Brendan keeping busy behind the scenes

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Despite not seeing any competitive action so far this year, Brendan has still been heavily involved in rallying behind the scenes.


Many of Brendan’s weekends involve him training other rally drivers and helping them to improve their skills. The drivers Brendan has trained recently include a mix of juniors, those contesting various One Make Series’, as well as more experienced rally drivers.


The drivers come to Brendan for expert one-on-one tuition to help them improve in the events they compete in. Most are competitors in the Victorian or Australian Rally Championships.


After successfully working with World Rally Championship driver, Hayden Paddon, writing the gravel notes on tarmac rallies in 2017, this year the role has changed. Paddon’s program of WRC events in 2018 doesn’t include any tarmac events, so no gravel note crew is required.


The pair still keep in close contact, though, with Brendan assisting when he can and he was on hand to support Paddon at New Zealand’s Rally Whangarei in May. 

 

 

Brendan Reeves and Hayden Paddon


Brendan has continued assisting Hyundai Australia with the development of the i30N, Hyundai’s first true performance car.


“It’s been a massive learning experience and a lot of fun along the way,” he said.


After hours, Brendan has spent long hours in his shed rebuilding his Datsun 1600 rally car. It’s very early in the project but one he is really enjoying.


He is hoping to do selected Victorian Rally Championship events, and possibly some other events, in the car in the future.

 

Hyundai-130N


There’s another ‘project’ on the go, too. Brendan is working on a plan to help him return to New Zealand’s Rally Coromandel again this year to defend his title.


He won the rally in both 2016 and 2017 and would love to return again in August to try and make it a hat trick of wins.


Let’s hope he can make it happen!