Cox a finalist for Hyundai young driver prize

Rotorua rally driver Sloan Cox is aiming to win the inaugural Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout this weekend. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Rotorua's Sloan Cox hopes to take his career as a rally driver to a whole new level if he wins the inaugural Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout this weekend.

Cox, 25, is one of five young rally drivers who have been selected to contest the shootout taking place on 9 and 10 December 2016.

The Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout is a mentoring programme developed by Kiwi world rally star Hayden Paddon in partnership with Hyundai New Zealand and the Hyundai-backed Pinnacle Programme for talented teens.

The shootout winner will get a major step-up with their motorsport career aspirations and benefit from the opportunity to drive the Hyundai NZ AP4 i20 rally car run by Paddon Rallysport in two rounds of the 2017 New Zealand Rally Championship, testing and training with Paddon, plus the potential for an expanded programme in 2018.

Cox, who started his competitive rallying at age 15, has already tasted much success after he won the junior driver New Zealand Rally Championship title in 2010 aged 19 and, after a three-year break from national competition, finished runner-up in this year's New Zealand Rally Championship and won the junior national title for the second time.

But the talented driver knows this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from New Zealand's best.

"I knew I had to enter because it was such a great chance to work alongside Hayden and learn from him over the two-day shootout and ultimately be mentored by Hayden for the whole year if I was to win the shootout," he said.

The project and site manager for Rotorua engineering firm Taslo Engineering added: "This is amazing opportunity that Hayden Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand have put together for young New Zealand rally drivers so I really appreciate them selecting me as one of the lucky five drivers and giving me the chance to show them what I have to offer."

Running near Auckland, the Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout includes lessons and assessments on fitness, how to identify and look after sponsors, nutrition, media presence, career planning, writing pace notes and car set-up.

The finalists also get a day in the forest where they will be writing and driving to their own pace notes in the Hyundai AP4 car.

"I know I will learn a lot but I really want to take away as much as I can to take my rally career to the next level with Hayden's help," said Cox.

"The whole shootout programme will benefit me in the future because Hayden is a rally star who has worked so hard to get to where he is now. To have the chance to work and learn from him is something you can't buy and will help me with incredible knowledge."

Cox will be joined by Sarah Coatsworth as his co-driver for the in-car section.

"We have done a lot of rally and work together in the past and work really well together," Cox said. "I can't wait to drive the Hyundai AP4 rally car. These AP4 rally cars are such a great base for a top car and have developed so fast. They are the future of rallying in New Zealand and Asia Pacific."

Cox joins four other finalists selected from more than 180 applicants; Max Bayley, 20, from Hawke's Bay, Waiuku's Dylan Thomson, 21, Job Quantock, 22, from Ashburton and Rangiora's Matt Summerfield, 24.

The Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout finalists will be assessed over the two days by Paddon, rally driver Reece Jones, talented teens Pinnacle Programme leader Bernice Mene, Newshub senior sports reporter Shaun Summerfield and former Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr.

"We want all finalists to take as much as they can away from the shootout weekend," said Paddon. "We are not looking for the fastest driver - we are looking for someone with that X factor who has the ability to learn and develop into a leading rally driver, both nationally and internationally, while representing the Hyundai brand."

Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout and Scholarship was open to drivers aged 16-25 with applicants having contested a minimum of 10 rallies, including four pace-noted rallies.

Six more applicants - Jack Williamson, Max Tregilgas, Michael McLean, Chris McLean, Ari Pettigrew and Jack Hawkeswood - have been invited to participate in the classroom day.

The Hyundai New Zealand Young Driver Shootout and Scholarship winner will be announced on 11 December.