Motorsport: Hayden Paddon and John Kennard edge out The Giz

Hayden Paddon had a good dust-up with the best rally drivers in the world this year. Photo / Geoff Ridder, ridder.co.nz

This year has been a bit of a bonanza for New Zealand motorsport in a wide range of categories.

Sure, it didn't reach the heights of 1967 when Denny Hulme became the first, and only, Kiwi to win a Formula One title. Still, we had a hell of a lot to celebrate and a lot to look forward in 2017.

It's a tough ask to pick the one performance that out-ranks all others. For me though, Hayden Paddon and John Kennard just have their respective noses in front of Shane van Gisbergen. The reason, from my perspective, is the World Rally Championship has the best rally drivers in the world contesting it and the Supercars series doesn't have the world's best tin-top drivers in it.

Sure, van Gisbergen won the title (the first Kiwi since Jim Richards) and the Blancpain Endurance Cup, but Paddon was the first New Zealander to win a WRC round and he did it with style, holding off the then three-time world champion.

My third pick of the year is Avalon Biddle closely followed by Courtney Duncan. These two young ladies flew the Kiwi flag high and proud in motorcycle racing taking on the best in the world. Biddle successfully defended her FIM European Women's Cup, and Courtney was on the way to winning her first FIM Women's World Motocross title before being taken out by a photographer and missing a couple of rounds due to injury.

Both these flying women have also won national titles beating the blokes along the way.

Brendon Hartley and his co-drivers couldn't defend their World Endurance Championship title but still notched up a few wins. The great news here is that Earl Bamber was promoted to the LMP1 category and replaced the retiring Mark Webber to now co-drive with Hartley.

Others to have a pretty good year internationally include Scott McLaughlin in Supercars, Nick Cassidy racing Japanese Super GT and Euro F3, Marcus Armstrong in European karting and Michael Young in Asia Pacific rallying.

Two of our international stars put up a good fight but couldn't quite make inroads into their respective championships. Scott Dixon finished his IndyCar season sixth and while most people would be happy with that, it was the first time the Kiwi had finished outside the top three in 10 years.

Mitch Evans had another horror season in GP2 but found his feet as a works driver in the Formula E championship racing for Jaguar. Congratulations to all the others who gave it everything in their pursuit of winning and your time will come.

Who knows what 2017 will bring. Personally, first up I'll be keen to see how Simona de Silvestro gets on in the Supercars. On a plus side she's got a three-year deal, which will allow her time to bed in, but on the minus side driving a Nissan will be a challenge. They haven't set the V8 world on fire yet and maybe Silvestro could be the spark.

The Swiss driver has a great pedigree having raced Formula Atlantic, Champ Car, IndyCar and Formula E. Supercars won't be a complete unknown for her as she has raced at Bathurst in the past.

In winning the Supercars title Van Gisbergen came of age and he'll probably win the title again in 2017 and make good at the Bathurst 1000. Paddon will be one to keenly watch, and while I don't think he'll win his first WRC title in 2017 he'll finish inside the top three, which will set him up nicely for 2018.

I'll be keen to see how Valentino Rossi gets on in the MotoGP championship next year as he was in vintage form this year and I reckon he might just be able pull off the feat of winning his 10th world motorcycle title. Staying with bikes, a healthy Courtney Duncan should win her first Woman's World Motocross title if her 2016 form was anything to go by before her accident. She won her first two races at the elite level and beat the defending world champion by 25 seconds in her second event.

IndyCar driver Scott Dixon will attack his series with a vengeance to prove to everyone that 2016 was just a speed bump and despite changing engine manufacturers, he'll be good to notch up his fifth title.

And how about having two, yes two, Kiwis in the World Endurance Championship in the same car? Now wouldn't that be something if Hartley and Bamber could repeat what Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren did by winning the Le Mans 24 Hour.

Finally, an honourable mention has to go to Tony Quinn - owner of Hampton Downs and Highlands Motorsport Park. Love him or hate him, there is no denying the bloke has invigorated and shaken up the sport in New Zealand and rightly so. He has brought passion and a "get things done" attitude to New Zealand motorsport as it was drifting rudderless and aimlessly and mired in personal infighting.

I wish all the readers a fantastic festive season and good luck to each and every racer in 2017 and a fond thanks to all the businesses and individuals who sponsor the riders and drivers, because without you many wouldn't be able to showcase their talents.