Hayden Paddon writes….What makes Rally Otago so good?

In a little over a week’s time (16-18 April), New Zealand’s biggest and most iconic rally will take place, Rally Otago. Its certainly one of my favourite events in the world, and is a rally enjoyed not only by Kiwi competitors, but also international competitors.

But what is it that makes it so good?

From the outside, the obvious things stand out – amazing roads and stages that are rotated, so every year the rally is slightly different to keep everyone on their toes, while keeping iconic stages such as Kuri Bush in the itinerary.

Kuri Bush is the closest stage to Finland I have seen outside Scandinavia, so it gives Kiwi’s a taste of a grand prix on gravel. The two day event is also generally the longest rally in terms of competitive km’s during the season. Right from the ceremonial start on Friday night in the Octagon, it has a real buzz about it.

Behind the scenes one of the main things that has spearheaded the growth of this event is the work and passion of Norm and Roger Oakley. They are very proactive in promoting new initiatives as part of the event – weather it be community events to inviting guests drivers.

There is a constant drive to make the rally bigger than the previous year and that really shines through. I think what is also important is the buy-in of the city council and the region in general. Its hard for any major NZ city to actually embrace a national motorsport event, and more often than not, we see events fall under the radar. Not so in Dunedin – most people know there is a rally on and the proof of that is the spectator numbers at the ceremonial start and lined along the special stages.

The growth and popularity of the Classic part of the event has become renown internationally and has also played a massive role in the growth of the event.

Rally Otago is generally a fast rally, often with one or two forestry stages thrown in to mix things up. In general the fast nature of the roads require a lot of commitment and the many blind crests asks for accurate pace notes. As the stages are often mixed up, local knowledge doesn’t play such a huge part – this year for example, there are three special stages that are the same/similar to last year, otherwise some stages date back to 2012 to 2014.

While the majority of the stages require a lot of commitment on smooth public roads that are easy on the car, there is always a sting in the tail and some stages that require respect. In this case, the 40+ km Berwick stage, that is repeated, will be that test, requiring patience and tidy driving to avoid punctures and damage.

After an absence from the calendar last year, many competitors and fans will be chomping at the bit to get back into Otago Rally – as is reflected by the record number of over 130 entries (which includes no international drivers).

The start of the season is also a big test for all teams to ensure all the work in the off season is on-point and ready to go. We are certainly ready to go after a full rebuild of our AP4 i20 from the small mishap at Jacks Ridge late last year. That rebuild process has also focused on improving several aspects of the car to ensure our package is stronger than ever.

I cannot wait for a great weekend of rallying again and seeing how strong this year’s New Zealand Rally Championship will be.