Hayden Paddon will be at this weekend’s inaugural Mitre 10 MEGA Bowater Hyundai King of Kohatu event.
The new event will see drivers competing on the Nelson Car Club Track at Kohatu Park south of Nelson.
Paddon is the reigning and five-time national rally champion, as well as recently winning the Waimate 50 in his newly built EV Hyundai Kona.
While Paddon won’t be entered as a competitor, as his national championship-winning Hyundai i20 AP4 rally car doesn’t fit the competition rules, he will still complete demonstration runs at the new event.
Carey Harwood of the Nelson Car Club also hopes she may be able to convince Paddon to do a few runs in one of the motorcycle powered Cross Cars, which organisers expect to be a favourite amongst spectators.
“These Cross Cars are sure to be crowd favourites – they are lightweight motorcycle-powered machines, revving to 15,000rpm, the sound of that at our track in the valley is going to be something else,” Harwood said.
The event will see a wide variety of cars from purpose-built rally cars to unmodified street cars competing on the gravel track.
Stuart Weeber will also be at the event driving his ex-Possum Bourne Subaru, Jason Clark, fresh from his win in Nelson Car Club’s recent Tyreworld Richmond Phil Fiddymont Rally Sprint.
Neville Kidd Will also be competing in his Honda-powered Ford Escort, Ashton Wood in his Masport Fort Escort and father and son team Jeff and Ollie Ward heading a six-strong entry of Semog Bravo Cross Cars.
The event kicks off at 9.00am Saturday, with winners expected to be crowned by 4.00pm on Sunday.