New Zealanders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard are getting ready for another brand-new-to-them rally in Australia this coming weekend, 24 to 26 August, as they line up in their Hyundai i20N Rally2 car for the Gippsland Rally in Victoria, the fourth round of the 2025 EROAD Australian Rally Championship (ARC) in Victoria.  

The Kiwis currently lead their respective drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship standings with 256 points, with this event and two more still to take place to finish the championship.  

Paddon’s closest competition are the Bates brothers, Lewis with 221 points and Harry with 192 points, and he’s expecting plenty of pressure from both Bates and other top competitors on an event they know well.  

Paddon says, “Gippsland is another new event and new conditions for us to learn during testing and recce. From what we have seen, the stages look to be medium speed and grip, but a bit smoother than some of the previous events. I’m looking forward to it.  

“Unlike the first three ARC rounds, which were sprint events where you could earn points from your finishing position each day, this is an endurance round where your points are determined by your overall place across the two days – as happens in most rallies. This magnifies the importance of finishing the rally with no problems, with no second chance for points on this event.  

“At this point of the championship, it’s important we protect our lead and keep scoring points. We are expecting a strong challenge from the Bates brothers again on stages they know well, so we will put our best foot forward to keep the pressure on.”  

A unique feature of the Gippsland Rally is the running of four night stages, the first time in more than ten years that an ARC event includes night forest competition.  

“I’m really looking forward to the night stages aspect of the rally – night rallying is my favourite, and will be a key part of the rally making up 25 per cent of the route.”  

The Gippsland Rally starts with a rally show and ceremonial start in the eastern Victoria town of Sale, while the Service Park is based further west in Heyfield.

The competition comprises 18 special stages and 216.6 competitive kilometres across two days on roads in Gippsland state forests.

Saturday’s action comprises a 65 km daylight loop, a generous Service and dinner break before 60 km of night competition and includes the Deep Creek rally stage which was voted by ARC competitors as their 2024 Stage of the Year.

Sunday’s action includes 90.94 km of competition across eight special stages.

Some of this rally’s special stages are repeated four times which could impact running conditions on the repeated runs.  

Keep up with all PRG’s news and results via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup.   

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrailLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

In a move harking back to the 1990s, the introduction of a new Trans-Tasman Challenge will be named in Ed Mulligan’s honour. Mulligan, who passed away earlier this year, was a stalwart of both Australian and New Zealand rallying and was well-liked on both sides of the Tasman.

The Mulligan Memorial Cup will be the prize for the Trans-Tasman Challenge, which will utilise two events in New Zealand, and two in Australia.

The events chosen for the series are ones Mulligan himself would have enjoyed immensely.

The Otago Rally and Silver Fern Rally will be the two Kiwi rallies, each events of high calibre and were some of the last Mulligan competed on. More than 250 kilometres usually make up the Dunedin-based Otago Rally, while the Silver Fern Rally is one of the only rallies in the world to cover a mammoth seven days.

South Australia’s new Flinders to Fleurieu Rally in September 2026 will be part of it, and its long-distance nature is like that of the Silver Fern. This event will run from September 21-25 in 2026. The two-day Bega Valley Rally will start the series in June 2026, an honour that organisers are thrilled to add to the event’s long CV.

The Silver Fern will be Round 3 in November 2026 with the 2027 edition of Otago in April being the final event.

The Trans-Tasman initiative fosters a friendly, but fiercely competitive, spirit between Australian and New Zealand rally competitors, with the aim of deepening ties across the Tasman, while honouring a beloved figure in the sport.

“The Mulligan Memorial Cup is named in tribute to a true rally legend whose passion, humour, and dedication left an indelible mark on all who knew him,” series co-ordinator, Owen Polanski, said.

“Ed Mulligan was a rally driver, mentor, larrikin, and motorsport tragic whose enthusiasm knew no borders. He competed passionately in both Australia and New Zealand, building lifelong friendships and always lending a hand.

“The Cup honours his legacy of competition, camaraderie, and fun. His love for gravel rallying, and the friendships it fostered, inspired the idea for this international challenge.

“This new series reflects Ed’s legacy,” he added, “a celebration of grassroots motorsport, a commitment to excellence, and a spirit of generosity and fun. By naming the trophy in his honour, the rally community ensures that his impact lives on through every stage and every story.”

Points will be awarded based on performance in each round, with overall honours awarded to the top crews representing their respective nations.

Additionally, a private dinner or lunch for participating crews will be held at each rally, while each country will host a 9-hole golf tournament, open to all registered competitors and team members. The competition will award bonus points toward the Mulligan Memorial Cup standings, rewarding both rally skill and off-track sportsmanship.

Further details on the Mulligan Memorial Cup will be announced in the coming months, ready for the series to begin in Dunedin, New Zealand, in April 2026.              

More success for New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon and long-time co-driver John Kennard with the pair taking a strong victory at Rally Queensland, which ran 5 to 6 July near the town of Gympie.  

The third round of the 2025 Australian Rally Championship featured 192 competitive kilometres spread across 14 stages, and marked a milestone for the ARC, being its 350th event since its inauguration back in 1968.  

With championship points being allocated according to the results on each day of the two-day rally, the fight between the top runners was expected to be intense. Saturday played out as expected with defending ARC champions Harry Bates and Coral Taylor in a tight, day-long battle with Paddon and Kennard, each pairing winning four of the day’s eight stages. Eventually, by day’s end, Bates edged out a 3.7 second lead over Paddon.  

Paddon says Sunday’s first stage – which he won by 1.8 seconds over Bates – was a surprise.  

“We were expecting wet conditions, and it wasn’t, so we were struggling. Then after Harry had his issue, it was about managing that gap for the rest of the day. The conditions made it difficult to manage tyres and keep a good speed but happy for the whole team that we could get it home and bank maximum points today, and take the rally win.”  

The Kiwis won five of the day’s six stages, to end the day 42.5 seconds ahead of Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin in second place. Paddon and Kennard have each added 90 points to extend their lead on the championship points table.  

“We didn’t expect to win this weekend but, once again, the PRG team did an incredible job. It’s nice to build a bit of a lead in the championship but we’re only halfway through and lots of things can happen on each event; it’s pretty unpredictable.”  

Paddon says he and Kennard are enjoying the challenges of learning each ARC event. “It can be tough going, when you’re trying to push on an event you’re not familiar with, but that’s why we’re here – to challenge ourselves. Each rally you’ve got to treat on its own merits. The rounds coming up may suit us a bit better, whereas these rougher ones haven’t so much, but it’s all new territory for us and we’re learning at each and every rally we go to.”  

After three very busy weeks, there’s now a gap until the fourth ARC round, the Gippsland Rally in Victoria on August 22nd.  

Keep up with Hayden Paddon and PRG via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup.   

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrailLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon, with Christchurch’s Jared Hudson in the co-driver’s seat, took a hard-fought second place at the Ypres Rally in Belgium, which took place 27 and 28 June. The Kiwis become the first non-Europeans to ever stand on the Ypres podium.  

The Kiwis competed in the famed Ypres all-tarmac event in a Hyundai i20N Rally2 car prepared by last year’s Belgian Champions, BMA. This year’s Ypres Rally attracted a raft of international stars such as Dani Sordo, Jos Verstappen, Freddy Loix and last year’s rally winner Stéphane Lefebvre.  

It was all on from the outset with milliseconds separating the frontrunners at times. Paddon and Hudson won Friday’s second stage, putting them into the overall lead. Despite intense challenges from Sordo and Lefebvre, the Kiwis’ consistency at delivering top three stage times throughout all of the day’s eight stages, kept them in the lead by day’s end.  

On Saturday, with 10 stages to tackle, Lefebvre chipped away at Paddon’s lead to top the standings by special stage three. Paddon and Hudson kept the pressure on and were stoked to finish on the podium, just 10.3 seconds behind Lefebvre.  

“We were very happy to come away with second in Ypres rally,” says Paddon. “We always knew it was going to be tough challenge this weekend being up against very fast locals and previous winners. Our goal was to try and get a podium finish, so we’re pleased to have done that. To be fighting for victory was probably more than we expected, particularly to be leading the rally for half of it. We put up a good fight and tried everything we could, just didn’t quite have enough at the end but, still, to be only 10 seconds shy of the winners was a good weekend for the team and car. It’s fair to say now we have unfinished business here, a bit like Ireland as well…”  

Now Paddon returns down-under for Rally Queensland which takes place 4 to 6 July near Gympie, north of Brisbane.  Paddon and longtime co-driver John Kennard now resume their bid to win their first Australian Rally Championship (ARC) titles.  

“The podium in Ypres is a good way to get a bit of momentum for Australia,” says Paddon. “It’s certainly going to be nice to be back on the gravel for the third round of the Australian Championship and back working with our PRG team and our Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car.  

“Like the first two ARC rounds, Queensland is another new event for us. We’ve got some good momentum off the back of winning the previous round in Perth, but it’s going to be challenging. What we’ll be facing in terms of road conditions will be influenced by the ballot draw between the top three seeded drivers, which includes me, Harry Bates and Scott Pedder.”  

Paddon’s goal is to get some strong points on the board. “We’re moving into the consolidation phase of the championship now where we need to make sure that we’re picking up points here – where we can earn points from each of the two days – ahead of the endurance rounds later in the season. I’m definitely looking forward to Queensland and being back working with our own team again.”  

The Kiwis each lead their respective drivers’/co-drivers’ championship points tables. Paddon has 160 points after two rounds, seven points ahead of second-placed Lewis Bates. Kennard also has 160 points ahead of Bates’ co-driver Anthony McLoughlin.  

The Queensland Rally is the third round of the six round 2025 Australian Rally Championship, and comprises 14 special stages and approximately 193 competitive kilometres. Crews complete reconnaissance of the special stages on Thursday and Friday, before Friday evening’s public rally show in downtime Gympie. Saturday’s action starts around 8.30am and the podium celebrations are planned for around 4.30pm Sunday.  

Keep up with all the action as Hayden Paddon competes in Ireland, Belgium and Australia over the next month via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup.   

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrailLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.

The 2026 Central Machine Hire Otago Rally has had a date change to avoid a clash with the round of the Supercars Championship also scheduled for Christchurch on April 18-19.

Both events were initially calendared for the same weekend, but Otago Rally officials were keen to avoid a clash with the South Island’s first ever Supercars race in order to give fans, mechanics, officials, competitors and the media the chance to attend both events.

The Central Machine Hire Otago Rally will now be held from April 10 to 12, a week earlier than originally announced.

Although this is the same weekend as the Supercars race in Taupo, Otago Rally organisers believe this is a more manageable clash.

“We appreciate Supercars reaching out to us once they were aware of a potential clash,” event spokesman, Roger Oakley, said.

“Next year is the 50th anniversary of the Central Machine Hire Otago Rally, and with plenty of pre-planning for the milestone event already underway, we were keen to get the date sorted and move ahead.”

The Central Machine Hire Otago Rally will now be a week after Easter, providing a bumper two weeks of motorsport for those in the lower South Island.

It gives both Dunedin and Christchurch the opportunity to co-promote their destinations.

“Kiwi motorsport fans have long asked for there to be two Supercars rounds in New Zealand, so while it is unfortunate we need to change our date, we are excited about Supercars coming to the South Island for the first time,” Oakley added.

“We appreciate the understanding of all those involved in the rally, and other adjacent events to allow the change of date.”

CEO of Supercars, Shane Howard, added: “We are well aware of the iconic status that the Otago Rally holds, and appreciate the organiser’s attitude to resolving a date conflict for 2026.”

A number of special features are already being planned for the 50th anniversary Otago Rally that will run on April 10 to 12. 

The Central Machine Hire Otago Rally is grateful for the support of Premier Event funding from the Dunedin City Council.

New Zealand rally stars Hayden Paddon and John Kennard overcame intense competition and muddy conditions to win the Forest Rally, 23 to 25 May, in Western Australia.  

This second round of the 2025 EROAD Australian Rally Championship was run as two single day events, like the first round in Canberra. The Kiwi stars worked hard to secure the maximum available 50 points each day and take out the rally win in their Hyundai i20 Rally2 car.  

Paddon now leads the ARC drivers’ series by 7 points over Lewis Bates and his brother Harry a further 11 points behind after two of the six championship rounds.  

Seeded fourth on the road for Saturday’s heat one, Paddon and Kennard were amongst the top-runners from the outset as expected but the competition was hot with 2020 FIA Junior World Rally Champion Tom Kristensson winning the first stage, three-time ARC champ Harry Bates taking the second, and Paddon the third.

A lot of rain made conditions very slippery in places, but high grip in others, and nothing like the iconic loose, ball-bearing surface typical of this rally run in the forests near Nannup, south of Perth near Margaret River.

Into the afternoon loop, Rally of Canberra winner Scott Pedder took the fourth stage win, then Paddon and Kennard were able to wrap up the day to their satisfaction by winning the last two stages with a margin of 12.3 seconds over Pedder, and secure maximum points for heat one.  

Sunday morning’s loop of three stages were very wet and muddy, but Paddon says drying conditions in the afternoon suited them and the car better. Four different stage winners – Kristensson, Pedder, Harry Bates and Paddon – throughout the day highlighted the intense competition with Paddon ultimately the day’s victor by a margin of just 5.4 seconds over Bates.  

Paddon was delighted to take the rally win and maximum points for the team.

“It was a really good weekend and we’re really happy to come away with the win on both days. It was more than we expected especially as the conditions were very challenging. Conditions with rain on both Saturday and Sunday made the first pass very slippery and probably didn’t work to our strengths with the car, but on the afternoon loops we were able to bring it back in some very close battles with Scott yesterday and Harry today. We had to really dig deep to try and get the result. To get the win in that fashion is very satisfying. It’s been a huge effort from everyone in the PRG team being over here for the week. It’s great to get our bid to win our first Australian championship back on track with our next challenge taking place at Rally Queensland near Gympie next month [early July].”  

Kiwi fans can follow Paddon and Kennard during all six ARC events thanks to the championship organisers providing a mix of on-stage action, interviews and analysis via live streams broadcast on the ARC’s Facebook and YouTube channels.  

PRG appreciates the support of their partners including Hyundai New Zealand, Caltex Havoline Oil, Mitre 10 Trade, Winmax Brake Pads, Bar’s Bugs, EROAD, Ben Nevis Station, Wipertech, Design Windows, MITO, Repco, Machinery House, King Gee, KiwiFibre, TrialLite, Hankook, Z Energy, Blaster and Signbiz.  

Keep up with Hayden Paddon’s news via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paddonracinggroup.