Paddon hopes to raise rallying's profile

By: Brenton Vannisselroy | Motorsport News | Tuesday June 19 2012 6:33

Hayden Paddon feels a responsibility to bring the crowds back to rallying.

New Zealand's leading driver is preparing to mix it with the world's best at this week's Rally New Zealand.

Paddon says he wants to see the sport return to where it was in the past.

"Possum Bourne did a lot of that when he was here. We just have to try and get that profile back up, and get the popularity and people back out on the stages."

Paddon may have the local knowledge, but some of the roads for this week's Brother Rally New Zealand are foreign to him.

The third day's stages around Puhoi are making a return to the event for the first time in two decades.

Paddon has completed a reconnaissance of the stages and says the roads are grouse.

"Quite similar to parts of the stages further north ... it's quite fast in places, then there's also some tighter technical areas. Very nice roads, very little gravel on them, almost like tarmac in places."

Hayden Paddon will look at the more familiar roads around Whangarei and Raglan over the next couple of days ahead of qualifying on Thursday.

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