The current New Zealand champion Hayden Paddon of Geraldine has won the International Rally of Whangarei from the three-time Asia Pacific rally champion Cody Crocker, with another Australian Brendan Reeves third.
Crocker took the Asia Pacific championship honours with Japan's KatsuhikoTagushi second and New Zealand's Emma Gilmour third.
Paddon's win also gives him the New Zealand championship lead after Richard Mason, who'd led for most of the event, retired with a blown turbocharger.
