Paddon wins Raglan rally crown
Although the outright title had been in the hands of Hayden Paddon since midAugust, the final round of the New Zealand Rally Championship still provided drama on Saturday.
The lead of the Hyundai Raglan Rally of the Coast was never contested as Paddon set the pace with fastest times in all eight of the special stages.
But even the Hyundai WRC star couldn’t avoid some mechanical anxiety and for much of the rally he applied a gentle touch to a gearbox that was causing concern. In the end, Paddon guided his Hyundai i20 AP4 safely to the finish to win by almost five and half minutes from the Subaru WRX STI of Ben Hunt (Auckland).
Notably, Paddon’s fifth win of the season clinched the 2018 New Zealand Rally Championship Manufacturer’s title for Hyundai. And put an exclamation point on an allbut perfect season with Paddon scoring 173 points from a potential maximum of 178 — the missing five being Power Stage bonus points that went astray while slowed with a blown turbo hose at Coromandel.
Hunt was clearly the second fastest driver at Raglan — as he has been throughout the season — but the 2015 champion was under pressure in the closing stages following a 30s penalty incurred for late departure from the afternoon service park.
He finished in second place just 2.7s ahead of Auckland’s Raana Horan (Skoda Fabia R5) and secured the co-driver’s title for his navigator Tony Rawstorn (Nelson).
It was a relatively trouble-free run for Horan and another strong drive from the off-road racing champion in his first full-season of rallying.
Australian champ Nathan Quinn (Subaru Impreza WRX STI) retired early in the first stage with engine problems and the Audi S1 AP4 of Dylan Turner (Auckland) went out with engine trouble in stage four.
Dunedin’s Emma Gilmour in her Suzuki Swift Maxi raced into third spot behind Paddon and Hunt after
two stages but retired in stage three with a driveshaft problem. The car was repaired and she re-joined to set two second fastest times before being sidelined by a centre diff failure.
Others to lose time included Tauranga’s Phil Campbell (Ford Fiesta AP4) with a stage three puncture and further delays later in the day, while
Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield (Mitsubishi Mirage AP4) lost six minutes changing a puncture in stage four and finished 13th.
Greg Murphy (Holden Barina AP4) climbed to fifth place at the halfway point but stopped for 12 minutes in the first run through Whaanga Coast in the afternoon and then signed off on his rallying career by setting the fourth quickest time in the final stage.
A trio of former multi-time national champions were factors at Raglan.
Auckland’s Neil Allport (Ford Fiesta R5) was up to third overall at the midway point of the rally. But he clipped a rock and was forced to retire with suspension damage.
Feilding’s Geof Argyle (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8) was slowed early in the rally with a brake caliper issue but climbed the order after repairs and saved his best effort for the final stage around Whaanga Coast, beaten only by Paddon and Horan to leap from sixth to fourth in the finish order. And four-time champ Bruce Herbert (Palmerston North) was 11th overall and the highest-placed 2WD competitor in his Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo.
Hastings driver Grant Blackberry (Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX) was fifth and wrapped up the Gull Rally Challenge outright and 4WD titles ahead of Argyle, while sixth-placed Josh Marston (Christchurch) claimed the points he needed to edge Summerfield for third overall in the championship. Marston was the only driver to win an NZRC event this year — taking the Canterbury Rally in his Holden Barina AP4.
Along with Paddon winning the outright title and Rawstorn’s success in the co-drivers category, South Island drivers filled the top four places in the championship standings and claimed the majority of class titles.
Christchurch driver Dylan Thomson (Ford Fiesta ST) doubled up with 2WD and Junior honours while Rangiora’s John Silcock won the Historic 2WD Class in his Group B Mazda RX7 and Kaiapoi’s Marcus van Klink (Mazda RX-8) won the 2WD Rally Challenge category.