[1] Hayden Paddon in action on the 2011 Whangarei Rally, on which he finished second overall. Photo by Geoff Rider. Hayden Paddon has made the most of the opportunities for further tarmac rally experience in Spain.
He said the experience of tarmac driving had been "hugely successful", after a rally in which he gave a reminder of his pace, which has improved rally by rally all season.
While New Zealand's world champion driver from Geraldine could not contest the first day of the three-day World Rally Championship event due to an electrical fault with his Subaru, Paddon powered through the other two days, winning nine of the 12 stages he covered with Blenheim-based co-driver John Kennard.
Following Sunday's final six stages held a short distance from the rally base in the coastal town of Salou, between Barcelona and Valencia, Paddon said the team was "able to pick up from where we left yesterday, winning all four of the longer stages by good margins while still driving well within ourselves.
"We have continued to learn every stage and, comparing from where we started at the first stage yesterday to now, my tarmac driving has gone a long way.
Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvement but it is one step at a time."
After incurring a 30-minute penalty for retiring on day one, Paddon ended up eighth in the Production World Rally Championship category, a significant improvement from the 13th place he was in on Saturday.
Despite being unable to compete at the front of the PWRC pack where he normally runs, Paddon was pleased to achieve one of his core goals for the Spanish event.
As the third-placed Subaru driver in Spain, he has won this year's Subaru Challenge award which adds valuable prize money to the fund being gathered by Paddon's management company, Hayden Paddon Rallysport Global Ltd, for his 2012 international rally season.
Paddon cannot be beaten in the FIA Production World Rally Championship, after winning the PWRC class at all four events the 24-year-old has contested this year.
The four championship points that Paddon earned for eighth place extend his unbeatable lead in the championship to 104 points. Swedish driver Patrik Flodin moves into second place with 59 points, just one point in front of Polish driver Michal Kościuszko.
The New Zealander has the option of driving a different car at the season finale, Wales Rally Great Britain running from November 10 to 13. He is seeking alternatives to his championship-winning Subaru STI to gain valuable experience in a different category of rally car.
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