4 Jul 2010

Paddon wins Rally of Whangarei

8:42 pm on 4 July 2010

The New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon has won the International Rally of Whangarei, finishing almost four minutes ahead of the next driver.

Paddon had a one-minute 10 lead heading into the second and final day, and won all but one of today's eight stages to convincingly win the event.

His fellow New Zealander, Emma Gilmore, started the day in third, but had a good day to pick up second place and move to within two points of the national series leader, Dean Sumner.

Gilmore could overtake Sumner in next month's Rally of Nelson, which would make her the first female driver to lead the New Zealand Rally Championship in it's 35 year history.