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Rally New Zealand congratulates new world champion Hayden Paddon

Representatives of Rally New Zealand, organisers of New Zealand’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), were thrilled to be at the weekend’s round in Australia where Geraldine’s Hayden Paddon made history by winning the production category world title.

Contesting the 2011 Production World Rally Championship (PWRC), 24-year-old Paddon went in to his fourth event of the season with a comfortable points’ lead, eyeing a chance at claiming outright title victory.  Steering past the challenges and turmoil of the three-day rally on Australia’s New South Wales coast, Paddon and Blenheim based co-driver John Kennard finished first of the production category cars and a very significant sixth overall.

That gave the pair their fourth successive category victory for 2011 and enough championship points to provisionally take the world title – a first for any driver in Australasia.

“On behalf of Rally New Zealand, I’d like to acknowledge and congratulate both Hayden Paddon and John Kennard on their historic victory,” said Peter (PJ) Johnston, chairman of the Rally New Zealand board. “This has very special significance for New Zealand as a country and demonstrates the commitment the sport has invested to assist the likes of Hayden and his team at attaining a world title.

“Hayden has achieved the highest-ever result for a New Zealand driver in the rally world. He has achieved what the late Possum Bourne was striving for. Hayden is a great ambassador for Rally New Zealand, the sport and country as a whole.  Together, we’re on the world map forever.

“It’s interesting to note that Hayden graduated from the 2006 Elite MotorSport Academy and was recipient of our 2009 Rising Stars International Award and 2010 sporting scholarship. He also won the Pirelli Star Driver position to compete in select rounds of last year’s World Rally Championship, where he first contested the PWRC title, finishing third.

“We’re very proud to see those achievements back up a well-deserved world title; it’s fantastic, and I’m really thrilled.”

Johnston also noted Paddon’s season included a record setting four consecutive round wins from four events entered this year. 

Rally New Zealand will run as a round of the World Rally Championship in 2012, having been assigned the dates 21 to 24 June and will be the seventh of 13 rounds for the overall WRC title.