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Paddon set for home rally return

A week after a tough ride at ADAC Rallye Deutschland, Hayden Paddon will be be back on reassuringly familiar ground this weekend when he tackles New Zealand's Coromandel Rally.

Taking advantage of the six-week break before the WRC's next event in Spain, Paddon returned to his homeland immediately after Germany ready for the one-day rally on Saturday 26 August, which is round four of the New Zealand Rally Championship.

Paddon will drive an AP4+ spec Hyundai NZ i20 accompanied by his former WRC co-driver John Kennard. It will be the first time that Kennard has co-driven for Paddon since Rally Argentina in April.

"I'm really looking forward the whole event; it will be great to get back in the car with John again, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, the driving, and the good people in our fantastic New Zealand rally community," Paddon said.

"I've never done this rally or these stages before, so it will be a new experience. It looks like a sunny, cold week, so will be a perfect weekend for rallying."

The rally marks the first competitive outing this year for Paddon in his domestic-spec i20 and he tested it this week before the seven stage, 135km rally.

Returning to the co-driver's seat, Kennard said: "This weekend in Coromandel is really just about getting out and having some fun on a rally again after the high-stress environment of WRC. It'll also be cool to be back in the car with Hayden and certainly a thrill to be back on some of the best rally roads in the world."

Zdroj: wrc.com