John Kennard
With a co-driving career that began in 1985, John Kennard is one of WRC rallying’s elder
statesmen.
Having started rallying as a driver in New Zealand in 1979, he was surprised when, after winning
his class driving in his first European event, the 1985 Mänttä Rally in Finland, he was invited to
swap to the co-driver’s seat for the WRC 1000 Lakes Rally, with driver friend Brent Rawstron. A
successful debut for the pair saw them finish best non-Scandinavian crew and the prize money
funded an appearance later the same year on Lombard RAC Rally GB.
After returning to New Zealand, he continued to co-drive on international events, as these
provided the challenge of competing with pace notes, which were then not permitted on other
New Zealand events. 1988 returned his best WRC result to date, 3 rd overall at Rally New Zealand,
with fellow Kiwi Malcolm Stewart. This was followed by a return to Rally Finland with Peugeot UK
driver Chris Birkbeck and his first rally win, at the 1989 Rally of Otago, with Kiwi Simon Davies.
1990 saw a change of direction for Kennard, when he shifted to the UK to pursue a career in
rallying, undertaking the role of Team Co-ordinator firstly with Mitsubishi Japan for Kenjiro
Shinozuka’s WRC programme, then, from Rally Spain in 1995 until the turn of the millennium, with
Prodrive’s Subaru World Rally Team.
Infrequent co-driving assignments during these busy years saw his first win in the UK, on the 1991
Virgo Stages, with Nick Barrow, and 2 nd place in the inaugural ERC Production Cup series, in 1994,
with Japanese journalist Hideaki Miyoshi.
A return to New Zealand in late 2003, after a successful year managing Mitsubishi’s first foray into
US rallying, winning the SCCA Pro Rally Series, was supposed to signal a quieter time in his career,
but a chance introduction to 18 year old driver Hayden Paddon in 2005 changed that.
In 2006 the two joined forces to contest the New Zealand Rally Championship, taking the title in
2008 and 2009, before contesting Pirelli’s Star Driver Scholarship in 2010 and finishing 3rd in the
Production World Rally Championship (PRWC).
A return to PWRC in 2011 saw the pair dominate the championship, taking four straight wins to
win the championship at Rally Spain with a round remaining.
For the last two seasons, they have contested the SWRC/WRC2 championships, finishing 3 rd in the
Super 2000 WRC Championship in 2012.
Late in 2013, having earlier won the New Zealand Rally Championship for a third time, while also
contesting selected WRC2 rounds, the pair made their WRC car debut on WRC Rallye d’España.
In 2014 the pair will join Hyundai Motorsport to contest selected rounds of the team’s maiden
WRC season.
Quick facts
Date of birth: 11 February 1959
Age: 55
Place of birth: Christchurch, New Zealand
Nationality: New Zealander
First WRC event: 1985, Rally Finland
Best WRC result: 3rd, 1988 Rally New Zealand
WRC podiums: 1
WRC starts: 37 (end of 2013 season)
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
CV at a Glance
1979
Started rallying as a driver
1985
Debut of co-driving career
First rally: Rally Finland
Driver: Brent Rawstron (NZL)
1988
Best WRC result to date: 3rd, Rally New Zealand
Driver: Malcolm Stewart (NZL)
1989
First rally win: Rally of Otago (NZL)
Driver: Simon Davies (NZL)
1991
Fist rally win outside New Zealand: Virgo Stages (UK)
Driver: Nick Barrow (GBR)
1994
Several rounds in the FIA European Rally Championship
Final classification: 2nd, Production Cup
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Driver: Hideaki Miyoshi (JAP)
2006
Beginning of the partnership with Hayden Paddon
2008
New Zealand Rally Championship
Final Classification: 1st, New Zealand Rally Championship
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
2009
New Zealand Rally Championship
Final Classification: 1st, New Zealand Rally Championship
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship
Final Classification: 1st, FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship Pacific Cup
2010
6 rounds in the FIA Production car World Rally Championship / Pirelli Star
Driver
Best result: 1st, Rally New Zealand
Final classification: 3rd, FIA Production car World Rally Championship
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
2011
5 rounds in the FIA Production car World Rally Championship
Best result: 1st, Rally Portugal, Rally Argentina, Rally Finland and Rally Australia
Final classification: 1st, FIA Production car World Rally Championship
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
2012
7 rounds in the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship
Best result: 1st, Rally Portugal and Rally New Zealand
Final classification: 3rd, FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship for Co-drivers
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
2013
New Zealand Rally Championship
Final classification: 1st, New Zealand Rally Championship
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
2 rounds in the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship
Best result: 3rd, Rally Finland and Rally Deutschland
Driver: Hayden Paddon (NZL)
For individual information please contact:
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Thomas Villette
Nicoletta Russo
Phone: +49-151 11354339
Phone: +49-151 11354362 (NEW)
[email protected]
[email protected]
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