Hayden Paddon set a new course record at the 2026 Ashley Forest Rallysprint, completing the 1.7 km course in 51.20 seconds on Sunday 20 September. Driving his Hyundai i20 AP4++ on Hankook Dynapro tyres, he beat the 52.00-second record he set in 2023 and secured his seventh victory at the event.

The record came on Paddon’s final attempt. A minor mechanical issue affected his first qualifying run, but he recovered to record 55.53 seconds on his second run and improved as the weekend progressed.

“Really great to come away with a new record,” Paddon said. “The new record is something to show for the huge team effort we’ve put in this weekend.”

Paddon and the Paddon Racing Group had aimed to break the 50-second mark. That target gives the team another reason to return to Ashley Forest next year.

Gilmour finishes fifth

Emma Gilmour also competed on Hankook Dynapro tyres. Driving a Suzuki Swift, she broke the one-minute mark during the top 16 elimination round, then improved to 59.12 seconds to finish fifth. Gilmour also drove a Citroën C3 during the event.

The Paddon Racing Group ran six cars across the weekend, with entries involving Paddon, Gilmour, Steward Reid, Spencer Bourne and Josh Cooper.