Hayden Paddon will not be lining up to contest this weekend’s third round of the Brian Green Property Group 2023 New Zealand Rally Championship, Rally South Canterbury. The current NZ rally champion has elected to defend his lead in the 2023 FIA European Rally Championship and compete at the Tet Rally Liepāja, Latvia.
Twenty drivers are entered in headlining Rally2 cars, including Pirelli-equipped championship leader Hayden Paddon from the Hyundai-equipped BRC Racing Team, Team MRF Tyres’ defending ERC champion Efrén Llarena, plus his team-mate, Liepāja-born Latvian hero Mārtiṇš Sesks, the winner of the last round in Poland at the wheel of a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Mathieu Franceschi, the French gravel champion, is the highest-seeded driver using Michelin tyres, while Citroën C3 Rally2-driving Mads Østberg joins Paddon as one of two WRC event winners in the field. Meanwhile, FIA Junior WRC champion Robert Virves is entered in a Ford Fiesta Rally2
Organisers have revealed an entry list full of quality and quantity the fourth round of the FIA ERC. Latvia’s high-speed gravel event from 16 – 18 June is set to be contested by 58 crews with 46 eligible for ERC points and 17 lining up for action in the Hankook-equipped FIA Junior ERC Championship, of which Tet Rally Liepāja is the second round.
With Paddon’s absence from the one-day Rally South Canterbury, Ben Hunt/Tony Rawstorn (Skoda Fabia Rally2) take over the top seed with Raana Horan/Michael Connor (Skoda Fabia Rally2) second followed by Ari Pettigrew/Jason Farmer (Holden Barina AP4), Josh Marston/Andrew Graves (Holden Barina AP4) and Robbie Stokes/Dave Neill (Ford Fiesta AP4).
2023 NZ Rally Championship Points (Top 5)
1/ Hayden Paddon 88
2/ Ben Hunt 67
3/ Raana Horan 54
4/ Josh Marston 40
5/ Ari Pettigrew 33
2023 FIA European Rally Championship Points Table (Top 5)
1/ H. PADDON 85 PTS
2/ M. SESKS 48 PTS
3/ M. OSTBERG 48 PTS
4/ Y. BONATO 47 PTS
5/ E. LLARENA 41 PTS
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