Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard have been offered the exciting opportunity to contest WRC Rally Paraguay with Hyundai Motorsport.  

When WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay gets underway on 27 August, it will be 2839 days since Paddon’s last appearance on gravel in the top WRC class. That event was 2018 Rally Australia where he finished second for Hyundai with co-driver Seb Marshall.  

Making this event even more special is the opportunity to return to top level rallying in the continent where Paddon and Kennard made history, with their victory in the 2016 WRC Argentina Rally, as the only New Zealanders to ever win a round of the FIA World Rally Championship.  

Paddon is understandably excited to finally get a chance in the Hyundai i20 Rally1 car on gravel, just a week after he contests Rally Hawke’s Bay at home with Jared Hudson as his co-driver.  

“It was never in the initial plan this year; the original contract was for the three tarmac rallies,” he explains. “Obviously we’ve been pushing to have that opportunity on gravel. It’s where we feel comfortable and where I think things are going to happen and click a little bit easier.  

“It’s a privilege to have this opportunity and to return to South America where there’s some pretty fond memories of ten years ago. Obviously it’s a different country, different stages, but similar kind of vibe. We’re going into the rally in the supporting role, as before, but with nothing to lose and under no illusion how tough a rally it will be because there’s no substitute for seat time at this level. Ten years ago we were driving these cars most weeks, now it’s four times a year with some short test days.”  

Before the 27-30 August event, the Kiwis get one day testing in the Hyundai i20 Rally 1 on gravel.  

A large group of Kiwi rally fans will be travelling to Paraguay to support Paddon and Kennard.  

Based in the city of Encarnación, near the Argentina border, the event promises a mix of smooth red-earth stages and trickier technical sections through dense vegetation. While the surface is mostly soft and fast, deep ruts and sudden surface changes are expected to keep drivers guessing across the weekend.  

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrialLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

The 2026 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series (NIRS) returns to Ruapehu after 26 years as the BP Rally Taumarunui takes place next Saturday 8 August 2026.  

The one-day event will see the return of overall points leader Quentin Palmer/Noel Moloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) as competitors, volunteers, sponsors and spectators will come together to celebrate the return of rallying to the roads and communities that make this region so special.  

“It’s a local event for us so I know most of the roads,” commented Palmer.  “I’m hoping to win being a local, but first we have got to finish.”   This has been a key to the success they have been enjoying also competing in the national rally championship.   “We’re learnt heaps this season,” said Palmer.  “It’s a first for us competing in the South Island and adjusting to their fast roads, certainly a great learning curve.”  

Based in Taumarunui, the one-day event consists of 140km of classic King Country public gravel roads last used in 1999 as a NZ Rally Championship round.  Promoted by South Taranaki, Taihape District and Dannevirke Car Clubs, the event will have a National permit for its eight Special Stages while the four afternoon stages will also run with a Clubman's permit.  

Palmer and co-driver Noel Moloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) have been the pair to beat this season having won the first two rounds.  

Even with missing the Taranaki Tarmac Rally third round of the NIRS due to NZ Rally Championship commitments, they have an 18-point gap back to Tony Differ/Jayson Stringer (Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo) with Carlin Leong/Nathan Roa (Subaru Impreza WRX) eight-points behind and just five ahead of Gavin & Hamish Feast (Subaru Impreza).  

All current Class leaders will be part of the 46-car field.    

Darryl McManus (Toyota Vitz) is likely to extend his lead in Class A (0-1300cc 2WD) with rival Blair Richardson having not entered due to engine issues.  

Andrew Lowe/Ian Barr (Toyota AE101) took over the lead in Class B (2WD 1301-1600cc) at the last round after previous Class leaders Sam Broadbent/Matthew Broadbent (Toyota Corolla FXGT) decided not to enter.  For this event the Broadbents will be back on the start line.  

It’s still a close contest in Class C (1601-2000cc 2WD).  Khalid Mason/Sara Mason (Ford Fiesta ST150) were set to extend their lead at the last round, but a late retirement means they are just ten-points ahead of Stephen Dill/Adrian Sutton (Nissan Pulsar Gti) with Dale James/Kim Raggett (Ford Fiesta ST) also in striking distance 16-points behind the leaders.  

Tony Differ/Jayson Stringer (Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo) have just a seven-point lead in the hotly contested Class D (2000cc and over 2WD).  Second placed Phillip Broadbent (Toyota Starlet) will have Paul Ayres back in the co-driver’s seat for the round with third place Dave Strong/Brianna Little (Honda Jazz RS) just three-points adrift.  

In Class E (Classic 2WD), Chris Alexander/Jackson Foster (Ford Cortina) have a commanding 17-point advantage over Andrew Keighley/Jonathan Kane (Ford Escort Mk2) who has Brent Taylor/Dave Neill (Ford Escort Mk2) just five-points behind in third.    

Mason Grimmer/Leighton Spurdle (Mazda Familia 4WD) are back and will give Quentin Palmer and Noel Moloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) a run for their money in both Class F (4WD: 1601-1999cc) standings and the overall result.  

“Mason will be the one for us to watch in his pocket-rocket,” commented Palmer.  

Just two-points separate Class G (2001 and over 4WD) leader Carlin Leong/Nathan Roa (Subaru Impreza WRX) and Gavin & Hamish Feast (Subaru Impreza).  Throw in the mix Mitch Pilcher/Alex Parkin (Subaru Impreza) who was the first NIRS competitor home in the recently held SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac Rally.  

Despite finishing behind Shaun Wade/Haylee Wade (Mitsubishi Mirage 4WD) in the Taranaki Tarmac Rally, Chris Burke/Stephen Taylor (Toyota Celica GT) have a five-point buffer in Class I (Pre 1996 4WD).  

The first car starts from the Taumarunui Cosmopolitan Club carpark, Katarina St, Service Park at 08:15, and is expected to finish at (approx.) 16:15 at the final control located back at the Start.  

The 2026 North Island Rally Series acknowledges and thanks these partners for their support: Hawkeswood Mining, Semog, Pure Quality Construction, Paddon Racing Group, iSignit, Ngatea Panelbeaters and Online Contractors.

Jack Stokes has won the Barry Robinson Memorial Rally Southland to extend his lead in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship to seven points at the midway point of the year.

Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) got better throughout the day and pulled clear of title rival Jack Hawkeswood in the afternoon stages to claim his second career win by 24.7 seconds.

Hawkeswood led early in his Vertu Equipment Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 before a couple of scary moments when the rain came down around lunchtime. He took a more conservative approach in the afternoon but lost time to Stokes.

Robbie Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) struggled for confidence early in the day after a couple of off road excursions at the last event, before getting into his work and securing a podium finish.

Quentin Palmer (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) was fourth to again take a solid haul of points and maintain third in the standings at the three South Island events that make up the six round series.

Ari Pettigrew (Porsche 911 WRC) was once again first 2WD car and fifth overall in another impressive showing.

He led home Dave Strong (Honda Jazz RS) and Tim Mackersy (Ford Fiesta Rally4) in the Open 2WD class.

Deane Buist (Ford Escort RS1800) took a third straight win in the Classics class ahead of Ben Harding (Mazda RX7 Group B) and Southland local Paul Cross (Toyota Corolla AE86).

Pat Norris safely brought home his Toyota Corolla to win the Historic class, surviving an getting stuck off the road in the first stage.

Thomas Paul (Subaru Impreza H6) held off Harri Silcock (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6) in a thrilling battle that decided Rally Challenge 4WD by just 2.1 seconds.

James McIver (Subaru Impreza H6) completed the podium.

Rory Lawn (Toyota Starlet) pipped Josh Silcock (Ford Fiesta R2) on the final stage of the rally for the second consecutive event to win Rally Challenge 2WD by 2.3 seconds.

Paul, McIver and Kevin Laird completed the Group A Challenge podium.

The series moves to the North Island next month with a return of the Hawke’s Bay Rally on Saturday August 22.

Hayden Paddon/Jared Hudson won the overall rally in the recently re-built PRG Hyundai i20N Rally2 with a clean sweep of all seven high-speed stages, in what was Paddon's first rally this year both in New Zealand and on gravel.

Two rounds down and the gap at the top is just two points, already with 17 points back to third.

A win and a second each mean the two Jacks – Stokes and Hawkeswood – have become the firm favorites to fight it out for the GoldStar and the overall Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship for 2026.

Such has seen the closeness of the titanic battle between these two, they have completed the 413kms – in 25 high-speed special stages at Otago and Canterbury – just 26.2 seconds apart, in Jack Hawkeswood’s favour. 26 of those were at Otago and just 0.2 seconds at Canterbury.

I mentioned last time that, along with Robbie Stokes, these three front runners were almost always within 10 seconds of each other in stage times at Otago. Well, it was even closer at Canterbury and, after Robbie’s convincing win up Mt Grey Road in Ashley Forest and when the first of his off-road excursions early in Stage 2 took him out of the running, the two Jacks were within six seconds of each other on each of the remaining eight stages.

Jack H has won 14 of the 25 stages run so far, with Jack S fastest on just five. Of the remaining six tests, Robbie has won five and Quentin Palmer showed an amazing turn of tarmac speed to win the Ruapuna Circuit stage.

The Stokes siblings have a power stage win apiece, with Jack H placing 3rd at Otago and 2nd at Canterbury with Jack S beating him on both occasions. So, as they each won a Leg at Otago, it’s only those two Power Stage results that separate the pair and have given Jack S his current 2-point lead.

Therefore, expect an enormous focus at lunchtime on Saturday on the 26k of Stage 4 Pine Bush, as it is this round’s power stage. Crews will also have to be fast out of the blocks for Stage 2 Wyndham Valley (17.5k), as it is the reserve power stage should anything happen that compromises the results for Stage 4.

So, Robbie finds himself stuck down in 19th on the championship table on the eight points he earned from 3rd for Otago’s Leg One and winning the Otago power stage through Kuri Bush, which means he is giving brother Jack a 60-point head start that would require a miracle to come back from, particularly given the form and pace of the front pair.

Therefore, the only realistic way for Robbie to salvage anything remotely satisfying this year is to win as many of the four remaining rounds as possible.

However, the priority for Stokes Motorsport must now surely be to ensure Jack S wins the championship, so don’t be surprised if Robbie is asked/told/instructed to take on the role of ‘riding shotgun’ for his younger brother, with the objective of taking as many points as possible off Jack Hawkeswood by getting between the two of them come the end of each round.

All this sounds good in theory, but there are a couple of other very rapid NZRC drivers who are currently waiting in the wings to take advantage of any sort of slip up by the leading duo.

Similarly Skoda-mounted Quentin Palmer has had a near-faultless run through the first two rounds, completing the NZRC podiums on both occasions, to be in third place and, as long as he doesn’t repeat his Chris West impersonation at Canterbury when the gearlever snapped, he can be expected to be on course for a trifecta of podiums come Saturday afternoon.

Ari Pettigrew has had his brand new self-built Porsche absolutely flying through the stages in what can only be described as giant killing performances – finishing comfortably 4th overall at both rounds, with 19 (out of a possible 25) top 5 stage times across the two events.

And now there’s also Four Times GoldStar Champion (including last year) Ben Hunt, who has had one of the shortest retirements on record in any sport, and following his (non-NZRC) 5th Place at Canterbury – in his 2019 title winning Subaru – he and Tony Rawstorn are welcomed back for even more at Southland, this time NZRC registered, in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally Cup car.

As the defending NZRC champions they will carry # 1 but are expected to start behind Ari Pettigrew on Saturday morning.

So, apart from being at a significant points disadvantage, all 4 of these drivers have a great opportunity to influence the outcome of this round – and the championship – should either, or both the Jacks falter for any reason.

The rally route repeats last year’s Wyndham Rally for the first six stages with the final one, Dunsdale at 22k long, using sections of roads traversed in the Southern Lights Rally in 2024. Fast flowing wide roads are a feature that far south with some of the highest average speeds anywhere in the championship.

With recced stage notes being used this time, the pace is sure to be even greater, however the stage times posted could well be similar to those recorded in the ‘blind’ Wyndham rallies, as half the stages will have virtual chicanes in place electronically to slow the cars down for short distances.

The weather forecast is looking at best damp for the leadup and wet on the day, but at least there is a chance of double-digit temperatures rather than frosts, so faster stage times than those set by last year’s winner Caleb Macdonald, Carter Strang, Mark McMillan and James Worker could be hard to come by – for anyone other than Car 20 Hayden Paddon, who will start first car on the road in the freshly rebuilt Hyundai i20N Rally2 after Alex Rullo’s retirement-inducing accident at Otago.

It’s interesting to note that, apart from the suicidal kangaroo incident at Canberra last year, this car has only DNF’d twice in the five seasons HP has had it – and both times it’s been when others have been driving, and both times at Otago. Gaurav Gill was the other one at Otago in 2024.

OTHER NZRC CATEGORIES

It was déjà vu in the 2WD Championship at Canterbury, as Ari Pettigrew repeated his Otago winning margin of over 3 minutes, but this time in less than half the distance and less than half the total elapsed time he beat Deane Buist by at Otago. Ben Harding completed the podium, just ahead of Tim Mackersy and Dave Strong.

The Rally Challenge result at Canterbury made the trip south very worthwhile for Hawkes Bay’s Grant Blackberry, who also finished an excellent 6th overall. Young Thomas Paul continues to revel in his debut season in 4WD with 7th overall and 2nd in the Challenge after a day-long battle with Josh Keighley. Defending champion Caleb Macdonald did very well to bring his wounded Evo 8 home within 7 seconds of Josh and keep himself right in the title chase – now second to Grant. With Grant not at Southland and only 11 points separating these 4, we can expect a new leader by the end of the South Island section of this year’s NZRC.

The new Classic Rally Championship (Cat 6C) saw Deane Buist triumphant again at Canterbury with Ben Harding taking second and Roger McKay completing the podium. Deane now leads Ben by 19 points. Southland has one less entry than Canterbury but, unfortunately, it’s not due to the Drop a Round choice being taken, as poor Derek Ayson, after showing Buist-like pace at Canterbury – like winning the power stage – suffered an engine failure that is likely to see him sidelined for the rest of the series. And it’s welcome back to Paul Cross & Janey Blair for their home rally after their late withdrawal on the eve of Canterbury.

We assume the much warmer winter climate in Vanuatu means Pierre-Henri Brunet and Nelson Law have decided to give the Deep South of NZ a miss this year, however Cat 1 still has 6 starters as it did at Canterbury, as a pair of the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally Cup cars will start.

As mentioned above, Chassis #1 will be in the hands of Ben Hunt while Southlander Carter Strang will debut Chassis #2, in preparation for a full-scale assault on the new Rally Cup competition launching next year.

Once again there are no Cat 2 entries at this round.

Cat 3 will see the Porsche count increase by 100%, as Andy Martin at last gets an opportunity to run his 991 GT3 version that originally started its life rallying in Belgium. Ari Pettigrew will still be expected to dominate this class, but no doubt Tim Mackersy (hopefully recovered from the hand injury he sustained at Canterbury) and the ever-present Dave Strong will continue to chase the now Porsche(s) as hard as ever.

With Categories 2, 3, 4 and 6 competitors able to drop their worst points scoring round from any one of the first five rounds, a few appear be taking this option at Southland. North Islanders Phil Macquarie and Mike Cameron have chosen to sit this one out, so Cat 4 has just one entry, with Pat Norris travelling the length of the South Island from his base in Nelson. Finishing would see him turn a 15-point deficit into a 15-point lead over Phil.

Cat 5A will definitely be a category to focus in this weekend as Thomas Paul leads out the Magnum of H6s that comprise Josh Keighley, the returning James McIver and another local in Kevin Laird. Terri Taylor is also back in her WRX. The Mitsubishi contingent was Queenstown’s Caleb Macdonald (Evo 8) with Harri Silcock bringing his Evo 6 down from Rangiora, but Caleb has just had to withdraw due to ongoing transmission issues from Canterbury. Willy Hawes is also sitting this one out.

Similarly, it’s not just a South Island exclusive in Cat 5B, it’s a Christchurch exclusive field with Rory Lawn (Toyota Starlet) and Josh Silcock (Ford Fiesta R2) set to go at it again, just like they did at Canterbury, when it all came down to the final stage and Josh spun at Ruapuna which saw Rory leapfrog into first to win by 3.3 seconds.

As mentioned, Cat 5C will have James McIver back, and the other 4 Rally Canterbury runners are all there with Kevin Laird and Terri Taylor all chasing current leader, and winner of both rounds so far, Thomas Paul and defending champ Josh Keighley.

Once again five Juniors scored at Canterbury, with an exact repeat of the Otago result. Jack Stokes earned another maximum 25 from Thomas Paul, Josh Keighley, with the Silcock brothers in 4th (Harri) and 5th (Josh).

The Rookie Field for Southland has five contenders back plus James McIver. Harri Silcock has the maximum 50 points, with Rory Lawn now 2nd, 9 points behind. Ben Harding and Josh Silcock are both on 36 with Roger McKay just 4 points further back. Harri beat Rory by just 9 seconds at Canterbury with Josh those precious 3.3 seconds adrift.

Dave Strong repeated his Gold Card round win at Canterbury from Pat Norris and Mike Cameron. Dave now enjoys an 11-point lead. So, with Mike sitting out his first NZRC round for quite some time, Southland is a two-horse race between Dave and Pat.

The International Driver battle is a Vanuatu Only contest this year, but as mentioned in Cat 1 above, Pierre-Henri Brunet and fellow countryman Nelson Law have stayed in warmer climes this weekend.

Jack Hawkeswood did the job for Toyota at Canterbury – just – giving them their third ever round win – following his first success at Otago in 2024 and Paul Adams/Jim Scott’s 1984 Tokoroa win in a Corolla. So, the Stokes brothers’ Skodas were unable to extend – just – the Czech Manufacturer’s run of seven consecutive round wins. With a round win each, it’s now a tie at the top between Skoda and Toyota, but a certain Porsche driver has put his manufacturer as close behind as possible – by just one point.

The Teams Cup for Categories 1 – 4 and 6 saw the Real Fords of NZ (Tim Mackersy & Deane Buist) win their second round, so they have extended their lead by one point over Jack Hawkeswood/Dave Strong’s Team South Auckland Car Club, to 15 points. The North Island Cat 6s of Ben Harding and Roger McKay are up into third, 23 points behind and, again showing the importance of both cars finishing, Stokes Motorsport is on 76 – now 58 down on the Real Fords.

The Cat 5 Teams Cup is much closer – now 6 points separate the leaders, Team H6 (Josh Keighley & Thomas Paul) from Silcock Motorsport with defending champions Big Belly Rally (Caleb Macdonald & Kevin Laird) now 20 points behind the Silcocks.

A COUPLE OF NON-CHAMPIONSHIP STATS

Hayden Paddon’s PRG are doing their best M-Sport WRC Entry impression this weekend, as they will be servicing 8% of the Field, with 28 staff on duty looking after #20 HP/Jared Hudson in the Hyundai i20 Rally2, #7 James Worker/Mags Marshall (Evo 6), #14 Stew Reid/Dave Neill (Mitsubishi Mirage AP4), #29 Andy Martin/Matt Hayward (Porsche 991 GT3) and #52 Chris and Eve Paddon in their Toyota Levin AE111.

For once the Hudsons haven’t got the most family members competing, as Car 52 is Hayden’s Dad Chris and HP’s sister Eve – surprisingly only now making her rally debut – coming out for some welcome skids. Therefore, the score is 3-2 to the Paddons, as it’s only Jared (with HP) and sister Amy – who will arguably be in one of the ‘best seats in the house’ as she calls the notes for Andrew Graves in the all-conquering Evo 3.

Andrew is the King of the Deep South and has the track record to support that. Between 2012 and 2023 he drove in 19 rallies, winning 15 of them, was 2nd on 3 and DNF’d just once. And after virtually 2 years out of the driver’s seat, apart from a very brief appearance at Wyndham last year, he was striaght back on it last weekend when he finished just half a second behind Emma Gilmour’s Citroen at the Circle Hill Rallysprint.

'AND FINALLY, A BIT OF NZ RALLY HISTORY

Right now is the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Motogard Rally New Zealand and this Facebook Post by Chris Porter, who co-drove Blair Robson to 2nd caught my eye:

1979 Motogard Rally of New Zealand July 14th to July 18th - 1979 Only 47 years ago!!

Starting and finishing in Auckland this was the sixth round of the 1979 World Rally Championship.

The Masport Escort/Ford Team entered four cars, with the following results:

Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz in JB780 1st Overall (winning 22 stages)

Blair Robson and Chris Porter in IF780 2nd Overall (1st New Zealanders)

Ari Vatanen and David Richards in the Rothmans Escort IZ8320 3rd Overall

Jim Donald and Kevin Lancaster in JD780 DNF (engine failure)

“3 out of 4 ain’t bad”

Having four cars to service, Ford Boreham, UK. sent two mechanics, Mick Jones and Bob Marris along with British Competitions Manager Peter Ashcroft.

After Jim’s retirement, both he and Kevin joined the service crew of 10 people to help out.

This rally sure was a huge team effort with about 28 people in 3 service vans, 2 Utes, a tyre truck (approx. 480 tyres), luggage van, team management cars and a motorhome.

The service crews were definitely kept very busy needing to replace the head gaskets in both Hannu’s and Ari’s cars at New Plymouth. No mean feat in 60 minutes!!

Posted on Facebook in NZ Rallying History by Chris Porter where there is a great group of photos.

This was my second Rally New Zealand and I gathered up a group of fellow MG Car Club (Auckland) members to form the Parc Ferme crew that leapfrogged the event as it travelled from Auckland (Sunday 2pm) to Thames, up Coromandel before stopping in Tauranga (Monday 6am).

Leg 2 restarted at 4pm Monday then ran through the night, Taupo, Taumarunui before another stop in New Plymouth at Noon the next day.

The Final Leg began at 830pm Tuesday and travelled north via Otorohanga, Hamilton and Pukekohe before finishing in Downtown Auckland by the Tepid Baths at 430pm on the Wednesday.

A total of 658 kms in 40 Special Stages (Tarmac, Mixed & Gravel) in a total route of 1,993kms.

Hannu Mikkola’s winning time was 5 minutes over 8 hours and his initial winning margin was 15 minutes, until the works Datsuns were excluded when they refused to allow the scrutineers to inspect their engines.

Greenie finished 7th in a Ford Escort RS and the driver in Car 31 this weekend, one Ray Wilson, finished 13th and won the 0-1300cc class in his Leyland Mini GT..

Blair and Chris's car was IF 780 which was the plate number on Ari Vatanen's Works Escort in 1977 when he (and Jim Scott) took on the 3 x Works Fiat Abarth 131s in our first WRC Round- the Radio New Zealand Rally of the South Pacific - that ran for a full week from Wellington to Auckland. Inky Tulloch used 'this car' to win Southland in 1984 and now Deane Buist will have it's latest 'Grandad's Axe' iteration back on these roads this weekend.

Now THAT’S what we knew as Rallying….

Apart from that, a couple of my other lasting memories are of Pentti Airikkala in the works Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS, co-driven by our own Dr Rodger Freeth, going up the (then) Banking at Western Springs, in the rain, and going round the outside of Hannu Mikkola to win the stage and take the rally lead.

Had the crowd on their feet.

And the other one is for BB.

We had just set up the first Parc Ferme area in the centre of Thames and were awaiting the arrival of the cars.

Well before we could see any of them, we were treated to the sound of BDA Escorts almost at competition volume, blasting through the town streets.

It was BB Heaven !! Just a shame you were still years away from being able to take it all in BB.

Next thing we knew the stunning (and now legendary) livery of the first Masport Escort powered into view and we booked them in.

Not much was initially said, but once the locals started arriving, we found out that the traffic lights on the one lane Kopu Bridge were not working properly and cars were being held up there, hence the somewhat elevated touring speeds (and glorious increased engine revs) they were deeming necessary to clock in on time.

Just another example of why this awesome sport becomes so addictive…Enjoy your weekend..

The fierce battle in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship resumes this weekend when the nation’s leading drivers tackle the Barry Robinson Memorial Rally Southland.

Based out of Invercargill but featuring roads used in the non-championship Wyndham Rally, the national championship returns to the Deep South for the first time since 2024.

Jack Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) and Jack Hawkeswood (Ventia Equipment Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) will resume their head-to-head battle at the top of the standings.

The pair have traded wins through the opening two rounds of the championship and are separated by just two points heading into the weekend.

Robbie Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) will have the bit between the teeth after a couple of disappointing results to start with and should be as favoured as any to get the rally win.

Four-time national champion Ben Hunt makes a return to the championship in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally Cup car. His talents should give a good account of what these cars – set to run as a class of the championship next season – are capable of.

Quentin Palmer (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) has scored back-to-back podiums and will look to stay in the title frame while Southland local Carter Strang will also enter a Toyota GR Yaris Rally Cup car and could be worth keeping an eye on in familiar territory.

Ari Pettigrew will start as the overwhelming favourite in the Open 2WD class in his Porsche 911 and will have some company with Andy Martin’s 991 GT3 car set to make its debut. Martin’s battle with Dave Strong (Honda Jazz RS) and Tim Mackersy (Ford Fiesta Rally4) will be intriguing.

Pat Norris (Toyota Corolla AE86) will need to be disciplined as he is the only starter in the Historic class, and he has a great opportunity to take the lead in the category with his rivals missing this event.

As usual Deane Buist (Ford Escort RS1800) will start as favourite in the Classics field but will be kept honest by Ben Harding (Mazda RX7 Group B), Paul Cross (Toyota Corolla AE86) and Roger McKay (Ford Escort RS1800).

The Rally Challenge 4WD class is set to be an epic showdown with the Subaru Impreza H6 brigade (Thomas Paul, Josh Keighley, James McIver, and Kevin Laird) and Terri Taylor (WRX) doubling as the contenders in the Group A Challenge.

Those competitors will battle impressive youngster Harri Silcock (Mitsubishi Evo 6) in class 5A as defending champion Caleb Macdonald (Mitsubishi Evo 8) is a late withdrawal due to ongoing transmission problems.

Rory Lawn (Toyota Starlet) and Josh Silcock (Ford Fiesta R2) go head-to-head in their epic Rally Challenge 2WD battle.

The rally begins with a ceremonial opening on Friday afternoon on Esk Street in downtown Invercargill before a full day of rallying on Saturday.

MRF Tyres is pleased to confirm the expansion of its agreement with the New Zealand Rally Championship, which will see the Indian tyre manufacturer not only continue as the control tyre supplier for the series through to the end of the 2027 season but extend to also include the Rally Challenge classes.

The renewed agreement underlines the strength of the relationship between MRF Tyres and the NZRC, a partnership that has continued to grow since the introduction of the control tyre for the 2024 season.

Over the past two and a half seasons, the championship has enjoyed extremely competitive rallying, strong depth across the field and a high level of performance from the MRF product across New Zealand’s demanding gravel stages.

Since becoming the control tyre supplier, MRF Tyres has played a key role in supporting a stable and competitive technical platform for teams and crews.

The control tyre period has also coincided with stage records continuing to fall across the championship, highlighting both the performance and consistency of the tyres in some of the most challenging rally conditions in the region.

“This extension through to the end of 2027 underlines the commitment of both the New Zealand Rally Championship and MRF Tyres,” said Vivek Ponnusamy, on behalf of MRF Tyres. “Our relationship has grown stronger season after season and is delivering real benefits for everyone involved. New Zealand is an important rally market, with extremely demanding stages, and we are proud that MRF Tyres continues to provide a competitive, reliable and proven product for the championship. We would also like to thank Palmside NZ for the excellent work they are doing in the NZRC, supporting customers with outstanding service and technical assistance throughout the championship”.

“Since the introduction of a control tyre for the 2024 season, the NZRC has gone from strength to strength and in 2026 we’re looking at a third straight championship that will go right down to the final stage. MRF have been a massive part of that success, not only as a loyal partner of the championship through a lot of global uncertainty, but also by providing a solid product that continues to see stage records tumble. More importantly, the reliability record has been extremely strong compared with what we saw during the open tyre era,”

Blair Bartels, Championship Coordinator of the New Zealand Rally Championship, said. “Given the success of the introduction over the last two and a half seasons, making the decision to expand to the Rally Challenge categories as well was an absolute no-brainer,” added Bartels. “It is a move we believe will only continue to strengthen the championship and support competitors across different levels of the sport.”

The third round of the 20026 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series (NIRS) has seen a shake up within the top ten overall competitors and Class results after the SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac Rally was held on Saturday.  The one-day event saw Mitch Pilcher and co-driver Darryn Todd (Subaru Impreza) first NIRS competitor home ahead of Phillip Broadbent/Sam Broadbent (Toyota Starlet) and Tony Differ/Jayson Stringer (Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo) after nine Special Stages.  

“I wasn’t expecting that,” commented Pilcher competing in only his second rally.  

“I wanted to finish and did so with a good result.”  

Pilcher benefitted from the early retirements of both Carlin Leong/Nathan Roa (Subaru Impreza) and Charlie Evans/Tania Cresswell (Mazda RX7) in just the second Special Stage.  

Leong, who had a chance to take over the overall lead in the NIRS, suffered clutch problems while Evans, who missed the opening round, went off the road and became stuck in a ditch.  

“It went really well,” said 20-year-old Pilcher.  “We took the first stage quite easy and then on the fourth we spun twice with a slippery road.  Otherwise very pleased with the day.”  

The win has moved Pilcher up to sixth while Differ jumps from seventh to second overall.  

Gavin Feast (Subaru Impreza) finished sixth and moves from ninth to fourth while Shaun Wade (Mitsubishi Mirage 4WD) sits one-point behind Pilcher in seventh.  

Pilcher, a potential future champion, also won the Drive of the Day plus the Winmax Brake Pad voucher.  

With a number of NIRS competitors electing not to enter this round, a number of Classes saw changes in their title chase.  

Darryl McManus/Maddy Buhr (Toyota Vitz) continue to lead Class A (2WD:0-1300cc) while Andrew Lowe/Ian Barr (Toyota AE101) takes over the lead in Class B (2WD 1301-1600cc).  

Khalid Mason/Sara Mason (Ford Fiesta ST150) were set to not only extend their lead in Class C (1601-2000cc 2WD) but also a chance to finish on the overall NIRS podium before retiring out of the last stage of the day.    

"The final stage with the Jumps was the one I was looking forward to the most," said Khalid.  

"After leaving the (start) line there was no drive and there was nothing we could do but coast to a safe spot and sit and think about how close we were to our best ever rally finish, but it wasn't our day and it wasn't to be." The issue being two broken axles.  

Tony Differ/Jayson Stringer have taken over the lead in Class D (2WD 2000cc and over) with Phillip Broadbent/Sam Broadbent moving into second.  

Chris Alexander/Jackson Foster (Ford Cortina and Escort Van) made the most of the opportunity to take over the lead in Class E (Classic 2WD) and now have a 15-point advantage over Andrew Keighley.    

Despite missing the rally to pursue their NZ Rally Championship ambitions, Quentin Palmer and Noel Moloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) still retain the lead in both the overall and Class F (4WD: 1601-1999cc) standings.  

The father and son combination of Gavin & Hamish Feast (Subaru Impreza) not only made their debut on tarmac but now lead Class G (4WD 2001 and over) by three-points back to Carlin Leong/Nathan Roa.  

Despite finishing behind Shaun Wade/Haylee Wade (Mitsubishi Mirage 4WD), Chris Burke/Stephen Taylor (Toyota Celica GT) hold onto their lead in Class I (4WD: Pre 1996).  

Overall honours for the Taranaki Tarmac Rally went to Robert Darrington/David Abetz (Toyota Yaris) ahead of David Rogers/Noel Moloney (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) with Jason Gill/Katrina Renshaw (VW Polo) in third, all running in the unrestricted 4WD class.  

The next 2026 Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series round, the BP Rally Taumarunui will take place Saturday August 8th.  

The 2026 North Island Rally Series acknowledges and thanks these partners for their support: Hawkeswood Mining, Semog, Pure Quality Construction, Paddon Racing Group, iSignit, Ngatea Panelbeaters and Online Contractors.

While this Saturday’s SBT Group Taranaki Tarmac Rally will see the Hawkeswood Mining North Island Rally Series (NIRS) competitors shift from gravel to the sealed roads around New Plymouth, it will also be likely to see a number of changes in the eight separate Classes competing for both line and overall titles.  

Six of the current Class leaders have elected not to enter this round, including overall leaders Quentin Palmer and Noel Moloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) who has elected to pursue his NZ Rally Championship ambitions in Southland in July. Palmer has a healthy 26-point lead back to Carlin Leong/Nathan Roa (Subaru Impreza) but this won’t be enough margin with 40-points on the line for the first NIRS car home.  

His co-driver, Noel Moloney, will be at the Taranaki Tarmac Rally alongside the number one seed Dave Rogers (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) who will lead away the 33-car field.  

Blair Richardson/Nikki Sim (Ford Escort Mk1) beat home Class A (2WD 0-1300cc) leader Darryl McManus/Maddy Buhr (Toyota Vitz) at the last round, the Newstead Lodge Rally of Waitomo, and with neither entered the order will remain.  

Without class leader and defending class champions Sam and Mathew Broadbent entering, Class B (2WD 1301-1600cc) will be represented by Andrew Lowe/Ian Barr (Toyota Corolla AE101). Sam will be codriving with his dad, Phil Broadbent, in the mighty 2.5l Millington powered Toyota Starlet.  

Khalid Mason/Sara Mason (Ford Fiesta ST150) could extend their lead in Class C (1601-2000cc 2WD) while Charlie Evans/Tania Cresswell (Mazda RX7) and Tony Differ/Jayson Stringer (Mitsubishi EX Lancer Turbo) will be fighting for the lead in Class D (2WD 2000cc and over) alongside Broadbent.  

Chris Alexander/Jackson Foster (Ford Cortina) have the opportunity to take over the lead in Class E (Classic 2WD) with Andrew Keighley electing not to run at this round.  

Although not entered, Palmer should retain his lead in Class F (4WD  1601-1999cc).  

Carlin Leong/Nathan Roa (Subaru Impreza) are set to extend their 12-point lead in Class G (4WD 2001 and over) over Ben Huband who will not be at the event due to business commitments. However, watch out for father and son Gavin & Hamish Feast (Subaru Impreza) making their debut on tarmac.  

Chris Burke/Stephen Taylor (Toyota Celica GT) currently lead Class I (4WD Pre 1996) and will be up against second placed Shaun Wade/Haylee Wade (Mitsubishi Mirage 4WD) as well as young gun Mitch Pilcher/Darryn Todd (Subaru Impreza) who impressed with a top ten result at his first rally last month at the Rally of Waitomo.  

The one-day event based out of New Plymouth is run by the South Taranaki & Taranaki Car Clubs and comprises nine Special Stages totalling 152km with another 204km of Touring Stages.  

Overall honours are likely to be fought out between Rogers, Jason Gill/Katrina Renshaw (VW Polo) and Evan OLeary/Bevan Parker (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) all running in the unrestricted 4WD class.  

The first car is away from the SBT Group offices, New Plymouth at 07:45hrs with Stage 1 starting at 0802 hrs.  

The Finish is at the New Plymouth Sportfishing and Underwater Club, 45 Ocean View Parade, Moturoa with the first car returning at approximately 16.04.

Late entries will still be accepted up until the close of documentation in New Plymouth on Friday evening 26 June 2026.  

The 2026 North Island Rally Series acknowledges and thanks these partners for their support: Hawkeswood Mining, Semog, Pure Quality Construction, Paddon Racing Group, iSignit, Ngatea Panelbeaters and Online Contractors.

Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard wrapped up WRC Rally Japan with a clean seventh place finish.  

It’s been a rally of two halves, says Paddon of the seventh round of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship which took place 28 to 31 May in and around Toyota City, to the west of Tokyo.  

While judging tyre choice for Friday’s six stages proved trickier than expected, the Kiwis were determined to keep learning and improving on their third event with Hyundai Motorsport in the Hyundai i20 Rally1 car.  

“It didn’t start too well on Friday, but we were able to make some setup changes overnight and get some good improvements for Saturday and Sunday,” says Paddon, who like all competitors spent Saturday trying to manage tyre wear in hot temperatures.  

“This meant we were a lot closer to our teammates in terms of stage times and overall results.  

“In the end, to finish seventh is still a good job done. I’m not sure the rally would have ended any differently even if it had started more positively. At the end of the day, we got the car to the finish on another rally we hadn’t done before when we’re still learning more about the car all the time. No scratches, no damage, a clean finish. We can tick a lot of boxes in competing here, where we enjoyed running a Rally1 car on tarmac for the last time.”  

With Hyundai Motorsport still to announce which of their third car drivers will compete in the remaining 2026 WRC events, Paddon acknowledges that the events that he and Kennard contested have been probably three of the most challenging tarmac rallies for them.  

“There’s no secret in that, but with each rally – Monte Carlo, Croatia and here in Japan – we’ve been trying to take the challenges in our stride and do the best we can. We’ve kept improving, our speed’s improved with each rally and we’ve secured a couple of good results. I think we’ve done everything that’s been asked of us. So now we look forward to the next steps.”  

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrialLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

Jack Hawkeswood has stormed home to win Lone Star Rally Canterbury by just 0.2 of a second from Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship points leader Jack Stokes in the equal closest finish in history.

The 0.2 of a second margin is the same as when Chris West beat Richard Mason at Otago in 2005 and came after Hawkeswood got in front for the first time on the penultimate stage of the day.

The Vertu Equipment Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver held his nerve in the final blast around Ruapuna Raceway to earn his second career victory and move to within two points of the championship lead.

Stokes (Stokes Motorsport Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) maintains his title advantage but will be gutted to have missed winning his home event by such a narrow margin, especially when he led for the majority of the day.

Quentin Palmer celebrated his birthday in style, scooping a second successive podium finish in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo to remain well in the championship fight.

Earlier, defending Canterbury champion Robbie Stokes got stuck off the road on the second stage of the day after winning the opening stage in his Stokes Motorsport Fabia Rally2 evo.

For the second straight event Ari Pettigrew barely put a foot wrong in winning the Open 2WD and overall 2WD classes in his Porsche 911 WRC. He secured a brilliant fourth overall and mixed it with the leading contenders all day.

Grant Blackberry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) took the Rally Challenge 4WD class lead after a brilliant performance to earn the class win. He held off Thomas Paul (Subaru Impreza H6) by just over 40 seconds.

Paul was the MRF Drive of the Rally winner for his win in the Group A Challenge class as well as second overall Rally Challenge 4WD.

Josh Keighley (Subaru Impreza H6) finished second to Paul in the Group A Challenge and pipped Caleb Macdonald for the Rally Challenge 4WD’s final podium spot. Terri Taylor (Subaru Impreza WRX) finished third in the Group A Challenge.

Deane Buist took out the Classic class in his Ford Escort, to build on his championship lead. Ben Harding (Mazda RX7) and Roger McKay (Ford Escort Mk2 BDA) completed the podium.

Rory Lawn (Toyota Starlet) backed up his Rally Challenge 2WD win at Otago by edging the impressive Josh Silcock (Ford Fiesta R2) for the class win on Sunday. Just 3.3 seconds separated the pair at the end. Ian Warren (Suzuki Swift Cup Car) completed the podium.

Tim Mackersy (Ford Fiesta Rally4) held off Dave Strong (Honda Jazz RS) in the battle for the minor spots in the Open 2WD podium after Pettigrew took a commanding win.

Phil Macquarie (Ford Escort RS1800) made it two wins from two in the Historic 2WD class as he held off Pat Norris (Toyota Corolla AE86) and Mike Cameron (Mitsubishi Lancer).

Stokes now leads Hawkeswood by two points heading to round three – the Barry Robinson Memorial Rally Southland on Saturday July 18th.