Plans for Hayden Paddon to contest the Eureka Rally in a Hyundai i20 R5 are still firmly on track, with the event now just four weeks away. Paddon will drive the recently imported Hyundai of brothers Marcus and Scott Walkem, after testing the car in Tasmania in May. The New Zealander's WRC return was put on hold earlier this week after a pre-event crash in Finland, but that will have no impact on his Australian entry. "We're still working on the logistical bits and pieces, but Hayden is keen to close out the Pacific Cup Trophy in the APRC," Scott Walkem told RallySport Magazine. Other than preventative maintenance performed by the Walkem team's full-time mechanic, the car will appear in similar specification as it did in Tasmania in June.

Hayden Paddon tested the Hyundai i20 R5 in Tasmania in May. Photo: Wishart Media

It will have new suspension fitted, with Paddon bringing over his own uprights for the car. "The car will be run on Pirelli tyres, as Hayden is sponsored by them, and the tyres also suit the new suspension," Walkem added. "Hayden is a ripping bloke, generous with his time and his knowledge, and we're really looking forward to working with him in Ballarat. "We're learning a lot from him, having fun, and attacking the whole thing as a family. "My father is pretty much the driver behind it all, and we get to do it together, which is great." Keeping the Hyundai on the road is a very precise operation with the factory providing a regimented preventative maintenance routine that needs to be followed. "Dad is fastidious on that, and ensures that all checks and preventative maintenance are done well ahead of time."

The i20 R5 will have new suspension for the Eureka Rally. Photo: Wishart Media

The car was purchased from Europe with $100,000 worth of spare components which are needed to ensure that maintenance schedule is upheld. But the rewards are on the road, where reliability is key. "The plan is to build a full inventory of components so that straight after any event, the car gets a full refresh and is available and ready to go at any time," Scott said. Paddon won both rounds of the Pacific Cup in New Zealand in his Hyundai i20 AP4+, but has already said he won't be contesting the APRC final in China in late October.

Related news:

https://rallysportmag.com/comment-high-tech-solution-to-an-old-school-problem/ https://rallysportmag.com/paddon-to-miss-china-as-more-r5-drives-loom/

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