World Rally Championship drivr Hayden Paddon will head to the annual Ashley Forest Rallysprint as hot favourite this weekend. It is not often that a current WRC driver competes in the domestic scene in NZ but this weekend Paddon will compete in the Ashley Forest Rallysprint that takes place over Saturday and Sunday, north of Rangiora. It’s the 30th running of the annual event in which drivers compete in a knock-out format over a timed 1.7km up and down gravel road. Over the two days, drivers must first qualify and then go through elimination rounds until there are just two left to compete for the 2017 title.
Paddon will drive his Hyundai i20 AP4+ car that has been modified for the weekend and will be both quick and spectacular. Those who have seen him compete on the domestic rally scene over the last two seasons have witnessed a talent that is head and shoulders above the rest of the field.
Local driver Matt Summerfield, winner of the event for the last three years in three different cars, will be pressing Paddon all the way. So will Sloan Cox who posted the quickest ever time of 55.23 seconds in 2016, breaking the 17 year old record set by Kim Austin.
While Cox may have been quickest, he unfortunately suffered a mechanical retirement in the final run handing the 2016 title to Summerfield. Also back is Chris Hey (Toyota MR2) who has held the Unlimited Class 2wd title nine times.
Action gets underway both days from 9:30am off Forestry Road. Day or weekend passes are available with EFTPOS at the gate that opens at 8:00am
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