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The Motorsport Brief | Toby Price & Hayden Paddon · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  listener.
• 0:03
  I'm in New Zealand for this edition of the Shortcast.
• 0:05
  We are about to catch up with an Aussie off-road legend and a Kiwi WRC star.
• 0:11
  Hi everyone, welcome to another edition of the Motorsport Brief.
• 0:14
  We are here for round four of the New Zealand Rally Championship in beautiful Hawke's Bay.
• 0:19
  Shortly to Toby Price, who was with me a week ago in Tasmania for the latest round of the ARC.
• 0:25
  He's now across the ditch and continuing a campaign over here as well.
• 0:28
  And Hayden Padden
• 0:32
  to Paraguay for the latest round of the World Championship.
• 0:35
  Now, big thanks to all of you too.
• 0:37
  Lots of nice feedback on the latest feature episode, a two-parter with Penrite Racing team owner Stephen Grove, and that is fabulous because you get a bit of an insight into his winning mindset, why he's been so successful in business, the fact that he didn't stop for too long to savour that incredible win at Mount Panorama Bathurst last year with Matt Payne and Garth Tander, and a whole lot more, why he is basically...
• 1:02
  here to dominate but he puts some context around what he means in that uh that headline that you've seen in recent weeks fabulous episode you'll enjoy that you can find it in all of the usual places let's launch into the first of two interviews here on the shortcast with toby price who's been enjoying some rallying of late a subaru in oz and a toyota here in new zealand
• 1:26
  For the second time in a week, I'm hanging out with Toby Price, but this time you're on the other side of the ditch, literally in my backyard, going rallying in Hawke's Bay.
• 1:34
  You're looking forward to that?
• 1:35
  Yeah, mate.
• 1:36
  Yeah, you'll be sick of seeing me soon.
• 1:39
  No, it's been crazy.
• 1:40
  Yeah, we came over for a Targo rally, and yeah, now I'm in your backyard.
• 1:44
  I can see why you live over here, mate.
• 1:45
  It's a pretty amazing place.
• 1:47
  It's got, yeah, New Zealand's got the best rally roads, I feel.
• 1:49
  So it's, yeah, no, it's a dream to be here and try again.
• 1:53
  So looking forward to getting the GRR Yaris and Rally Cup car and go and have some fun.
• 1:57
  Tell people a little bit more about that.
• 1:59
  Different to the WRX Challenge car that you're competing in a week ago, both kind of link into the production element, I guess, in many respects, though, don't they?
• 2:10
  Yeah, exactly.
• 2:11
  It's very two compatible cars, but in very two different ways.
• 2:16
  So I understand they're both trying to do a class for people to get into rally and enjoy the sport.
• 2:25
  So it's the base production of the Subaru in Australia.
• 2:31
  It's got a few minor less details than what the car here does with the GR Yaris.
• 2:38
  So, yeah, with this one, it's got a sequential gearbox, front diff and all those things.
• 2:42
  So it makes it a little bit more like a race rally car, that little bit of a feeling.
• 2:47
  But for what we're doing in the WRX back home, I think we're running fifth outright in the Australian Championship in that little car.
• 2:55
  It's a magnificent what these cars can do.
• 2:57
  So for me, it's a learning curve and a bit of a learning step, and I'm enjoying the rally stuff.
• 3:03
  So, yeah, keen to get out here and just get some more seat time and work with Benny and have him in the passenger seat and try and build on it from there.
• 3:12
  Awesome.
• 3:12
  Both cars are beautifully built, and we'll come to a little bit more on the Yaris in a second.
• 3:16
  Firstly, that relationship with Ben Searcy, a new thing for this year, some changes around that from a notes perspective and so on.
• 3:24
  How are you going with all that?
• 3:25
  He's such a calm guy, isn't he?
• 3:27
  Yeah, that's it.
• 3:28
  He's very, very calm in that seat.
• 3:30
  And, yeah, I've – well, actually, it wasn't too long ago.
• 3:33
  I rode in that seat with Bo Robertson in the trophy truck seat.
• 3:37
  That's fine, man.
• 3:38
  I didn't like it one little bit.
• 3:39
  So I think if I could have climbed out through the window net at 120 k's an hour, I would have done it.
• 3:46
  Especially with Bo.
• 3:47
  Yeah, it's wild, man.
• 3:49
  He is.
• 3:49
  But yeah, look, yeah, with Ben, he's doing a really good job.
• 3:52
  Like him being a driver himself, sometimes I probably should give him the steering wheel more than me.
• 3:58
  But yeah.
• 3:59
  Yeah, no, he's definitely got a lot of knowledge and I was on a 1 to 10 system and I'm finding that for 1 to 6 plus minus works a little bit better for me.
• 4:09
  So, yeah, we've been able to adapt and change a few things and he's teaching me a lot along the way of what to look for and what to not really, really look for.
• 4:18
  And, yeah, I feel the partnership there is coming along pretty strong.
• 4:23
  And like I say, I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm enjoying that process, which is cool.
• 4:28
  How radically different is it to other systems that you have used?
• 4:31
  I mean, it's, you know, significantly different from what you would have done on the bike, maybe, you know, in a trophy truck sense.
• 4:37
  And how quickly can you adapt to that change?
• 4:40
  Is that a, you know, like condition normal thing for you almost?
• 4:44
  Like a little bit.
• 4:45
  Like honestly, the rally stuff has taken a little bit more to get my head around a little bit.
• 4:50
  So not being that it's like it's not really any more difficult, but the smaller and minor details in a pace note for rally is very important.
• 5:01
  So like I say, yeah, I'm used to memorizing it and storing it all in my head.
• 5:08
  So when I'm doing pace notes with Ben, I forget to talk sometimes until…
• 5:12
  Tell him what to write down because I'm just trying to store it in my head and I'm like, well, I can't do it all on my own.
• 5:16
  He's there for a reason.
• 5:19
  So, yeah, and then with the truck, trophy truck racing stuff, you run off a low ramps, GPS, that, yeah, you basically type all the notes into that.
• 5:29
  you have a lot more leeway and a lot more room you can make errors because a truck will pretty much plow a tree over and you keep going full gas forward.
• 5:38
  And rally car, it's a different story.
• 5:41
  You clip the inside of a bank and it's game over.
• 5:44
  So it's just night and day different in ways.
• 5:47
  And then Dakar Rally, it's been on two wheels and four wheels.
• 5:51
  that transition off the bike, making the call myself to then having somebody relay the information was a big adjustment.
• 5:58
  So, yeah, the car world is, when I was on bikes, I always said, how do these guys get lost in these bloody cars when they've got two people in there and one navigating them?
• 6:07
  But it's that translation of passing the information over to the driver that really makes a big difference.
• 6:14
  So, yeah, I can see exactly why people get lost in a car.
• 6:18
  But we're enjoying the rally stuff.
• 6:20
  It's...
• 6:21
  like a challenge, but it's a challenge I'm trying to work out and trying to do it at a quick pace, but also being conservative and looking after equipment and it's never nice to bring back a crumpled can.
• 6:32
  Oh, exactly.
• 6:33
  Yeah, you've got to be smart about it a little bit.
• 6:35
  Quick reflection of the GR Yaris Rally Cup car.
• 6:37
  This is a relatively new thing that Paul Fallon, TMAC, those two guys have ventured boots and all into something that I think will help provide a pathway and, you know, maybe...
• 6:48
  For someone who's ultimately, you know, you lit up last night when we were at a function together about the thought of maybe one day driving a Rally 2 Yaris, which would be quite cool.
• 6:57
  The build quality on it is pretty impressive.
• 7:00
  They look and sound damn good too.
• 7:04
  And if we go back to what you did at Otago, it was 148 entries or something or other, and you brought the thing home in the top 15.
• 7:10
  Pretty amazing.
• 7:11
  Yeah, exactly.
• 7:11
  And that was its first hit out at Otago.
• 7:14
  So, yeah, we did have a few small technical issues along the way.
• 7:19
  But they've worked with that, haven't they?
• 7:21
  But they've worked with that.
• 7:22
  And we went into Otago knowing that there's a few little errors that might arise and come up.
• 7:30
  And they did.
• 7:30
  And the guys have worked hard and fixed it.
• 7:32
  And seeing what they've done now.
• 7:35
  So at Otago, we didn't have any anti-lag.
• 7:37
  So now the car's got anti-lag at this round.
• 7:41
  I noticed that the rear end was a little bit low and probably a bit soft.
• 7:46
  And then Ben at the last round that he ran at New Zealand over here with the GR Yaris, they've put different springs in the rear to just get the car a little bit more height and a bit more comfort.
• 7:57
  So, yeah, the guys are working hard, and this is what this year's all about, is developing the cars that then when 27 comes, they can knock them out of the shop, and they'll be right and ready to go racing.
• 8:09
  So, yeah, now Paul and the guys and TMAC and...
• 8:13
  force, their attention to detail in the car is super clean and really nice.
• 8:19
  And sometimes you honestly nearly forget you're in a rally car because it's got all the dash and all the standard equipment in there.
• 8:26
  But it'll get through a rally stage pretty quickly.
• 8:30
  So no, I'm excited.
• 8:32
  I've only had probably 30 minutes in it on Wednesday morning before we came down to the event at the ranch there.
• 8:40
  Pretty amazing little test loop, and they held WRC there years ago.
• 8:45
  We did a broadcast of a rally sprint there for it too.
• 8:47
  It was awesome, Mike.
• 8:48
  Absolutely unreal place there.
• 8:50
  So, no, we enjoyed it.
• 8:51
  So, no, big credit to the guys.
• 8:54
  Like I say, they are making a pathway for the younger guys to be able to come into, and like I say, I'm an old guy, and I've got aspiration to try and get to a Rally 2 car.
• 9:02
  So...
• 9:03
  But I really think it is a great step for somebody new to the sport.
• 9:07
  Even if you're not new to the sport, I think it's a great capable car to be trying to punch inside that top 15, top 10.
• 9:16
  And then, yeah, so hopefully this weekend we...
• 9:18
  We've got a little bit more development under the car and we can keep it on track and get a good result.
• 9:24
  Great stuff.
• 9:25
  You're showcasing that.
• 9:26
  And I hope the 2027 is great for them from an entry point of view and the quality of the competition.
• 9:32
  I have a feeling it'll be...
• 9:34
  something once it's up and running that'll be fiercely contested a bit like it is in WRX Challenge.
• 9:39
  You've had a great year there in Australia.
• 9:42
  Without doubt, the build quality on those maximum motorsport cars is excellent too.
• 9:47
  And what you're doing in the ARC is, I mean,
• 9:52
  No surprise, knowing your talent, mate, but the reality in a car of that almost drive-out-of-showroom stature is pretty impressive.
• 10:01
  Yeah, exactly.
• 10:02
  Yeah, it definitely blows me away.
• 10:03
  Like I say, my very first time of driving a car, I was –
• 10:08
  Bro, yeah, like I say, wasn't too excited for it because I was like, ah, probably not going to be capable of too much.
• 10:12
  A bit of mind shift because you've got to be a little kinder, I guess, don't you?
• 10:16
  Yeah, for sure.
• 10:17
  You've got to be very kind to the equipment, for sure.
• 10:20
  But also, in honesty, sometimes –
• 10:23
  Yeah, like power can get you into a lot of trouble, but also having power can get you out of trouble.
• 10:28
  So that's like these cars that the GR Yaris seems a little bit more like down low torque or probably get you out of some trouble.
• 10:38
  The Subaru, it's just you've got to really keep the momentum and being very precise in that car.
• 10:44
  So there's two different styles of driving.
• 10:47
  One's like the Subaru's like a long wheelbase, and then the GR Yaris is a very short wheelbase.
• 10:51
  And so it's two different ways to drive.
• 10:54
  But for me, I enjoy that.
• 10:55
  It's given me an understanding of how the cars will work and how they react.
• 11:00
  But, yeah, no, we're stoked to have that Subaru right up in the fight and having some fun.
• 11:06
  Riley's keeping behind us, which has been great too, because he's a young up-and-comer in Australia.
• 11:10
  And, yeah, that helps me progress as well.
• 11:14
  I can push along.
• 11:15
  And most of the time, yeah, you don't want to go out and do two or three stages and build a massive big gap.
• 11:20
  And then you go, well, I'll just go into cruise mode now.
• 11:22
  And sometimes you go into that cruise mode and you make more mistakes than anything.
• 11:25
  So, yeah, it's been nice to be able to try and keep fighting along and learn more along the way.
• 11:30
  And, yeah, hopefully we'll...
• 11:33
  work our way to a rally two car eventually to try and test one and see how it goes if i know you mate you'll have been intrigued and asking lots of questions and all that sort of stuff um already where is that i mean that's that's you've sort of led me there is is is it almost like a little bit of a a reset on direction it's not a pastime because because you're a competitive animal by by nature you want to to obviously line up and do that but it's an expensive game in the same breath so it's it's not easy to stitch all this together is it's
• 12:02
  No, that's right.
• 12:03
  And it's like, yeah, all the partners that I have on board, I definitely do get to live the dream and go and race some of the most amazing cars.
• 12:10
  But, yeah, I don't quite have the budget to go out and buy one outright myself and, yeah, kind of invest deep in my pocket.
• 12:19
  But it's...
• 12:20
  A lot of the partners have definitely helped bring all this together for us and making it all possible.
• 12:25
  But, yeah, for sure, if I had an unlimited budget, I'd have three from sitting in my garage.
• 12:29
  And, yeah, one for a test one and, yeah, a couple of race cars.
• 12:32
  But, no, that's it.
• 12:34
  It is an expensive game, but it's definitely an enjoyable...
• 12:39
  I don't know, with great people like the rally sport I've found, everyone's super kind, always there, wanting to help and try and give some guidance and some new ways to look at things and that's what it's all about.
• 12:53
  So I definitely enjoy it.
• 12:55
  So we'll wait and see what the future holds with it.
• 12:58
  But, yeah, this time, like I say, I'll race anything that's got wheels and tyres and an engine and, yeah, we'll see what happens from there.
• 13:07
  Toby Price, welcome to Lawnmower Racing.
• 13:08
  Couple to wrap this up here.
• 13:10
  I've got the Hatter Desert Race cap on today.
• 13:13
  I did it for the first time this year, and I was blown away by how cool that thing is and the kind of groundswell, the growth that it is enjoying.
• 13:23
  That's a great event for Mildura and for the competitors in general, mate, isn't it?
• 13:27
  Yeah, 100%.
• 13:29
  I've done Hatter, and I think I've been able to win five of those over my time, and it
• 13:34
  Yeah, honestly, like Fink in one way is like a special event, but Hadar is also one of those events that really puts you through a big test because like when you put it into time, it's like now at Fink, if you're getting in under a two-hour mark at Fink and now like, yeah, while she's at like a 145 and stuff like it,
• 13:53
  you're moving whereas yeah the hard out desert race it's a four-hour moto so it's like it's a long long time on the bike and it's uh you only get basically two laps and then you have to fuel that's that time you're at fuel which is only about 15 to 20 seconds um that's your break and rest period and you've just got to keep going for four hours so but the track there the conditions and everything the first probably three four laps are super enjoyable like it starts to form up
• 14:23
  Yeah, yeah.
• 14:42
  Yeah, the next, well, yeah, Tassie last weekend and now New Zealand here and then I'll be South Australia next weekend rallying and then Sunrays and Safari.
• 14:50
  So it's been four or five weeks of full-on rally stuff.
• 14:54
  So, yeah, trying to take all the seat time I can.
• 14:56
  You're with Maximum for that.
• 14:57
  They had a very successful year there last year.
• 15:00
  Pretty cool that you're going to go and get to contest that, mate.
• 15:02
  Pressure's on now.
• 15:03
  Yeah, the pressure's on.
• 15:03
  Yeah.
• 15:05
  Can we finish, mate, with Dakar?
• 15:09
  You've achieved some amazing things there on two wheels.
• 15:12
  You've had a crack at it significantly in a four-wheel sense too.
• 15:17
  Will you go back and do more?
• 15:18
  Is that a possibility at some point?
• 15:20
  Oh, I think it is at some point.
• 15:22
  I don't know.
• 15:23
  Unfortunately, I don't think for 27 will be quite possible.
• 15:27
  It's just, yeah, budget-wise, like the last two attempts on four wheels have probably cost me about $1.3 million.
• 15:38
  So, yeah, not many people know that I was paying for those last two drives in the four wheels.
• 15:43
  Man.
• 15:43
  When you put it into that aspect, it's like $1.3 million.
• 15:46
  You could have probably raced in Australia for four or five years comfortably.
• 15:51
  So when you're putting up big gambling onto one event for it to all go right, and like I say, it could be three flat tyres that cost you or it could be a part on the car that's an alt letter or it could be myself that just runs me off the track and destroys everything.
• 16:06
  So it's...
• 16:07
  Yeah, it's a big risk to take.
• 16:08
  Like I say, it's really better to go to the casino and put it on red or black because you've got 50-50 chance of winning a Dakar on four wheels.
• 16:16
  You've got to have a lot of things go right, and you've got to put yourself in the right position as well.
• 16:20
  So we'll wait and see.
• 16:22
  I've spoke with teams and just the budgets that you need to try and do that one-off event.
• 16:29
  I don't know, I feel like I should be probably shifting it to some other areas to do more events and more races instead of just putting all my eggs in one basket.
• 16:39
  Gotcha, gotcha.
• 16:40
  Yeah, it's a little bit of a hard pill as well.
• 16:42
  I love Dakar and I love that challenge and being out there for 12, 13, 14 days and, yeah, it really puts man and machine to a test.
• 16:51
  But it's, I don't know, we might just build the little piggy bank back up a little bit.
• 16:57
  Yeah, and then try and maybe make an assault for 28 and see how we go.
• 17:01
  But, yeah, my doors are open if something comes next week and it's within reach.
• 17:08
  Yeah, I'll be all hands on deck to try and make it work.
• 17:10
  But it's a couple of the teams at the moment.
• 17:13
  It's just a price tag that's a little bit out of reach.
• 17:17
  yeah, you can't keep crawling around to try and find that type of money.
• 17:20
  So it's, yeah, got to be kind to the sponsors.
• 17:23
  You can't just keep rinsing them all the time.
• 17:25
  No, exactly.
• 17:25
  Yeah, no, it's good.
• 17:26
  I thought you did a super job there, mate.
• 17:28
  I hope that call does happen and that you ultimately, because I know how much it means to you that you get to go back there at some stage.
• 17:34
  Enjoy the next few weeks.
• 17:35
  And as always, you've been so great with your time.
• 17:36
  Thanks for talking to us, mate.
• 17:37
  Appreciate it, mate.
• 17:38
  Legend.
• 17:43
  I caught up with Toby there while they prepped that car before it headed out for round four of the New Zealand Rally Championship.
• 17:49
  When we come back, Hayden Padden, before he ventures off for some more WRC competition.
• 17:54
  Stay with us.
• 17:57
  This is the Motorsport Brief, our Rusty's Garage shortcast.
• 17:59
  We hope you're enjoying it for this edition.
• 18:02
  A little bit of a rally focus from Toby Price, the Aussie, to a star of the modern day in Hayden Padden, who's basically been able to replicate many of the great feats of his hero in Possum Bourne.
• 18:15
  He is here and dominating this event already.
• 18:18
  We're only a couple of stages into it.
• 18:20
  We caught up with him in Service Park in Wadaw, a couple of hours north of Napier.
• 18:29
  Hi, mate.
• 18:30
  It's nice to catch up with you.
• 18:31
  You're about a minute up as we chat here, you know, I guess halfway through nearly the Hawke's Bay event.
• 18:38
  This gives local sponsors a bit of love for you, but importantly, it gives you seat time before Paraguay.
• 18:45
  How valuable is that in the grand scheme of things?
• 18:48
  Yeah, well, obviously come out and have some skids.
• 18:50
  I don't need much of an excuse to come and do that.
• 18:52
  And particularly like Hawke's Bay, it was always pretty renowned for having some pretty amazing stages.
• 18:56
  Unfortunately, we're missing a couple of them this year.
• 18:58
  But yeah, seat time is probably the biggest thing, especially Paraguay next week.
• 19:02
  It could have been easier to, I guess, miss this and just hop in a plane and go straight there.
• 19:06
  But instead, I thought it was good to get some seat mileage and particularly back on gravel because we haven't really done a lot of gravel rallies in the last eight months.
• 19:13
  So yeah.
• 19:14
  Yeah, get back in the swing of things and good warm-up for next week.
• 19:16
  You are literally bolting from this to the airport, aren't you?
• 19:22
  I think you want to get on the ground, get yourself in the time zone as quickly as you possibly can, don't you?
• 19:26
  Yeah, later today I need to be sleeping pretty early to try and get into the right time zone because once we get there, we land on Monday and we go straight to Recce Tuesday, so not a lot of time to adapt to the time zone when you're over there.
• 19:40
  It's a good problem to have.
• 19:41
  Yeah, yeah.
• 19:42
  Everything all lines up, and John's already arrived over there, and obviously the team's there, so it'll be all ready to go.
• 19:47
  The prep you have immersed yourself in, from what I can gather, over the past two weeks, and it is a little bit of a reflection of the way the game has evolved in some way.
• 19:56
  So, like, lots of stage note prep, I would imagine, perhaps even some onboard and stuff.
• 20:02
  How...
• 20:04
  familiar by the end of reconnaissance and stuff like that, does it become a little bit like film for you?
• 20:09
  Can you remember it pretty well?
• 20:10
  Yeah, look, at WIC, it's just a whole new level in terms of how you take your prep and the pace notes and the video work.
• 20:15
  And okay, we've known for a lot longer than two or three weeks.
• 20:18
  So I've been prepping for quite a while, probably for almost two months.
• 20:21
  I've been doing prep towards this rally.
• 20:23
  And
• 20:24
  I'm not a big fan of the amount of time you do have to spend with the videos and do that work.
• 20:28
  But you have to do it.
• 20:29
  But you have to do it.
• 20:29
  You've got no option.
• 20:30
  We want to be competitive.
• 20:31
  If we didn't have the experience here last year, we don't have a lot of time in the car on gravel.
• 20:35
  So we're trying to, I guess, close the gap up as much as we can.
• 20:38
  So, yeah, we've written all the pace notes already from all the onboards from last year.
• 20:43
  Gone through the stages 10, 11, 12 times, refining them, changing them, just constantly adapting them.
• 20:48
  And then by the time we get the recce,
• 20:50
  We should, in theory, have a pretty good set of pace notes to at least begin with.
• 20:53
  And then, yeah, the rally, we're going to have to drive outside our comfort zone a little bit because it's not a comfortable environment for me yet.
• 20:59
  Like, it's not a car I've been driving day in, day out.
• 21:01
  So I'm just going to have to put that aside and suck it up and push on.
• 21:06
  You and I spent a bit of time together last year with the Australian Rally Championship, which you won.
• 21:09
  I think that's a tremendous thing.
• 21:11
  At what point, maybe it was over summer, over Christmas or something, what point did the phone kind of ring with the notion of coming to play in the WRC again?
• 21:19
  Can you share a bit of that story?
• 21:21
  Well, it all happened very fast and not long after Tasmania.
• 21:25
  So I think it was through December.
• 21:26
  It was after OIT announced his retirement and there was a couple of emails back and forth.
• 21:32
  In fact, in Tasmania, there were some discussions ongoing at that time, nothing confirmed, but there were some talks going on.
• 21:38
  And then literally it was an email saying, okay, yep, these are the three rallies we're offering you.
• 21:43
  We've got a warm-up rally in France in two weeks to get ready for Monte Carlo with the rally two.
• 21:47
  Didn't really have any time to think about it.
• 21:48
  You knew you weren't going to turn it down, but obviously that Monty thing, as we know, was a big mental barrier for me, but just said yes, got on with it.
• 21:56
  Obviously not rallies that were my favourite rallies, not rallies that we had any experience on, and obviously I'm not a tarmac driver first and foremost, but hey, that was the opportunity to be given.
• 22:05
  Took it with both hands and tried to make the most of it.
• 22:08
  As you and I sit here and record this, Liam Lawson is about to get the chance to drive a Red Bull again in Formula One, which I think is phenomenal.
• 22:14
  That is an opportunity, a chance that he richly deserves.
• 22:18
  But second chances like that in motor racing aren't always – they're not a regular thing.
• 22:24
  I was so chuffed when you got the chance to do that, mate.
• 22:28
  And once you got that first one back under your belt, how did you feel?
• 22:32
  The whole thing was super unexpected.
• 22:34
  Like I'm not a younger driver anymore so you don't expect it at this time of your career and to be completely honest, Monty was such a struggle in more ways than one and I knew we weren't going to be competitive and of course we weren't competitive.
• 22:48
  If anything after Monty I felt like we didn't deserve another chance because we were way too far off the pace.
• 22:54
  Even though our goal was to just finish a rally, which we did, but still I'm a competitive person and I don't want to embarrass myself as well.
• 23:01
  But luckily Croatia was a good step up and we got lucky with the podium, but then Japan, even though we didn't get a good result on day two, day three, we were reasonably close to our teammates on a surface that they're quite comfortable on.
• 23:13
  Didn't even think we got a fourth rally out of it, which is a bonus, because even the third rally was never confirmed.
• 23:18
  So the first two were confirmed, and then, okay, wait and see, then we'll go to Japan, and then it'll just be three.
• 23:22
  Okay, now we're going to end up with fourth in the season.
• 23:24
  And if you asked me that after Monte Carlo, I would have said there's no way.
• 23:28
  So, yeah, pinch yourself moment, and very lucky to drive these amazing cars, and last few rallies now for these cars, and the generation of rallying.
• 23:36
  So, yeah, I'm very lucky to be able to enjoy it.
• 23:38
  Have you enjoyed driving them?
• 23:39
  I mean, pretty amazing bit of kit.
• 23:41
  Look, I'm trying to stay in the moment this year and enjoy it more.
• 23:43
  I'm a very competitive person, but I am trying to remind yourself, hey, look, we're just so fortunate to drive these.
• 23:49
  Unfortunately, some of the enjoyment comes from if you're competitive or not.
• 23:53
  Yes.
• 23:53
  But I think particularly next week, no matter how it plays out, come Sunday on the rally, you just want to literally just go and have fun, enjoy it.
• 24:02
  And you stay in the moment, I guess.
• 24:03
  You probably got quite good at this with the European Championship stuff and so on, but the international and juggling stuff at home and doing that on the fly, do you have a system in place for that?
• 24:15
  You're a highly organised person, I know, right?
• 24:17
  But is that easy to manage?
• 24:19
  And can you then park that stuff and just drive and focus on the driving, as you say?
• 24:24
  Yeah.
• 24:24
  Yeah, look, I've put everything into the prep for next week.
• 24:27
  So everything next week is just about doing the best performance I can, the best driving, like everything from my fitness, from my nutrition, everything in the last few weeks, even my sleep, like I'm trying to get in the right sleep from today onwards.
• 24:39
  Normally I wouldn't even care about that stuff.
• 24:40
  I just rock on up, take a helmet, let the adrenaline take care of things and do it, but I'm just trying to –
• 24:45
  cross every team, not every eye before next week to know that I've given it my best chance or best shot no matter what the result is and no regrets, that's the biggest thing I want out of next week is no regrets push, take a few risks
• 24:58
  Whatever the result will be, will be.
• 24:59
  At least afterwards, I can say I gave it everything in the prep.
• 25:02
  Great stuff.
• 25:02
  A couple to finish here.
• 25:03
  Outside the transporter, which is about to be replaced, I think, the trusty transporter, they tell me, you've got a great group of people here with you.
• 25:11
  I mean, one of them for just one example, like Keegan for –
• 25:16
  I mean, he's played lacrosse at the very highest levels for New Zealand, internationally.
• 25:21
  There are some really good, passionate, driven people.
• 25:25
  But I know you, equally, you are very giving with them as well.
• 25:29
  So those that are aspiring rally drivers, for example, you'll spend time going through some notes with them and how they might improve on a stage if you look at GoPros and so on.
• 25:38
  You've always been very good at that here in the service park in trying to
• 25:43
  encourage that next generation, whether they're working with you or even rivals, for example, haven't you?
• 25:48
  Yeah, well, look, I'm always trying to help out as much as I can.
• 25:50
  A lot of people help me through my career, and you can never forget that as well.
• 25:53
  You know, we've got an amazing group of people here, like you say, and even this weekend is a very different group of people this weekend compared to who we normally have here.
• 26:01
  Obviously Dan and Keegan have been with us for many years, but Mike, our number one tech, he's not here because we're getting ready for Ashley Forrest and other events.
• 26:08
  So Josh, his young technician, has taken over the lead on the car this weekend.
• 26:12
  And yeah, we've got such a good group of people on events at home working towards what we're ultimately doing.
• 26:17
  But yeah, also drivers, there's a lot of good young talent in New Zealand and trying to help out, ironically I'm trying to help out both Jacks because I support them both, Jack Soakes and Jack Hawkswood.
• 26:26
  They're both very talented drivers and obviously they're both fighting for the championship.
• 26:30
  But even under them, there's another group of young drivers coming through who I think have got a lot of potential as well.
• 26:36
  So the talents here is just how do we create opportunities for that talent to go from New Zealand to that next step.
• 26:42
  And obviously how the WIC plays out over the coming years will play a part in it as well.
• 26:46
  Love that.
• 26:47
  Two to go.
• 26:48
  What next?
• 26:49
  You've built the business to a point there in Cromwell where you're doing lots of different things.
• 26:54
  What's in the pipeline for Hayden Patton?
• 26:56
  It's a little bit of wait and see at the moment, actually.
• 26:58
  Obviously, we had the aspirations to try and do our own WRC team.
• 27:02
  It's all a little bit of a mess at the moment with the regulations and the new cars.
• 27:06
  God, I wish they'd go WRC2.
• 27:08
  That would be mega.
• 27:08
  But anyway, I know.
• 27:09
  But even that, they need a little bit more.
• 27:12
  Driving the Rally 2 cars is amazing, but they're not fast enough.
• 27:15
  Especially once you've driven the Rally 1 car and you come back to this now, you go, oh.
• 27:19
  If you had a bigger restrictor in this and a bigger wing, I think that's the recipe and it would have been easy and then the solution for everyone.
• 27:25
  But yeah, it is a bit of a mess the next couple of years.
• 27:27
  It will work itself out.
• 27:29
  But I think for us, we have to sort of see where this Hyundai opportunity goes now, whether it leads into anything more.
• 27:35
  Maybe with testing and development role, we want our team to be building cars.
• 27:38
  So we've got a couple of projects in the pipeline that we're trying to push through.
• 27:42
  So we are going to be doing some cool, exciting stuff.
• 27:45
  It's just a little bit of a pivot for the next couple of years until we see what happens over the years.
• 27:48
  Okay, you may not be able to answer this.
• 27:50
  I'm going to get to play Ringmaster at the Supercars Grand Final in Adelaide, and there are some awesome support events around that.
• 27:57
  And this year for the film, I mean, they've had Speedway and all sorts of things there in recent years.
• 28:03
  This year, the ARC gets to put on a super special stage show there.
• 28:08
  Could we arm twist the current Australian Rally Champion to come and play there?
• 28:12
  Does it fit even in the schedule?
• 28:13
  I don't know.
• 28:14
  I would have loved to.
• 28:15
  Adrian's already reached out.
• 28:17
  and the concept looks amazing.
• 28:18
  Love the idea, taking the rally into the people at the supercars.
• 28:21
  Yeah, I think it's just a brilliant idea and I'm sure it'll go down well with all the supercar fans.
• 28:26
  Yeah, we'd love to be part of it but unfortunately it's a finance thing so Adrian and us, we've tried but it hasn't succeeded at the moment so I guess never say never but it's not completely off the table but let's see what happens over the next couple of months.
• 28:39
  Cool.
• 28:40
  The team are going to work on your car.
• 28:41
  You've got to get back to the stages.
• 28:42
  Thank you very much for talking to us and go well in Paraguay.
• 28:46
  Appreciate it.
• 28:46
  Thank you, Rich.
• 28:49
  That is it for this edition of the Shortcast.
• 28:51
  We hope you've enjoyed it.
• 28:52
  Keep an eye out, too, for future episodes.
• 28:55
  We're going to be talking, hopefully, to the maker, the designer, the founder of SuperShock in Oscar Furinotto.
• 29:02
  That is on our target list.
• 29:04
  And we're trying to track down the Stig as well to talk about that time that he raced supercars.
• 29:10
  We'll catch you next time.
• 29:11
  Bye for now.