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Hayden Paddon - Source: Rally New Zealand -
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New Zealand's top rally driver, Hayden Paddon has announced he
will contest the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship in 2012
with co-driver John Kennard in a Skoda Fabia S2000 rally car with
the support of new sponsors and a new Spanish team.
Having successfully won the Production World Rally Championship
title in 2011 - the first driver from the Southern Hemisphere to
ever do so - Paddon is forging ahead with his international
competition goals by climbing to the next rung on the ladder of
world rallying.
The Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC) is the key feeder
series for the main game, the FIA World Rally Championship, and
it's an important and exciting step forward for the likeable and
talented Kiwi.
Paddon's SWRC plan was announced on 20 December 2011 after several
months of talks with various European teams and sponsors.
"I am ecstatic about the move to Super 2000; it's a fantastic
opportunity," says the 24-year-old from Geraldine.
"I was lucky enough to test the Skoda Fabia S2000 in Europe a
couple of months ago and it was an incredible car to drive. The
S2000 is a full blown racecar and is basically a WRC car without
the aero and turbo."
Paddon's car will be run by ASM Motorsport, based in Barcelona and
Paddon, with long-time partner Katie Lane, will move to the Spanish
city.
"Several key personnel at ASM Motorsport have been involved with
the Skoda and Seat world rally teams in the past and they are very
enthusiastic and passionate about this project. The target for the
whole team is to win the championship," says Paddon.
One factor in the team's decision to move to the S2000 Skoda is
related to the fact that Skoda's parent company Volkswagen has
confirmed its entry into the WRC in 2013. VW management signed star
French driver Sebastién Ogier last month, confirming Ogier
will compete in all rounds of the 2012 WRC in a similar Skoda S2000
car to the one Paddon will drive and thus providing an outstanding
benchmark for all SWRC competitors.
"Sebastién is one of the fastest drivers in the WRC at
present and having the chance to compete with him will be an honour
and also a challenge," says Paddon. "It will help us to lift to
another level and while he will be hard to beat, he certainly gives
us a good target to aim for."
Blenheim's John Kennard continues as Paddon's co-driver, taking the
highly successful rally partnership into its seventh season and
ensuring that as Paddon strives to achieve new goals, he can also
count on the consistent support and experience of his
highly-regarded co-driver.
Paddon's decision to drive a Skoda was also influenced by a new
relationship with one of New Zealand's largest motor vehicle
importers and retailers, the Giltrap Group.
"It's a great honour to have a new partnership with the Giltrap
Group, largely thanks to Colin and Richard Giltrap, who are huge
supporters of New Zealand motorsport. The Giltrap Group is also the
distributor for Skoda in New Zealand, so there's a natural link
with this new partnership."
Paddon has also confirmed a personal sponsorship with PlaceMakers
New Zealand, the building supplies company which was a key
supporter of his 2011 rallying.
Paddon's goal is to win the SWRC title in 2012. SWRC competitors
are required to contest seven of eight selected World Rally
Championship events. Paddon has elected to drive the S2000 Skoda in
Rally Sweden, Rally Portugal, Rally New Zealand,
Rally Finland, Wales Rally GB, Rally France and Rally Spain,
dropping the year's first SWRC event, Rally Monte Carlo.
"With Monte Carlo taking place in January, we have given ourselves
a little more time to prepare for the next SWRC event, Sweden,
which runs from 10 to 12 February. It is also going to be special
to have the chance to do Rally New Zealand as one of our rounds and
bring our new car home for our supporters to see."
Paddon admits he gave serious thought before moving away from
Subaru for his next season of competition, after such a successful
year with the Japanese marque in 2011.
"We have had a great relationship with Subaru - we have enjoyed
phenomenal support from the team which ran our Subaru STI, Symtech
Racing, as well as Subaru personnel in New Zealand, Japan and
Europe. It was a hard decision to not continue with Subaru, but we
have to keep moving forward in the best manner to help make my
ultimate goal of winning the World Rally Championship a reality.
The next step from where we were was obviously S2000 so that's what
we've done."
When Paddon says 'we', he is referring to the management team which
now helps the star Kiwi with his professional rallying career. The
team includes four directors along with shareholders of Hayden
Paddon RallySport Global Ltd.
HPRG director Peter Swaney notes: "This is a very exciting time for
both Hayden and HPRG as we continue to move forward in the WRC. Of
course the biggest battle is funding but we are very lucky to have
a large group of passionate supporters from New Zealand behind us.
The hard work will continue throughout the year and into next year
as we continue to look for opportunities to keep the momentum
going.
"The formation of HPRG at the start of 2011 has been pivotal in
continuing success for Hayden's career and allowing him to follow
the dream he and so many of his supporters share. Not all the
funding is currently in place for 2012 but the company is working
hard to secure this, as well as starting planning for 2013 which
will involve Hayden piloting a WRC car. In the meantime, 2012
promises to be an exiting year."
