MOTORSPORT - Ready to have some fun? High-speed rallying is buzz

The adrenalin was still pumping when I made it back to the office - alive - following a joyride around Pohe Island with New Zealand No1 rally driver Hayden Paddon.
Paddon is one 60 drivers in town for the Rally of Whangarei and round three of the Asia Pacific Championships. They converged on Pohe Island yesterday for the Shakedown - to test-drive their cars before stages one to eight today.
While waiting for Paddon to arrive, I climbed into some "stylish" overalls and put my Penelope Pitstop helmet on ready for the adventure.
It was hard not to become hypnotised by the hum of the engines and backfiring when they took off from the start line - regardless of whether you were a rev-head or not.
Paddon, third seed for the Rally of Whangarei, pulled up in his turquoise Mitsubishi Evo 1X and I was impressed - great colour and pretty grunty!
I manoeuvred awkwardly into the tiny co-driver's seat, where John Kennard usually sits, to meet the South Cantabrian.
Buckled in so I couldn't move, I had a crash-course in what traits a good co-driver needs, such as superb timing, effective navigation and consistency. I lack most of these.
The nerves were starting to set in but Paddon said he had been driving go-karts since 6 and rally cars since 16. I felt at ease, sort of.
"Ready to have some fun?" Paddon said and we took off at a phenomenal speed around the bends and went flying, literally, over jumps on the course.
We circumnavigated Pohe Island in 52.7 seconds and I was ready to go again, it was such a buzz.
Like Paddon said: "It's highly addictive."
At the finish line, we learned that Australian Cody Crocker did the circuit in 50.7 seconds. Crocker is the top seed and defending Asia Pacific Champion heading into the event - and the one to beat, Paddon says.