Rally win an unforgettable experience for Blake

 World Champion rally driver Hayden Paddon (left) with Waikato Trades Academy student Blake Watson at the Hyundai NZ Rally of the Coast in Raglan.

When champion rally driver Hayden Paddon sent gravel flying on Raglan’s Whaanga coast road recently to win the Hyundai NZ Rally of the Coast, a Wintec student was there behind the scenes working on his car.

Joining the Hyundai service crew was an exciting experience for Fraser High School student Blake Watson, who is also  studying Year One Manufacturing and Technology at  Wintec's Waikato Trades Academy. Not only did he get to meet World Champion driver, Hayden Paddon, he discovered what it takes to keep his car performing on the day.

“Being part of the Hyundai team and having their trust to work on Hayden's Hyundai rally car was a real highlight," says Blake.

“I discovered the service crew are just as important as the driver and navigator, and experienced the amount of work required in a very short time-frame to keep the car in the event."

Hayden Paddon won the final round of the 2018 New Zealand Rally Championship on 14 October, giving Hyundai New Zealand their first-ever NZRC manufacturers’ championship title. Despite having to manage a few driveline niggles in his Hyundai i20 AP4+ car, Paddon had the fastest stage times on all eight special stages of the one-day Hyundai NZ Raglan Rally of the Coast.

Paddon says his team did a "really great job" to keep the car going.

“We made little repairs as we went along... more stages and we might have been in trouble. A big team effort is what got the car over the line.”

Blake got this experience through Wintec’s connection with the Pinnacle programme, which is backed by Hyundai New Zealand. Pinnacle is a unique mentoring programme for passionate 15-18 years old which provides talented young New Zealanders support, networks and skills for success.

Former New Zealand Silver Ferns netball legend, Bernice Mene, manages Pinnacle and says this is the third year that Hyundai NZ has worked with Wintec through the Pinnacle platform to inspire and illuminate youth pathways. 

“Each student has gained something different from working with Hayden and the Hyundai Rally team and we aim to continue to provide similar opportunities in the future.”

Blake admits he’s not bitten by the rally bug yet, but he says the experience "has sparked an interest in the motor trade”.

Would he do this again?

"Definitely yes!” says Blake.

Find out more about Waikato Trades Academy.

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