Latest news with #HaydenPaddon
Belfast Telegraph
6 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Hayden Paddon is relishing his first crack at the Donegal International Rally
Hayden Paddon has told Sunday Life Sport it would be 'extra special' to become the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to win the Donegal International Rally next weekend. The reigning and two-time FIA European Rally Champion is a late entry change for round four of the Irish Tarmac Championship, which he is contesting with Dave Moynihan.
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Paddon revved up for triple-header
Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have a busy schedule ahead. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Life is flat-tack for New Zealand rally star Hayden Paddon. The Cromwell-based ace is about to contest three very different rallies over three consecutive weekends in three countries with three different co-drivers. Rally Queensland, running July 4-6 near Gympie, north of Brisbane, has been booked in all year. Paddon is set to continue his bid to win his first Australian Rally Championship title with longtime co-driver John Kennard alongside in the PRG-run Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car. Paddon and Kennard took the lead of their respective drivers' and co-drivers' championships at the previous ARC round in Western Australia and know they face a challenge in Queensland as most of the frontrunners have considerable experience on the rally's gravel, forestry plantation roads. Two more dates unexpectedly popped up on the calendar. Paddon received an invitation to compete in the Ypres Rally in Belgium, June 28-29, an event he contested in 2013 at the start of his international career. One of the longest-running rallies in Europe, Ypres is a high-speed, all-tarmac rally that regularly attracts top international drivers. Paddon will be joined by New Zealand co-driver Jared Hudson in a Hyundai i20N Rally2 car prepared by last year's Belgian champions, BMA. Finally, just this week, a late change in the entry list for Ireland's most competitive motorsport rally, the Donegal Rally, provided Paddon with the opportunity to drive another Hyundai i20N Rally2 with co-driver Dave Moynihan. The car will be run by C&M Motorsport and the event takes place on June 20-22. Described as the ultimate three-day tarmac rally, Donegal attracts over 70,000 spectators and close to 400,000 viewers on television and online. Being the only three-day tarmac rally in Ireland and the United Kingdom, it attracts the best Irish, British and international drivers from around the globe every year. Paddon is understandably excited. "It's fantastic to be heading back to Europe for some rally action again during what will be one of the busiest three-week windows of my life," he said. "There's certainly a challenge ahead with three different cars, three different co-drivers and teams across the three events that span halfway round the globe. "Donegal and Ypres are very famous events where the locals are extremely fast on demanding stages. "Then, on our return to Australia, we are going into a rally where most of the ARC competitors are familiar with the stages from last year. "We are going to have to prepare and push hard at all three events. It's a challenge I'm definitely up for. "The dream is to try and challenge for victories across all three events, but the challenge to do that is huge. "Together with my three co-drivers and teams, I know we'll give it everything we have and try our best to keep up with the locals. "It's a unique and exciting privilege, to get outside your comfort zone and try new challenges, and for me, that is motivation to push us to try even harder." — APL
Scoop
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Jones And Thomson Closer Than Ever To Victory In Japan
With New Zealand rally legend Hayden Paddon on hand to help and advise over the weekend, Jones and Thomson but a relatively slow start on stage one behind them to be one of the pace setters on the afternoon of the first day and throughout the second day of the eight-stage rally. The strong result moves them to second in the championship standings at the halfway point of the season. 'We were third overall and had a great final day with two stage wins and a second place,' commented Jones. 'We just missed out on second overall by 1.8 seconds which is a little frustrating but again it was really close overall and we were only 14 seconds off winning. 'The championship is that tight that it is the tiny details and tiny issues making all the difference. We lost a chunk of time on stage one when I wasn't really on the pace, and it would have been very different without that but overall, three stage wins across the weekend out of eight is positive. 'We had a good feeling with the car, and we will move to the next round with confidence that we can make that next step up I think.' Paddon was impressed with what he saw, adding: 'I've enjoyed helping Zeal and Bayden over the weekend and seeing the progress they are making in and out of the car. Seeing them standing on the podium after closing the gap to the leaders was the icing on the cake.' The Morizo Challenge Cup is a new category run as a class within the All Japan Rally Championship. All crews compete in Toyota's GR Yaris, where tight rules and limited modifications put the focus on driver skill and teamwork. All drivers must be under 25 years old and the objective of the championship is to provide a stepping stone to higher rallying categories for Japan's rising rally stars. With a Japanese mother, Jones' entry into the championship was welcomed. The Kiwi duo go again at the next round at Hokkaido over the weekend of July 4-6.
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Paddon up to third in standings after dual wins
Hayden Paddon (right) and co-driver John Kennard celebrate after their win in the Forest Rally in Western Australia on Sunday. PHOTO: TAYLER BURKE New Zealand rally stars Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard overcame intense competition and muddy conditions to win the Forest Rally in Western Australia. It was the second round of the Australian Rally Championship, run as two single-day events across the weekend. The Kiwis worked hard to secure the maximum available 50 points each day and claim the win in their Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car. Paddon is now third on the ARC drivers' points table behind Lewis Bates and Scott Pedder after two of the six championship rounds. The Cromwell driver was seeded fourth heading into Saturday's heat one and Paddon and Kennard were among the top runners from the outset as expected. But the competition was hot, 2020 FIA junior world rally champion Tom Kristensson winning the first stage, three-time ARC champ Harry Bates securing the second, and Paddon the third. Heavy rain made conditions very slippery in places, but high grip in others, and nothing like the loose, ball-bearing surface typical of this rally run in the forests near Nannup, south of Perth near Margaret River. Into the afternoon loop, Rally of Canberra winner Scott Pedder took the fourth stage win, then Paddon and Kennard were able to wrap up the day to their satisfaction by winning the last two stages with a margin of 12.3sec over Pedder, and secure maximum points for heat one. Sunday morning's loop of three stages were very wet and muddy, but Paddon said drying conditions in the afternoon suited them and the car better. Four different stage winners — Kristensson, Pedder, Harry Bates and Paddon — throughout the day highlighted the intense competition. Paddon was ultimately the day's victor by a margin of just 5.4sec over Bates. Paddon was delighted to take the rally win and maximum points. 'It was a really good weekend and we're really happy to come away with the win on both days," Paddon said. "It was more than we expected especially as the conditions were very challenging. "We had to really dig deep to try and get the result. "To get the win in that fashion is very satisfying. It's been a huge effort from everyone in the PRG team being over here for the week. It's great to get our bid to win our first Australian championship back on track with our next challenge taking place at Rally Queensland near Gympie next month.' — APL
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Paddon after max points in WA
Hayden Paddon. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES New Zealand rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard head into new challenges in the second Australian Rally Championship, round which starts in Western Australia today. The Forest Rally runs around the towns of Busselton and Nannup, south of Perth near Margaret River. The two-day rally features a stacked entry list of 39 crews, including international stars such as 2020 FIA junior world rally champion Tom Kristensson and co-driver Andreas Johansson, of Sweden, and regular local top runners such as the Bates brothers. With the roads described as "unique, ball-bearing gravel", Paddon and Kennard are expecting plenty of fast, sideways-sliding action on the stages in their refreshed Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car. The New Zealand pair again have the support of their Cromwell-based PRG crew in Australia. Paddon is fresh from an outright win in Rally South Canterbury, in which Jared Hudson co-drove in the team's Hyundai i20 AP4. While the pair's first Australian outing this year did not go to plan in March — thanks to some local wildlife — they are looking for maximum points this coming weekend, and have been working through their pre-event preparation with their usual thoroughness. "This is our first time competing in Western Australia," Paddon who will be starting No4 four on the road, said. "We've heard a lot about the loose marbles here that make it slippery, but from what we have seen from our homework, the stages look generally smooth and flowing. "We've been working on a couple of small upgrades on the car, so we are looking forward to trying to get our championship bid back on track. ''That means we really need to target maximum points here, but we are also expecting a lot of fast teams here like the first ARC round in Canberra. ''Our goal is to focus on doing the best job we can from when recce starts on Thursday until the end of the rally on Sunday night." The Forest Rally gets under way today with a rally show in the evening (WA time) near the Busselton foreshore. Tomorrow's six special stages take competitors into the Nannup forest and comprise two repeated loops of three stages with a total competitive distance of 103.28 km. Sunday's six stages are also three tests repeated morning and afternoon, over a total 81.02km, before the rally finish and podium celebrations in Nannup later in the day. — APL
