"For our first rally, wasn't too shabby. We went sideways, hit a couple of fence posts. I don't think Denny was too impressed with that, he just kept telling me to stay focused," he said.
The pair also laid claim to being among the 36 cars which completed all eight stages, a startling number of casualties even for an event infamous for its high attrition rate.
They certainly passed some carnage along the way, including seeing cars left upside down in the middle of the road, and they also heard another driver crashed shortly after crossing the finish line.
Hazely particularly enjoyed driving recklessly, for the first and only time it must be said, along Church Road where he lives. While glad to have ticked the rally off his bucket list, Hazely wasn't sure if he'd have another go. He added the Mazda was a well-known car, having been raced by an about half-dozen drivers in previous Rally of the North events over the years including Kaitaia counterpart and mentor, Jay Sharp.
Unfortunately, Sharp was one the casualties when his Subaru Impreza broke down during Stage 2 with a shattered rear differential.
"It was awesome this year. The top 20 drivers were pretty awesome, a real quality field," Sharp said, adding he had campaigned to have the rally bought back in the true Far North, after last year's event "fell short" with most of the racing done in the Bay of Islands/Mid North area.
While he was among many who felt the event could have been better promoted, Sharp noted good crowds were seen at most of the stages.
Taylor, Searle drive away with win
Hawke's Bay's Stewart Taylor with co-driver Warwick Searle secured victory in the Tanoa Paihia Hotel Rally of the North.
Maungakaramea's Patrick Malley set the pace in the opening stage in his Peugeot 208 Proto car before Taylor, suffering from the flu, moved his Mitsubishi Evo 10 into the lead of the rally on stage two with a time almost 17 seconds faster than his nearest competitor.
Two further stage wins left him with a comfortable lead margin over Dylan Turner at the lunch break on Saturday.
In stage four the rally turned on its head, with four of the top 10 cars going off the road - including Malley and Matt Jensen - while Nigel Adams continued to the end of the stage with damage, albeit doing so on three wheels.
Class wins also went to Justin Glavish (Class A), Craig Stevens (Class B), Anthony Jones (Class C), Taylor (Class D) and Rex Visible (Class E).
The 2014 Tanoa Paihia Hotel Rally of the North began and finished in Paihia.
The event covered about 180km over eight competitive stages on back roads throughout the Far North and also featured six previous winners among the 62 entries received.
