Rising Stars have plenty to play for at Whangarei

Rally New Zealand’s Rising Stars award winners all have plenty to play for when the third round of the Vantage New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), the International Rally of Whangarei, takes place from 2 to 4 July.

For the second time this season, international award winner Hayden Paddon (23, Geraldine) will compete alongside fellow Rising Stars recipients and NZRC regulars, Ben Jagger (20, Whangarei, Development Award) and Stephen Barker (21, Hamilton, Scholarship).

With the International Rally of Whangarei also doubling as the third round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), Jagger and Paddon have been given wildcard entries into the APRC section of the event, allowing them to be seeded among and potentially score points against the APRC competitors which, this year, include former WRC stars Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson.

“It is fantastic to see two of our Rising Stars, Ben Jagger and Hayden Paddon, receive wildcard entries into the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship,” says Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr. “This is another opportunity for two very talented young drivers to show to international teams and media what they are capable of.”

Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have always run well at the International Rally of Whangarei since its inaugural year in 2007 when New Zealand’s APRC moved to the northern city. That event saw Paddon take his first-ever outright rally win and the two-time New Zealand rally champion followed up with second place in 2008 and another victory on last year’s event. Paddon drives the same Group N (production class) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX that took him to victory last year and more recently first in the Production World Rally Championship class at Rally New Zealand, he aims to stand on top of the podium for a third time at Whangarei.

“We’re looking forward to another chance to showcase our team to the world while competing against some of the best teams in the Asia Pacific and we’re going all out for the top spot on the podium,” says Paddon.

For Jagger and co-driver Ben Hawkins, who both call Whangarei home, the chance to compete at such a level in front of their many friends, family and fans makes the wildcard entry so much more special. Twenty-year-old Jagger has always enjoyed competing in front of his home crowd and has done so with success, including first Group N two-wheel drive competitor home in 2009. The Rising Stars Development Award has helped Jagger step up from his familiar two-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta to a more powerful four-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza this season, a move which has gone well for Jagger as he currently holds tenth position in the NZRC standings.

“It is always great to compete in front of our home crowd,” says Jagger. “We have a lot of support at home and mixing that with the opportunity to compete against the best drivers in the Asia-Pacific region is pretty exciting for us.”

Rising Stars Scholarship winner Stephen Barker is looking to extend an already healthy lead in the NZRC Group N two-wheel-drive class. After two rounds, the 21-year-old has claimed the maximum available points and has opened up a commanding 52 point lead over his nearest rival.

Although now a resident of Hamilton, Barker grew up in Whangarei and still considers this to be his home event. Despite few opportunities to compete on the roads in the Whangarei and Kaipara districts, Barker has achieved strong results in the past. He’s looking for another solid performance when he and co-driver Richard Ellis hit the roads in the Rising Stars Ford Fiesta on Friday 2 July.

Immediately following the Whangarei event, Barker attends the Motorsport New Zealand Elite Academy, which trains up-and-coming drivers from both circuit racing and rallying. Drivers are taught the importance of skills outside of driving including dealing with the media, nutrition and fitness. Successful graduates include Barker’s fellow Rising Stars Hayden Paddon and Ben Jagger, as well as Mark Tapper and now well-known circuit racers Brendon Hartley and Shane Van Gisbergen.

“It is like preparing for two events for me really,” says Barker, “We are really looking forward to Whangarei, but we have to be a bit careful not to throw away such a strong championship lead. Then I get to go to the academy, which is a fantastic opportunity and I am sure it will really help me move forward in my career.”