Rally New Zealand has accepted the first official entry for this year’s World Rally Championship event in May from two-time New Zealand rally champion Hayden Paddon.

Based in Auckland, Rally New Zealand takes place from 6 to 9 May with the rally route taking in a variety of roads north and south of Auckland to create a much-loved, world-class event.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have Hayden Paddon confirm his entry for Rally New Zealand,” says Paul Mallard, general manager of Rally New Zealand. “Hayden is poised on the brink of an exciting international career this year and it’s fantastic he will be in New Zealand to contest our event as part of his global competition aspirations.”

Paddon, from Geraldine, and his Blenheim-based co-driver John Kennard will be competing in Rally New Zealand as part of Paddon’s Production World Rally Championship campaign. The 22-year-old driver contests six world rallies in this campaign, four of which overlap with the Pirelli Star Driver programme that Paddon won during a shootout at Rally Australia last year.

The Targa Bambina is the launch pad for three Targa events in 2010. With 260 Klms over 16 tarmac rally stages there are also 394 klms of touring stages throughout the Franklin and North Waikato Districts in the Bambina. There are good entries in both categories; Targa Bambina and Targa Tour.

Targa event dates are:

• Targa Bambina (Papakura based) 2 day event 13-14 March
• Targa Rotorua 2 day event 05-06 June
• Dunlop Targa 6 day main event 25-31 October
  

Event Director Peter Martin said: "We have a new sponsor in Rock FM coming on board - Targa is, the demographics of their target market. Talking target markets, what is also interesting is that Parkside Media report increased sales of their Classic Car magazine since Targa returned to the magazine. We have also produced a promotional DVD that will be used to attract international drivers either in their vehicles or leasing one of ours."

With the next crop of talented young Kiwi drivers enjoying the benefits of winning one of the sectors of Rally New Zealand’s three-part Rising Stars driver development programme, a few changes have been made to the programme for 2010 applicants.

“We’re extremely happy with the way our young drivers have embraced the opportunities available via a scholarship system like Rising Stars, and our 2009 winners highlight the rallying talent in New Zealand,” says Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr.

“We have Hayden Paddon, from Geraldine, using his International Award to help top up his Pirelli Star Driver programme and therefore complete a full Production World Rally Championship schedule this season.

“Development Award winner Ben Jagger, from Whangarei, is using his Development Award funding and mentoring to step up to the Group N four-wheel-drive class in the New Zealand Rally Championship after winning the national two-wheel-drive rally title in just his second full year in rallying.

Hayden Paddon's rally career will shift up a gear next week when he and long-term co-driver John Kennard leave for Edinburgh, Scotland, to begin a testing and training programme with the Pirelli Star Driver (PSD) team.

He will leave behind the rigorously-prepared Mitsubishi Evo 9 his Team Green has rebuilt in the off season and say goodbye to his faithful group of friends and family, who have helped get him so far in his chosen motorsport.

After a few days in the Scottish capital, where Paddon will meet the four other Pirelli scholarship recipients, the five elite youngsters will travel to Italy to join the 30 to 40 Ralliart Italia personnel who will run their 2010 campaign.

Paddon said he was looking forward to setting eyes on the Mitsubishi Evo X he will contest the six Pirelli rounds in, including the all-tarmac German and French rallies. Having it prepared by foreigners will be a far cry from what he is accustomed to, but he hopes his dedication to making an impression will be reinforced by the efforts of the three mechanics and one engineer assigned to him.

"We are used to having a bit of what I'd call a family team. Now we are going to a professional outfit which works day-in and day-out on cars.''