What’s happening in the world of rally? In this edition of the Rally Round-up, we update you on the latest events and announcements.

Fourth place for Paddon at Rally di Alba

Kiwi driver Haydon Paddon and co-driver John Kennard won the Tour European Rally Championship category at the recent Rally di Alba in Italy, finishing fourth overall after nine stages.

“With five years since our last tarmac rally, our expectations were quite low,” Paddon told media. “The car and the road surface felt very foreign on our test day, which was the same day I hopped off the plane from New Zealand. With the level of competition here in Italy we thought a top 10 result would be good.

“However, as the rally progressed, we got more and more into a groove, setting several top three times. At the end, we were only 20 seconds from the lead and were pleased to finish ahead of a French national and WRC2 champion and a 11-time Italian rally champion. Overall, it was a very enjoyable weekend and big thanks to the HMI team who ran us.”

The next race for Paddon and Kennard will be Rally Leipaja in Latvia.

A Paddon hat-trick in the NZ Rally Champs

Haydon Paddon edged further away from his NZ Rally Championship title competitors with a win in Timaru, giving him a hat-trick of wins in the first three events. Paddon was accompanied in his Hyundai by co-driver Jared Hudson, who is now the youngest winner of any round in the NZ Rally Championship.

Ben Hunt and his Skoda also made it three in a row by taking the runner-up spot that he’s held in all three of the season’s races to date. He had to fight hard in the later stages after a puncture on stage seven, but managed to hold off third-placed Matt Summerfield and fourth-placed Ari Pettigrew.

Hunt will have an opportunity to make strides towards the Championship title at Rally Hawkes Bay, which Paddon will miss due to his European events, and Pettigrew will also be looking to capitalise on Paddon’s absence after two podium finishes in a row.

Shane van Gisbergen will race at Rally NZ

Two-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has confirmed he’ll be competing at Repco Rally New Zealand in late September. He’ll be racing in the WRC2 category, up against Hayden Paddon – and they’re likely to be joined by some big international stars of the world rally circuit.

Van Gisbergen’s love of rally was reignited when he competed in the opening round of the Australian Rally Championship, which was held in Canberra in April this year. He finished second, having exchanged his usual Holden Supercar for a Skoda. He’ll be bringing his car to New Zealand to prepare for Rally NZ, and his first race has been confirmed as the Copthorne Bay of Islands Far North Rally on 2 July.

Josh Marston takes the lead in the Mainland Rally Championship

After winning the Lone Star Rally of Canterbury, Christchurch’s Josh Marston took the lead in the 2022 Mainland Rally Championship, alongside co-driver Andrew Graves. Matt Summerfield and Nicole Summerfield were second, with David Quantock and Emma Quantock rounding out the podium places.

Marston now leads the overall points table by just one point over Ray Casey, who had been the series leader before a flat tyre saw him drop back down to finish seventh.

“Absolutely stoked, it’s been a really good day,” Marston told Talk Motorsport. “It feels like we were able to push on really well and the car has also been really good. I’ve got to thank the whole team, it’s been a brilliant effort.”

Rally NZ gets a new sponsor: Toyota GAZOO Racing

Toyota GAZOO Racing is the latest elite sponsor to announce its support for Repco Rally NZ. The brand has long been a supporter of rising talent in the Kiwi motorsports scene, so they’re a great fit for the event.

Jack Hawkeswood, who is competing in the NZ Rally Championships and will be racing at Rally NZ, is supported by TGR and drives a GR Yaris.

“Toyota are a renowned global brand that has supported motorsport for decades,” says Michael Goldstein, Repco Rally NZ CEO, “and the TGR vision to help develop emerging Kiwi talent resonates with our event on many levels.“