CSB - Ben Hunt - NZ Rally Champion

Ben Hunt has won his third New Zealand Rally Championship and first since 2019 with a comfortable second place finish at the International Rally of Whangarei.

Hayden Paddon, in the Hyundai New Zealand i20 Rally 2, was the class of the field once again, powering to a dominant rally win but just missed out to Hunt in the season’s standings having missed the opening round at Otago due to a clash with his European Rally Championship

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're joining us on the show now and we spoke
to him on Friday ahead of the final round of
the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship was
New Zealand Rally driver Ben Hunt. He had to finish
in second place behind Hayden Padden to win his third championship.
He managed to do that. He joins us this morning
on the show. Ben morning, and congratulations.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Cheers mate, Thank you. It's been pretty stressful few days,
even though I told everyone it wasn't but we managed
to get there in the end, so awesome to win
the third one and twenty nineteen when we won it,
we unfortunately didn't finish the last rally, so it wasn't
really the best ending of a championship, so that was
awesome to be there at the finish in made and
Roads and follow What made.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
It so stressful for you this weekend?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Oh, obviously, you know Hayden's a world class driver and
you know he didn't do Otago Rally at the start
of the year. But we knew we had to pretty
much be second both days and second in the power stage,
so you know we had a job to do them
and is to do that second in the Powers days
and we got the job done. But it's just you know,

(01:08):
you want it. You go to Fong Range, you want
to enjoy those wonderful roads and as we did. But
there was just another element to it this year.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
How many points at the end of the championship then
was the difference between first and second?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
I'm not sure, mate, but I know we did it.
So that's the main thing that I haven't actually looked
at any of that. It was, yeah, we're pretty quick
to get a few beers into us. All the team
done an awesome job this year and you know, probably
the coolest thing for me is obviously we won a
few of Subaru but for Sco to New Zealan, it's
the first time for them winning the New Ze Championship

(01:41):
and just pretty special to do that with them for
the first time.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
So was there any stage on the weekend? I know
in stage one I think zeal Jones beat you. Was
there any stage in the weekend where you were a
little bit worried a car or anything like that? Any issues?

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Now, obviously like wang Array, we've never done it at
the time of year. It's normally in May and we
all do that tire where was going to be a
bit of a problem. So we you know, you had
to sort of manage your tires and all that. And
it was just one of those rallies where you couldn't
put one hundred percent the whole time. And yeah, so

(02:17):
there's probably stages where you pushed and didn't push and
as the same three runner, you just picked your bettles.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
So as far as the championships that you've you've won,
I mean you've won. This will be your third and
which one was the best? How does it feel winning
your third title?

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Oh? It was amazing. Man's obviously every drivers in the
same boat. We've messed out on a few that we
could have won, and but that's motorsport. So it was
just awesome to get it done. And like I said,
specially Scota and Advantage and everyone else that helps us
to our campaign.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Fantastic. Well what's next for you? I think you've got
to drive day today. Have you taken people for rides?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, we're up in Welford. I'm doing a ridestae Advantage
so that's pretty awesome. Take people that haven't been in
a rally car before or for a skid and and yeah,
and then wins that I'm actually getting back surgery, so
she's all.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Going, well done, back to your normal job. Was It's fantastic,
we'll being again. Congratulations mate, We'll let you go and
take those people for a skid.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Awesome. Cheers mate,