The pair are lining up their Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car for the Gippsland Rally, the fourth round of the Australian Rally Championship, in Victoria.
The Kiwis lead their respective drivers’ and co-drivers’ championship standings with 256 points ahead of this event and two more to come.
Paddon’s closest competition are the Bates brothers, Lewis with 221 points and Harry with 192, and he is expecting plenty of pressure from both that pair and other top competitors.
"Gippsland is another new event and new conditions for us to learn during testing and recce," Paddon said.
‘‘From what we have seen, the stages look to be medium speed and grip, but a bit smoother than some of the previous events. I’m looking forward to it.
"Unlike the first three ARC rounds, which were sprint events where you could earn points from your finishing position each day, this is an endurance round where your points are determined by your overall place across the two days — as happens in most rallies.
‘‘This magnifies the importance of finishing the rally with no problems, with no second chance for points on this event.
"At this point of the championship, it’s important we protect our lead and keep scoring points. We are expecting a strong challenge from the Bates brothers again on stages they know well, so we will put our best foot forward to keep the pressure on.”
A unique feature of the Gippsland Rally is the running of four night stages, the first time in over 10 years that an ARC event includes night forest competition.
"I’m really looking forward to the night stages aspect of the rally. Night rallying is my favourite, and will be a key part of the rally.”
The competition comprises 18 special stages and 216.6 competitive kilometres across two days on roads in Gippsland state forests. — Allied Media
