally New Zealand in a Ford Fiesta. Over the years, Reeves has consistently delivered strong performances, including multiple podium finishes at the Whangārei Rally. His best result came in 2017 when he won the Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel, outpacing his friend and now team-mate, Hayden Paddon.      

“Hayden is certainly the benchmark, and he’ll be out front, being not only a top NZ driver but world class,” said Reeves.

“The aim will be to try and come in second-best, which is by no means an easy feat with the lineup of NZ drivers taking part. It will take a really smooth, smart, and committed drive to achieve that.”      

For the 2024 Daybreaker Rally, Reeves will be behind the wheel of the most successful car in NZRC rallying, now with 17 Round Wins, having been used by Paddon for several of his championships and most recently at the Southern Lights Rally in June.      

“I’d really like to thank Hayden Paddon, PRG, and Hyundai NZ for this opportunity,” Reeves added. “Hayden and I have worked together a lot over the years, and I last got a chance to drive his car - Subaru - in Whangārei in 2011, so I’m really keen to give the AP4 a go. N Australia has made this opportunity possible and has supported me for many years now.”      

The event kicks off on Friday afternoon at Palmerston North’s The Square with a Meet the Crews and Car Show from 4:00pm. The cars will then convoy to the Arena at 5:30pm for a head-to-head Harcourts AFC Super Special Stage beginning at 6:00pm, offering multiple spectator vantage points for an exhilarating start to the 192km competition.

The rally resumes at 4:00am on Saturday morning (14 September), with the first car departing the overnight park for a day of gravel road action. The route winds through Rangitikei’s Turakina Valley and towards the switchback hairpin of Ridge Road North near Mataroa, north of Taihape. A second service of the day will be held in Taihape before the teams journey south across the famed Peep-o-Day and McBeth roads.      

A second Meet the Drivers and Car Show will take place in Feilding Town Centre just before midday on Saturday, followed by a 30 minute service break in the Manfeild Arena carpark. They then repeat the Peep-o-Day and McBeth sections (the NZRC Power Stage) before tackling the 30.97km Ridge Road, concluding at Pohangina.      

The remaining cars will return to Palmerston North’s Arena where a demonstration event will precede a reversed field run of the Super Special Stage. The final run will determine the overall winner with the finishers parked on the arena infield for the concluding Ceremonial Finish.      

As a round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, the event will feature entrants contesting the series' fourth (of six) rounds for the overall title.  Included on the 60 car Entry List are a variety of teams and cars ranging from veteran competitors to first-timers. Entrant details are now available.

New Zealanders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard have extended their lead in the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship, despite finishing in a relatively low position of 12th at Barum Czech Rally Zlín, which ran 16 to 18 August.  

The Kiwis always knew the sixth ERC event would be challenging given the bumpy tarmac stages with unpredictable grip which were made even more unpredictable with the arrival of forecast rain showers.  

Tenth fastest in Friday night’s late running of the hugely popular Zlín superspecial stage, they then came through Saturday morning’s four stages holding seventh place overall and 13 seconds off their main championship rival, Frenchman Mathieu Franceschi.  

“We always knew it was going to be tough as the Czech Rally is one of the most challenging on the ERC calendar,” says Paddon. “We focused on trying to have a clean rally and make no mistakes, thinking about our own game.  

“It was all going reasonably smoothly until a big rain shower on Saturday afternoon. We had a couple of rain tyres in the car so put them on, then unfortunately had two punctures in the same stage (SS7). We stopped to change the first puncture but later in the stage had another puncture which we had to drive out on. That cost us the best part of four minutes and dropped us down to 18th in the standings and out of the points.”  

Throughout Sunday’s six tarmac tests, the pair fought their way back up the leaderboard, improving a position stage by stage until they held 12th place by the rally’s end to get back into a points-earning position. The third fastest time on the bonus points-earning power stage netted them a very welcome three extra points. Paddon now has 96 points to Franceschi’s 82 with two rounds to go.  

“Sunday was all about damage limitation,” says Paddon, “as we tried to get back into the points for the top 15 finishers. We were able to do that which was great. We also pushed as hard as we could on the power stage to get some bonus points which we were also able to do – third place on the power stage was a good result to come away with. Considering Franchesci’s retirement, which is obviously very unfortunate for him and not what we want to see for any of our competitors, but it puts us in the position where we were able to salvage some points from the weekend and take the positive of extending our championship lead.”  

Next up is the 30 August to 1 September running of Rali Ceredigion in Wales. It’s an event Paddon has done once before but in a different car and with a different team and co-driver, so there’s plenty to work on as he strives to secure his second ERC title.  

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.  

Keep up with Hayden Paddon’s news via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup. 

Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard know they can expect plenty of challenges at the sixth round of the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship, which is the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, running 16 to 18 August.

Paddon leads the drivers’ championship, holding a modest seven point lead over Frenchman Mathieu Franceschi with just two rounds after this one to go, so the Kiwi is staying focused on the ultimate goal of winning his second ERC title.

It’s the second time Paddon and Kennard have contested this unique tarmac rally which Paddon describes as one of the trickier ERC events.

“It is hugely dependant on weather as to what we will face on the rally,” says Paddon. “Yes, it’s a tarmac rally, but it’s often bumpy, dirty tarmac, so in places, it’s more like tackling a gravel stage than tarmac. To be fast on such a rally, you need to be confident.”

While the Kiwis won their first ERC title in Czech last year thanks to strong results on the first six rallies, this event saw their only DNF result of the season, so Paddon is looking for a stronger finish this year.

“We didn’t have the end here last year that we wanted, but the experience gained will help us a lot for this year to be better prepared for what is a very unique event. 

“Again we know many locals will be fast but, at this point of the championship, our sole focus is on Franceschi as our main title rival. We can’t control what he does so will be doing the best job we can and making sure we can get the right feeling with the car in testing before the event.”

The pair line up in the BRC Racing-prepared Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car in a strong field to tackle 15 special stages, comprising 201.79 competitive kilometres.

Barum Czech Rally Zlín is based in the South Moravian university city, 300 kilometres south of the Czech capital Prague. It is a tarmac test like no other due to the bumpy and sometimes broken nature of the road surface. To add to the challenge, several stages feature high-speed blasts through forests and intermittent showers are always possible. While the weather might be hard to predict, huge numbers of fans follow the action, especially on the opening night-time Zlín superspecial stage. 

Invercargill driver Mark McMillan, with Murray Wright sitting in the co-driver’s seat, took his maiden rally victory after a closely fought competition in the MLT Barry Robinson Memorial Wyndham Rally on Saturday August 10th.  

The event also doubled as the fourth round of the 2024 Mainland Rally Championship (MRC) which saw McMillan (Subaru Impreza WRX Sti) home in first followed by James Worker/Harry Worker (Mitsubishi Evo 6), Deane Buist/Tim McIver (Toyota Tueno), Gareth O’Hara/Skyla Tohill (Toyota Corolla) and current MRC leader Robbie Stokes/Janey Blair (Subaru H6) in fifth.

Stokes has been able to hold his overall MRC lead with rival and top seed Caleb Macdonald’s (Mitsubishi EVO 6) challenge coming to a halt after as he lost a lot of time when a tyre came off the bead in the stage, eventually finishing in 15th position.

Buist now moves into second overall ahead of MacDonald with Marcus van Klink, who didn’t enter this event, fourth ahead of McMillan.

The battles within the seven different MRC Classes continued. In Class A (0-1300cc), Pat Norris (Toyota Yaris) and rival Mike Matheson (Toyota Vitz) are still head to head after four rounds. While Norris took Class honours, Matheson holds an eleven point lead with two rounds remaining.

Harri Silcock (Toyota Starlet) had an opportunity to edge ahead of Jack Stokes, who didn’t enter the event, in Class B ( 1301-1600cc). However his retirement in Special Stage 3 with a mechanical put an end to that. First home was Craig Cormack (Toyota Levin AE86).

Deane Buist’s second overall and first in Class C (1601cc and over) gives him a commanding lead over van Klink by 14-points.  

In Class D (4WD), Caleb MacDonald has nudged ahead of Robbie Stokes by five-points, with the latter competing in Class H for this event.

Nigel Edie (Subaru Legacy RS) and Shane McKenzie (Mitsubishi Galant) continued their rivalry in Class E (Pre 2000 4WD). While McKenzie was first in Class, Ede holds a nine-point lead.

Stephen Gill (Ford Escort FJ20) took honours in Class F (Classic 2WD) and has moved two-points ahead of Ally Mackay (Ford Escort Mk1).  

Tom Milliken’s (Subaru H6) second to Stokes in Class H has drawn him three-points shy of Amy Keighley who sat out the rally.

The MRC takes a break until late November when both the penultimate and final rounds will be run in conjunction with the first two days of the 2024 Silver Fern Rally which has attracted a big field of overseas entries. 

As MRC drivers are able to drop their worst round result, overall and Class titles will be decided from the best five of the six round series.

The 2024 Mainland Rally Championship has the support of RDL Performance, Brita Safety Ltd, Palmside NZ Ltd, Christchurch Building and Decorating Ltd, Thomson Rust and Repair Services Ltd, Rally Drive NZ.