Paddon makes it two-for-two with victory in PWRC at Rally Argentina
Kiwi pairing Hayden Paddon and John Kennard clinched their second victory in-a-row in their Michelin-shod
Subaru Impreza on the third round of the 2011 FIA Production car World Rally Championship at Rally
Argentina this weekend. Paddon, who didn’t nominate Rally Sweden as a scoring PWRC round, also now tops
the Championship standings, displacing young Czech driver Martin Semerád (Mitsubishi), despite having
competed in one less event.
His first outing in Argentina, Paddon decided to practise a strategy of caution on Day One. Despite electrical
gremlins which set in from SS4 onwards, strong times kept Paddon on the pace of the frontrunners, but sitting
in a contented third, until the final stage of the day when the retirements of then first- and second-placed Patrik
Flodin (SWE, Subaru) and Michal Kościuszko (POL, Mitsubishi) promoted the Kiwi into the lead. Paddon’s
Subaru continued with low power and slight misfiring throughout Day Two despite changes to his engine
management system at midday service. However, the 2010 Pirelli Star Driver once again focused on putting in
steady times and getting his Impreza through the stages. Even ‘steady’ times earned the unfailingly quick
Paddon, who came to Argentina straight off the back of an almost flawless victory on his first round of the 2011
PWRC in Portugal, another stage win on SS15 and an eight minute lead over then second-placed Flodin by the
end of Day Two. Another set of strong times on Day Three, and Paddon cruised home to victory in the PWRC,
the first of an all-Subaru top three, and ninth place overall, earning him two WRC points.
It was 2010 PWRC runner-up Flodin who came home a well earned second place in the PWRC and tenth overall
to pick up 18 PWRC points and one WRC point. After a difficult start to the season, Flodin reminded everyone of
the pace he’s capable of from the outset of Rally Argentina. Second in the PWRC by 0.5 seconds after the
Thursday night Super Special, he immediately took the lead on the opening stage of Day One proper. He briefly
jockeyed for position with young Polish rival Kościuszko on the morning stages, but reclaimed the lead on SS4
and won four of the first five stages of the day. However, disaster struck for the Swede when he stopped to
refuel on the road section after SS6 and electrical troubles meant his Subaru’s engine wouldn’t restart, forcing
him to retire from the day.
When Flodin restarted on Day Two, he had only fallen to fourth in the PWRC due to his early pace on Day One.
He once again set to the stages at a lick, and two more stage wins and consistently quick times meant that
although over eight minutes behind leader Paddon, Flodin had been promoted back into second by the end of
Day Two. His electrical woes briefly returned on the road section to the final stage of the day, but Flodin
successfully restarted his Subaru and cleared the stage, relieved only to suffer a 40 second road penalty.
Another strong set of times on Day Three, including clearing the 48km SS16 nearly a minute faster than his
nearest PWRC competitor, and Flodin was relieved to make it home to final service and put himself back in the
mix in the Championship standings.
The last time Kościuszko competed in Argentina, he won the third round of the 2009 JWRC. He returned this
weekend in a 4WD Mitsubishi with high hopes for his second outing in the 2011 PWRC, but it wasn’t meant to
be. After a strong start to Day One, winning SS3 and battling with more experienced PWRC drivers Flodin and
Paddon, Kościuszko was lying in a strong second when he went off on SS7, the final stage of the day, and broke
his Mitsubishi’s front suspension arm. The 2009 JWRC runner-up restarted on Day Two and showed
phenomenal speed on the tricky stages, clocking five PWRC stage wins and returning to evening service in a
clear third, only just over 20 seconds behind second-placed Flodin. Kościuszko seemed to have the final place
on the PWRC podium sewn up when he hit a stone and broke his front right steering arm on the long SS16, the
opening stage of Day Three. He stopped to replace the part, but lost nearly 20 minutes and fell to tenth.
Kościuszko’s misfortune left Dmitry Tagirov (RUS, Subaru) in third, a position he wasn’t going to give up
lightly. Determined to make it to the finish unscathed, Tagirov claimed his first PWRC podium and 15
Championship points on his debut in Argentina. Aside from one slow puncture on SS4 and a broken trackrod on
SS14 - which he had to stop and change on the road section after the stage, picking up a three minute time
penalty – the Russian had an uneventful rally and was delighted to move up to fourth in the PWRC standings.
Four-times Peruvian Champion Nicolás Fuchs (PER, Mitsubishi) came home a strong fourth, followed by
Semerád in fifth, while Harry Hunt (GBR) who finished eleventh picked up 25 points in the Production car Cup
as the quickest 2WD competitor in the PWRC. With 11 of the 12 PWRC starters making it to the end of the
event, it was only guest driver Alejandro Levy (ARG, Mitsubishi) who, after an impressive Day One which he
finished lying in second, suffered engine problems on the morning loop of Day Two and retired from the event.
Subaru Impreza on the third round of the 2011 FIA Production car World Rally Championship at Rally
Argentina this weekend. Paddon, who didn’t nominate Rally Sweden as a scoring PWRC round, also now tops
the Championship standings, displacing young Czech driver Martin Semerád (Mitsubishi), despite having
competed in one less event.
His first outing in Argentina, Paddon decided to practise a strategy of caution on Day One. Despite electrical
gremlins which set in from SS4 onwards, strong times kept Paddon on the pace of the frontrunners, but sitting
in a contented third, until the final stage of the day when the retirements of then first- and second-placed Patrik
Flodin (SWE, Subaru) and Michal Kościuszko (POL, Mitsubishi) promoted the Kiwi into the lead. Paddon’s
Subaru continued with low power and slight misfiring throughout Day Two despite changes to his engine
management system at midday service. However, the 2010 Pirelli Star Driver once again focused on putting in
steady times and getting his Impreza through the stages. Even ‘steady’ times earned the unfailingly quick
Paddon, who came to Argentina straight off the back of an almost flawless victory on his first round of the 2011
PWRC in Portugal, another stage win on SS15 and an eight minute lead over then second-placed Flodin by the
end of Day Two. Another set of strong times on Day Three, and Paddon cruised home to victory in the PWRC,
the first of an all-Subaru top three, and ninth place overall, earning him two WRC points.
It was 2010 PWRC runner-up Flodin who came home a well earned second place in the PWRC and tenth overall
to pick up 18 PWRC points and one WRC point. After a difficult start to the season, Flodin reminded everyone of
the pace he’s capable of from the outset of Rally Argentina. Second in the PWRC by 0.5 seconds after the
Thursday night Super Special, he immediately took the lead on the opening stage of Day One proper. He briefly
jockeyed for position with young Polish rival Kościuszko on the morning stages, but reclaimed the lead on SS4
and won four of the first five stages of the day. However, disaster struck for the Swede when he stopped to
refuel on the road section after SS6 and electrical troubles meant his Subaru’s engine wouldn’t restart, forcing
him to retire from the day.
When Flodin restarted on Day Two, he had only fallen to fourth in the PWRC due to his early pace on Day One.
He once again set to the stages at a lick, and two more stage wins and consistently quick times meant that
although over eight minutes behind leader Paddon, Flodin had been promoted back into second by the end of
Day Two. His electrical woes briefly returned on the road section to the final stage of the day, but Flodin
successfully restarted his Subaru and cleared the stage, relieved only to suffer a 40 second road penalty.
Another strong set of times on Day Three, including clearing the 48km SS16 nearly a minute faster than his
nearest PWRC competitor, and Flodin was relieved to make it home to final service and put himself back in the
mix in the Championship standings.
The last time Kościuszko competed in Argentina, he won the third round of the 2009 JWRC. He returned this
weekend in a 4WD Mitsubishi with high hopes for his second outing in the 2011 PWRC, but it wasn’t meant to
be. After a strong start to Day One, winning SS3 and battling with more experienced PWRC drivers Flodin and
Paddon, Kościuszko was lying in a strong second when he went off on SS7, the final stage of the day, and broke
his Mitsubishi’s front suspension arm. The 2009 JWRC runner-up restarted on Day Two and showed
phenomenal speed on the tricky stages, clocking five PWRC stage wins and returning to evening service in a
clear third, only just over 20 seconds behind second-placed Flodin. Kościuszko seemed to have the final place
on the PWRC podium sewn up when he hit a stone and broke his front right steering arm on the long SS16, the
opening stage of Day Three. He stopped to replace the part, but lost nearly 20 minutes and fell to tenth.
Kościuszko’s misfortune left Dmitry Tagirov (RUS, Subaru) in third, a position he wasn’t going to give up
lightly. Determined to make it to the finish unscathed, Tagirov claimed his first PWRC podium and 15
Championship points on his debut in Argentina. Aside from one slow puncture on SS4 and a broken trackrod on
SS14 - which he had to stop and change on the road section after the stage, picking up a three minute time
penalty – the Russian had an uneventful rally and was delighted to move up to fourth in the PWRC standings.
Four-times Peruvian Champion Nicolás Fuchs (PER, Mitsubishi) came home a strong fourth, followed by
Semerád in fifth, while Harry Hunt (GBR) who finished eleventh picked up 25 points in the Production car Cup
as the quickest 2WD competitor in the PWRC. With 11 of the 12 PWRC starters making it to the end of the
event, it was only guest driver Alejandro Levy (ARG, Mitsubishi) who, after an impressive Day One which he
finished lying in second, suffered engine problems on the morning loop of Day Two and retired from the event.
NUNO DINIS
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