Motorsport: Paddon maintains his focus in drive to reach top of rallying world

Hayden Paddon is back home after breakthrough performances in Europe and Asia. Photo / Sarah Ivey

There's no rest for the slickest.

Hayden Paddon is dreaming big by planning to enter a team in the World Rally Championship.

But for now, he still has to get back to work by Monday.

New Zealand's hot young rally driving prospect arrived home this week from his breakthrough performances in Asia and Europe, where the sport attracts a massive following.

First stop, a quick visit to his home town of Geraldine in South Canterbury. Then it was up to Auckland for promotional activities.

By Monday, he must be back at work in his father's farm machinery business.

The 23-year-old and co-driver John Kennard of Blenheim claimed New Zealand's best-ever international rally series finish by placing third in the production section of the World Rally Championship.

The P-WRC began for Paddon with a class win in the Rally of New Zealand, and then took him to Finland, Germany, Japan, France and finally the Rally of Great Britain in Wales.

A terrific 2009 season was the launching pad for Paddon.

Winning the Pirelli Asia-Pacific star driver final at the Rally of Australia gave him a fully funded Mitsubishi Evo X in Europe. He was one of five funded drivers in the P-WRC.

Paddon's $50,000 New Zealand scholarship helped him race his own Team Green Evo IX in New Zealand and Japan.

His P-WRC route included some racing on the unfamiliar asphalt surface and overcoming extra restrictions placed on the scholarship cars.

Paddon is cautiously optimistic he now has one foot firmly planted on a stepping stone towards the highest echelon of world rallying.

He takes a few questions from the Herald.

Are you happy with your debut P-WRC season?
There are definitely two sides to the story - at the start of the year we were aiming for a podium finish but after two or three rounds our expectations rose and we wanted to win it. The last couple of rounds didn't go to plan, which was a bit of a disappointment, but for a first year we did very well.

A high point?
The German rally, where we finished second on the tarmac. Our expectations were pretty low, but after the first day we had won a stage and were second. I have been brought up driving on gravel but I do have a smooth style and maybe that and the way the car was set up helped. I'm still trying to work out how we did so well.

Low point?
France. We won the first three stages but struck mechanical problems and you really can't do a lot about that.

What is your ultimate goal?
To be the world rally champion. I know it sounds far-fetched and is a long, long way from where I am and it may never happen. But I believe you have to have your goals and your dreams. Possum Bourne had just entered a team in the P-WRC when he died [in 2003] so he was never able to complete that and who knows what that would have led to ... if we can run a team in the world championship it would be a first for New Zealand.

Sounds like an expensive dream - how do you afford this sport?
I'm asking myself that question. The P-WRC is an option again next year but I'd like to run a team in the actual WRC. The budget would be around $500,000 the first year up to $1 million in the third year. That sounds a lot, but the big teams have budgets of $20m to $30m. We've had a lot of very good partners and sponsors, but we've got to develop major partnerships.

Scary money ... what's been your scariest moment in the rally car?
We haven't had a major incident ... but if you are not scaring yourself to a degree then you are not driving hard enough. In 2005, during the Canterbury rally we rolled off the road and, although we got out okay, the car burned to the ground afterwards. It was quite shocking to see. This turned out to be a turning point though. Dad had bought the car and we never had any money ... I thought this might be my career over before it had started because you can't insure a rally car. The local community and car club people from all around the country came in with money so we could buy a car, which was a moving experience. The motorsport community is like that. Everyone knows everyone, it's very small and we are all friends. Three years later we won the national championship.

What got you into rallying?
My dad [Chris] was rally driving before I was born so I guess you could say it is in the blood.

Childhood hero?
Colin McRae [the late former world rally champion from Scotland]. He always gave it absolutely everything. The usual kids' videos were never for me - I was always watching rally cars instead. I especially remember when McRae won the world championship in 1995.

Has the sport changed much?
The driving has got smoother compared to 20 years ago. The smooth way is the fastest way to drive.

Is there one thing in rallying you would like to change?
I guess the expense, which means the WRC comes down to six or eight drivers.