In a piece I wrote following Hayden Paddon’s win in Argentina, I touched on the ability of the 29 year-old to achieve what seems like overly-ambitious career goals.
Unlike his career path, Paddon has little idea where he is going whilst on a Rally Stage. So that’s where John Kennard comes in. Three years shy of 60, the Marlborough Winemaker is not only the oldest driver in the WRC – but the oldest driver to ever win a WRC round.
Kennard has been alongside Paddon for a decade, but he has been co-driving for over 30 years – quite literally before his team-mate was born.
His pace-notes allow Paddon to see the road long before it is in sight. In my eye’s it’s a confusing mix numbers, algerbra and even music notation – but to Paddon’s ear it’s crucial information about how fast he can go, which way the road turns and most importantly when danger is ahead.
How he reads this while bouncing sideways around a tight corner is something even he doesn’t try to explain. But every word matters; one wrong number or late pace note could spell the end of a rally.
I didn’t even pretend to try and read the notes during the shakedown for Rally Whangarei. I did practice, but I it took me twice as long to translate Kennard’s code – as it did for Paddon to complete the short 1.25km stage.
Newshub.