The 2024 Daybreaker Rally, powered by Brian Green Properties, proved to be a dramatic and challenging event as competitors battled through 190km of demanding roads across the Manawatū and Rangitīkei Districts. While many drivers faced heartbreak, a select few experienced triumph at the Saturday, 14 September ceremonial finish at Palmerston North’s Central Energy Trust Arena.
Starting early Saturday morning at 4:00am, the rally kicked off from Palmerston North and tested drivers with a mix of damp roads and persistent rain as they journeyed north toward Taihape. By the time the event circled back south, conditions had cleared slightly, though a widespread return of rain later in the day made the final stages slippery.
Despite the challenges, the event was ultimately dominated by Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon, who, alongside co-driver Jared Hudson, secured a commanding victory in their Hyundai i20 Rally2 car. Paddon’s impressive margin of victory was 6 minutes and 27.4 seconds, leaving Auckland’s Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn, driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2, to settle for second place. Rounding out the podium was 19-year-old Zeal Jones, alongside his co-driving aunt Waverley Jones, in another Skoda.
Australian rally star Brendan Reeves, paired with local co-driver Amy Hudson, finished fourth in the Paddon Racing Group Hyundai i20 AP4 car, maintaining a strong pace throughout the event despite the challenging weather and road conditions.
“Just incredible stages,” said Paddon at the finish. “A big thanks to the organisers, volunteers and all those out in the rain today.
“They really are driver stages – very technical and demanding but there are a lot of people who put this event on and while it’s a shame about the rain that put a damper on things, everyone has enjoyed it.”
Ben Hunt now takes the lead in the New Zealand Rally Championship with Hayden Paddon moving from fourth to second, 18 points behind Hunt’s total of 108.
Of the 59 starters at Friday’s Harcourts AFC Super Special Stage at the Arena, only 43 cars made it to the finish line. Mechanical failures plagued many competitors, with 12 retirements attributed to various technical issues. Canterbury’s Robbie Stokes was the first major casualty, sidelined due to an intermittent electrical issue in his Ford Fiesta AP4 car. Arriving as the leader in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, Stokes’ hopes were dashed early, leaving him heartbroken as he exited after the third special stage.
The emerging daylight on Saturday morning marked a pivotal point for many competitors, who had struggled through the night stages. As the event progressed north, conditions worsened with persistent rain making the already challenging gravel roads even more difficult to navigate. On the return journey to Feilding for the meet-the-drivers segment, it was a return to clearer conditions however by the time they departed for the next sector of stages, the rain was becoming more widespread.
Notably, Auckland’s Haydn Mackenzie and Shane Reynolds were the first non-championship finishers, driving a Toyota Yaris to a strong result. Bunnythorpe local Geof Argyle and co-driver Kester Olivecrona fought through multiple punctures in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 to finish eighth overall. Christchurch’s Dylan Thomson and Bayden Thomson claimed top honours in the two-wheel drive category, bringing their Ford Fiesta home in 11th place.
However, the heartache continued in the final stages, particularly on Ridge Road between Apiti and Pohangina, where Queenstown’s Caleb MacDonald (Mitsubishi Evo) and Canterbury’s Tim Smith (Subaru Impreza) both made it out of the final stage but were unable to cross the ceremonial finish line. Additionally, the planned final 1.44km Super Special Stage at the Arena was cancelled due to rain, which left the surface too soft for safe competition. The result was Paddon set fastest time across all special stages, including the opening test where he was three seconds faster than imported team-mate Brendan Reeves.
2024 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship – points (Top 10)
1/ Ben Hunt 108
2/ Hayden Paddon 90
3/ Robbie Stokes 84
4/ Zeal Jones 82
5/ Emma Gilmour 78
6/ Dylan Thomson 65
7/ Jack Hawkeswood 63
8/ Jack Stokes 55
9/ Tim MacKersy 52
10/ William Hawes 43
Daybreaker Rally Overall Results (Pos, Driver 1, Driver 2, Car, Class)
1/ Hayden Paddon/Jared Hudson, Hyundai i20 Rally2 1
2/ Ben Hunt/Tony Rawstorn, Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo 1
3/ Zeal Jones/Waverley Jones, Skoda Fabia R5 1
4/ Brendan Reeves/Amy Hudson, Hyundai i20 AP4 1
5/ Emma Gilmour/Malcolm Read, Citroen C3 Rally2 1
6/ Haydn Mackenzie/Shane Reynolds, Toyota Yaris AP4 D
7/ Andrew Graves/Hayden Graves, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 5A/5C
8/ Geof Argyle/Kester Olivecrona, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 D
9/ James Macdonald/Josh Edwards, Subaru Impreza H6 5A/5C
10/ Karl Robinson/Chantelle Robinson, Subaru Impreza D
11/ Dylan Thomson/Bayden Thomson, Ford Fiesta Rally4 2
12/ William Menzies/Doug Dolan, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 D
13/ Pierre-Henri/Brunet Mal Peden, Ford Fiesta Proto 1
14/ Bryn Jones/Sean Lockyear, Ford Fiesta Rally4 2
15/ Nelson Law/Antonio Korikalo, Mazda 2 AP4 1
16/ Jay Pittams/Jean-Paul Van Der Meys, Subaru Impreza 5A/5C
17/ Julien Lenglet/Ben Huband, Subaru Impreza 5A
18/ Jack Stokes/Sarah Faulkner, Ford Fiesta R2 2
19/ Tim Mackersy/Lauren Mackersy, Ford Fiesta Rally4 2
20/ Ben Harding/Charlotte Harding, Mazda RX7 C
21/ Shane Murland/Kane Seymour, Ford Escort Mk2 C
22/ Jason Weld/Jeremy Sinclair, Datsun 180B C
23/ Brendon Cantwell/Aaron Clarke, Toyota Starlet C
24/ Bruce Herbert/Campbell Tannock, Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo C
25/ Phil Macquarie/Andrew Brooks, Subaru Impreza 5A
26/ Andrew Spier/Daniel Baines, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5 D
27/ Dan Cowper/Andrew Bielby, Subaru Impreza D
28/ Cameron Ross/Matthew Buer, Ford Fiesta Proto D
29/ Dave Strong/Rob Scott, Honda Jazz RS 3
30/ Bradley Stewart/Josh Alexander, Subaru Impreza E
31/ Greg Browne/Sean Browne, Honda Integra C
32/ Adam Fisher/Marty Bertelsen, Toyota Starlet A
33/ Willy Hawes/Jason Dwyer, Toyota 86 3
34/ Keith Stewart/Carol-Ann Perfect, Ford Escort Mk1 B
35/ Dean Astill/Andrew Hughes, Toyota Starlet A
36/ Paul Fraser/Len Fisher, Ford Escort RS1800 4
37/ Nick Stewart/Rhys Knauf, Toyota Corolla A
38/ Gordon Diggle/Jody Seabright, Mitsubishi Mirage C
39/ Mike Cameron/Helen Cameron, Mitsubishi Lancer 4
40/ Mark Rutherford/Alan Groves, Ford Ka A
41/ Chris Clarke/Graeme Robertson, BMW 316i C
42/ Pat Norris/Clint Hayman, Toyota Yaris 5B
43/ Jilly Fisher/Kylie Cotton, Toyota Corolla B
dnf Robbie Stokes/Ally Mackay, Ford Fiesta AP4 1
dnf Stewart Reid/Bella Haggarty, Mitsubishi Mirage AP4 1
dnf Caleb MacDonald/Larisa Biggar, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 5A
dnf Tim Smith/Ben Trevelyan, Subaru Magnum H6 D
dnf Gavin Feast/Matt Hayward, Subaru WRX Sti 5A
dnf Amy Keighley/Grant Marra, Subaru Magnum H6 5A/5C
dnf Paul Tulloch/Craig Strachan, Mitsubishi Lancer E
dnf Jared Parker/Kyle Shears, Toyota FX Corolla 5B
dnf Rhys Musson/Aidan Smith, Toyota Corolla B
dnf Brian Terry/Brendan Olsen, Toyota Starlet A
dnf Cam Mckay/Jonny Kay, Toyota Starlet B
dnf Chris Bellis/Tiwai Bellis, Subaru Impreza E
dnf Geoff Warren/Sarah Jaggs, Subaru Impreza D
dnf Callum McKenzie/Darryn Fulton, Mazda MX5 B
dnf Murray Percival/Kyle Percival, Ford Escort Mk2 3
dnf Andrew Lowe/Ian Barr, Toyota Corolla B
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