While Paddon is bringing over the rally version of cricket's Barmy Army, with nearly 100 people joining an official tour to the event with his management company, Atkinson will also have plenty of fans.
Rally Australia event manager David Catchpole described the Gold Coast's Atkinson, Australia's most successful international rally driver, as ''rally's equivalent of Dan Ricciardo in Formula 1, an Aussie hero fighting in an FIA World Championship.''
Catchpole echoed both drivers' pre-event statements that, despite the fact they will both be fighting for top positions in their Hyundai i20 WRCs, their presence at this level of motorsport was a proud moment for Australasian rallying.
''We couldn't be happier to see Chris and Hayden out there demonstrating that Down Under drivers are among the world's best in the sport,'' Catchpole said.
Paddon will start 10th and Atkinson 11th in the WRC field tomorrow as they begin the 948km competitive route, held over 20 stages in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.
Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have visited the course twice before, including their history-making clinching of the 2011 production car World Rally Championship title.
The Kiwis will compete for the fourth time this year with Hyundai Motorsport and join regulars Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul.
Atkinson and Belgian co-driver Stéphane Prevot will compete at their second event with the team this year.
Paddon's goals are to continue the progression he and Kennard have made in their first three events with the team.
''If we can take a step up from what we did at Rally Finland [eighth overall], that would be good. Also if we could get a top-five finish, that would be really good, but I realise the size of the challenge to do that. We have to make sure we have a really good rally to achieve this,'' Paddon said.
He also plans to take advantage of their road position - based on championship standings - further down the pack on the first day.
Although Hyundai will be contesting Rally Australia for the first time, it is ''on a high'' after Neuville scored his and the team's maiden WRC win at the previous round in Germany, Paddon said.
He was feeling ''quietly confident'' after a positive testing session in France recently, combined with some good pace notes from previous Australian events.
If Paddon needed any extra incentive to perform, the fierce transtasman sporting rivalry could be it.
This will be the first time he will go up against Atkinson, and because they will both be driving identical i20 world rally cars, it should be a fair fight to the finish.
