Paddon reaps benefits from win

Victory in the International Rally of Whangarei resulted in an array of successes for 22-year-old Hayden Paddon from Geraldine.

The current New Zealand rally champion battled with Masterton's Richard Mason for most of the weekend. The pair held out three-time Asia Pacific champion Cody Crocker on the Whangarei and Kaipara district roads on the first day with Mason having the overnight lead.

Sunday started with Mason gradually extending his lead over Paddon, who had to drive first on the heavily-gravelled roads and sweep a clearer line for following competitors.

But with three-quarters of the event complete, Mason's Subaru experienced a turbo failure which left Paddon perfectly positioned to secure a multi-faceted victory.

Crocker finished the 280km event in second place, best of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship contenders.

Young Australian Brendan Reeves was third with former APRC champion Katsuhiko Taguchi fourth. Emma Gilmour was the next best of the New Zealanders with fifth place overall, third in APRC and second in the New Zealand Rally Championship stakes.

Paddon's rally win also earned him victory in the Pacific Cup, a section of the Asia Pacific series comprising three rounds in New Caledonia, Australia and Whangarei.

It also takes him into the lead of the New Zealand Rally Championship ahead of Mason and maintains the lead he has in the Rally New Zealand Rising Stars International Award competition which is worth $50,000.

Perhaps most importantly, the Mitsubishi-driving Paddon has qualified to compete in the Pirelli Star Driver Asia Pacific final in Australia in September this year.

The young Asia Pacific driver that wins this final will earn a fully funded drive in six FIA World Rally Championship events in 2010 - a prize worth over $NZ1 million currently being enjoyed by another top New Zealand driver Mark Tapper.

"It was a bit hard keeping pace with Richard (Mason) and being first on the road this morning was a bit of a challenge, so I now know how Cody (Crocker) feels.

"We had four targets and four bulls eyes, so I can't ask for anything better and to be the second-ever winner of Pacific Cup is also something special."

Crocker said he was happy with his result which keeps him at the top of APRC points table and on track for a record fourth APRC title.

"These roads are challenging but they're quite good in that you can attack very, very hard - except when you're car one on the road," said the Australian, who drives for the Singapore-based Motor Image Subaru team.

The Asia Pacific Rally Championship continues on the island of Hokkaido in Japan on July 11-12, then moves to Malaysia in August, Indonesia in October and China in November.