Hayden Paddon's second-place finish over the weekend at Rally Australia was notable for numerous reasons.
It was his best finish of the season, broke his drought for stage victories, and it helped vault him ahead of Hyundai teammate Dani Sordo in the 2018 World Rally Championship standings.
Click here to read the full WRC Rally Australia report
All of this adds up to good things, as the Kiwi looks towards his 2019 WRC season — the team and car with which he will tackle the championship still to be confirmed.
Among the many Kiwis who crossed the Tasman to soak up their opportunity to see Paddon and his WRC Hyundai i20 up close was Driven's Sam Wallace.
Check out the atmosphere and drama up close, in his video from what proved to be a memorable rally.