Hayden Paddon is back in action in his Hyundai i20 AP4 tomorrow when the Catlins Coast Rally gets underway in the South Island of NZ.
Paddon will run as a zero car (course opener) ahead of an 83-car field in the Mainland Rally Series event.
Rather than compete 'blind' off the road book like other competitors, Paddon will make pace notes of the six special stages.
“My last blind (non pace-noted) rally was 15 years ago and I’m not quite brave enough to attempt one now in this kind of car,’’ Paddon told Colin Smith this week.
“So we will run at the front of the field and on pace notes. The objective is to blow the cobwebs out and test some new development ideas on the car.
“My last rally was WRC Rally GB in September, so it’s almost a year ago. And my last rally in the i20 was South Canterbury just over a year ago.’’
The Catlins Coast Rally entry list is headed by four-time winner Andrew Graves in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3, ahead of a trio of AP4 cars piloted by Matt Summerfield (Mitsubishi Mirage), Josh Marston (Holden Barina) and Robbie Stokes (Ford Fiesta).
Heading the two-wheel-drive ranks are Marcus van Klink in his Mazda RX-8 and Deane Buist (VW Golf GTI).
The Catlins Coast Rally entails six-stages totalling 152km of competitive driving.
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