Paddon
switches to
classic
Escort for
home rally

Paddon, currently second to Craig Breen in the race for the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, will drive Tony Gosling’s classic Ford Escort RS1800 alongside navigator John Kennard.

“It’s going to be some good, sideways fun,” said Paddon. “I haven’t driven a rear-wheel-drive car for some time, so John and I will just go and do our thing, get used to the car and hopefully that will treat us well.

“The Escort is obviously a very different car to the Skoda Fabia S2000 we’re driving this year, but it’s going to be great to have the additional seat time. At the end of the day we’re still doing a rally and it's about being in that mindset, doing the recce and keeping ourselves fresh.”

Paddon’s next outing in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia will be his home event, Brother Rally New Zealand, from 21-24 June. Rally Otago is a round of Paddon’s domestic rally championship.