New Zealand's top rally duo Hayden Paddon and John Kennard won this weekend's Drivesouth Rally Otago with a margin of more than four minutes over their nearest competitors.
The world rally championship-winning pair contested Otago's opening round of the 2013 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) in the rebuilt Stadium Cars Evo9.
Paddon said he was very happy with the team's result.
"To win again is great; it's really good to be back in competition again and be driving in one of my favourite events in the New Zealand Rally Championship," he said.
The pair collected maximum championship points after winning 13 of the two-day event's 16 special stages, and set several new stage records. They also won the final ‘power' stage and its bonus of $500 cash.
"Hopefully this gives us some momentum now to ultimately get back overseas, but both John and I enjoyed the weekend's competition - it's a little more relaxed and you can enjoy the driving side a lot more," he said.
"It's been pretty tough the past 12 months and it's been a while since we won something, so we're very pleased."
It wasn't all plain sailing for Geraldine's Paddon and Blenheim's Kennard, with their Evo9 experiencing a few issues.
"We had fuel pickup issues on Saturday morning, so were probably quickly lucky to even get through until service, where the guys did a great job fixing the issues, Paddon said.
"The rest of Saturday went as well as it possibly could have and we ended the day two minutes and 56 seconds ahead of the Masons in second place.
"Sunday delivered a few turbo boost problems and unfortunately, just before Kuri Bush, one of my absolute favourite stages, the turbo hose blew leaving us about down about 80hp for that stage."
Paddon is a two-time New Zealand rally champion, taking the title in 2008 and 2009, and his victory in Otago places him once more at the top of the leader-board.
"It's like an old club, being back rallying with people we know so well. Everyone gets on really well, it's a great atmosphere where I can just enjoy the driving."
Provisional overall results: Hayden Paddon/John Kennard, Lancer EVO 9, 1; Richard Mason/Sara Mason, Subaru Impreza, 2; Ben Hunt/Tony Rawstorn, Subaru Impreza, 3.
