By the numbers – Google Grant’s key stats for Rally South Canterbury
Yes, South Canterbury is fast
If you thought Otago last month was fast you are right. This year the Average Speed for the 16 Stages covering 275kms was 119.5kph. Last Year’s 5 x NZRC Rounds Event Average Speeds were:
Otago was 110.88kph
South Canterbury was 107.95kph
Whangarei was 100.36kph
Rally BOP was 96.05kph
Daybreaker was 84.05kph
Fastest Stage Average Speed was 2023 Otago Earthquakes 8k stage 134.8kph
Slowest Stage Average Speed was 2023 Daybreaker Ridge 10k stage 71.15kph
South Canterbury has the biggest Average Speed Range Variance – 55kph:
Geraldine Downs at 129.47kph and Kakahu Forest 74.97kph
Both these stages are being used again this year – Stage 2 and Stage 3
SOUTH CANTERBURY FORM GUIDE:
PADDON (almost) UNTOUCHABLE AT TIMARU:
Since it became an NZRC round in 2018 Hayden has started 4 times and has won the rally at every outing – all in the same car the Hyundai i20 AP4 – but with 3 different Co-Drivers – 2018 & 2021 with John Kennard 2019, with Samantha Gray – not NZRC registered, 2022 with Jared Hudson
Those 4 rallies contained 42 Stages and Hayden has won 40 of them
The other 2 – 1 each in 2018 & 2021 were both won by Ben Hunt – and Hayden was 2nd fastest on both.
Last Year Ben Hunt lost the rally when he got stuck off the road in the final county road stage (the NZRC Power Stage) after building up a 36 second lead over Raana Horan who went on to record his second NZRC Round Win.
This was a crucial moment in the championship as the points dropped by Ben meant he was out of the running for a third GoldStar come the final round in the Bay of Plenty.
OUR TOP THREE OTAGO PERFORMERS WERE SUPER-CONSISTANT THERE BUT HAVE VERY MIXED MEMORIES OF SOUTH CANTERBURY:
Over the 16 stages at Otago last month Jack Hawkeswood, Robbie Stokes and Ben Hunt were only outside the NZRC Top Three Stage Placings on 1 occasion – when Ben was 4th quickest through Stage 1.
Jack won 5, was 2nd on 6 and 3rd on 5
Robbie won 6, was 2nd on 5 and 3rd on 5
Ben won 5, was 2nd on 6 and 3rd on 4 (and 4th on 1)
4 of Robbie’s 5 stage wins came on the longest stages of the rally – ranging from 18k to 42k.
In the three years since COVID Championship Leader JACK HAWKESWOOD has started South Canterbury just once when he finished 6th in 2022 – with Robbie Stokes’ current Co-Driver Sarah Brennan sitting alongside.
Due to mechanical issues ROBBIE STOKES has failed to get past either Stage 1 or 2 on all 3 outings and BEN HUNT has been 2nd twice – 2021 in the Subaru and 2022 in the Skoda – and, as above, DNF’d while leading last year.
THE RETURN OF A CHAMPION (CAR):
This edition of Rally South Canterbury marks the return of the most successful rally car in NZRC history, and it’s back at the scene of its last Rally Outing when it recorded its 15th NZRC round win at Timaru in 2022.
The Hayden Paddon Hyundai i20 AP4 has had an almost perfect career since its win on debut at Otago 2016 and has won all but 2 of its 20 rally starts since then – ironically the 2 DNFs were #2 (2016 Whangarei) and #3 (2017 Coromandel).
David Holder won Otago in 2017 and Hayden has the 13 other NZRC wins as well as 3 non-NZRC victories in 2019 and the 2020 City of Auckland Rally.
Hayden is unbeaten in New Zealand rallies since Coromandel 2017 – a run of 6 years and 22 rallies.
THE KING OF LAWRENCE DOMINATED CAT 5 AT OTAGO:
Andrew Graves, with son Hayden, made great use of his dominance of the Lawrence Rally over the past decade by winning not only Cat 5c but also Cat 5. ‘Duggie’ won the One Day Challenge by more than 1 and a half minutes and blew away all the chasing Subarus in Classic 4WD by more than 5 minutes or 2 seconds per k for the 144km Saturday Leg.
SEEMS JASON FARMER CAN PODIUM AT OTAGO REGARDLESS OF WHO DRIVES AND WHAT IN:
Jason Farmer’s win at Otago this year means he has now podiumed on 4 of his last 6 visits there –with 3 different Drivers and each time in a different Make of Car:
3rd in 2016 with David Holder in the ex-Hayden Paddon Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8
1st in 2017 with David Holder in Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20 AP4+
2nd in 2023 with Ari Pettigrew in the ex-Greg Murphy Holden Barina AP4
1st in 2024 with Jack Hawkeswood in the Force Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris AP4
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