John Kennard is a well-respected member of any service park he enters, and on this episode of the podcast, he discusses his longtime partnership with New Zealand’s best, Hayden Paddon.

From humble beginnings in 2005, while still settling back into New Zealand life, Kennard was impressed by the teenage Paddon who had the highest of ambitions.

He explains to Peter Whitten the ups and downs of the early career and the career-altering offer that got them into a World Rally Car for the first time when all seemed lost at the end of the 2013 season.

Kennard also talks about their rise to the top of the WRC with Hyundai, from learning the ropes at the top level to the feeling of winning in Argentina in 2016, to the lows that followed immediately after and what continued through 2017.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

New Zealander John Kennard is best known for his co-driving days with Hayden Paddon, but as we learn in this podcast, his career was long and decorated before that.

Kennard takes time out of his busy schedule to chat on our DustTrails Podcast and in the first episode of two, he explains his early career and the steps that took him to the top of the sport.

After getting his start with Brent Rawstron in New Zealand, he competed in the 1000 Lakes Rally in the 1980s and also got a World Rally Championship podium at Rally New Zealand alongside Malcolm Stewart.

Kennard chats about his time with the Subaru World Rally Team which started at the famous 1995 Rally Catalunya in which he was tasked with hailing down the flying Colin McRae.

The career then took him to Kenya for months at a time and also to the USA for an all-conquering program with Mitsubishi.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

With over 100 WRC starts to his name and more than 300 rallies under his belt, Glenn Macneall is Australia’s most decorated co-driver.

Having begun his career by winning the inaugural Daihatsu Challenge alongside Leigh Hynes, the West Australian quickly made his mark and climbed the co-driving ranks.

He sat beside his boyhood idol, Greg Carr, in a works Hyundai, then teamed up with international stars Greg Graham, ‘Monster’ Tajima, Toshi Arai and Chris Atkinson.

Most recently, Macneall has guided Scott Pedder in the Australian Rally Championship, and while his major focus is business rather than co-driving, he still has plenty to give.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

So often besides our heroes are irreplaceable partners, and to Possum Bourne, it was his wife Peggy.

She would be at events, following and supporting Possum around the globe to the point where she was a regular in the service park, her ever-smiling face instantly recognisable.

In this episode of our DustTrails Podcast, Peter Whitten speaks to Peggy about her life with the seven-time Australian Rally Champion.

They talk about the circumstances in which she met Possum and how she became so impressed at the man he was, and the father that he became.

Admittedly, this is not an interview about Possum’s rallying in a blow-by-blow form, but a reflection on who he was and how he affected all those around him.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

The name Roger Oakley might not be one of fame and fortune in the world of rallying, but he’s a huge part of the success that is the Otago Rally.

In this wide-ranging interview with RallySport Magazine’s Peter Whitten, Oakey explains all things about the New Zealand favourite and how he became involved in the event.

He dives into how the rally secures their international stars and some of the nerve-racking phone calls that he has made to World Champions of all eras.

Oakley is generous with his time and gives some fascinating insights, so take a listen to some of the reasons why the Otago Rally has become so successful and famous around the world.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

From a rally family, John Allen did not venture into the sport until his 30s but took to it like a duck to water and carved out a successful career.

Initially in tarmac rallying, Allen won several events and came close to getting a Targa Tasmania win, before moving to gravel where events in New Zealand, Argentina and China were both challenging and rewarding.

Co-driving for the likes of Kevin Weeks, Ryan Smart and Richie Dalton, Allen’s career has been a long one.

Speaking to Luke Whitten, Allen runs through his career and the many great stories that go with it.

DustTrails is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

Back in early-1989, Jeff Whitten had an idea. Australia had just secured a round of the World Rally Championship, but there was no publication dedicated to rallying in Australia.

Sick of trying to find rally news in the circuit racing-rich weekly and monthly motorsport magazines, he set out to start his own publication.

Together with his son, Peter, things quickly snowballed and by late August 1989, the first issue of Australian Rallysport News had hit the newsstands.

Inaugural columnists included rally legends Greg Carr and Geoff Portman, and before long, the publication – referred to as ‘ARN’ by fans – had taken hold.

In this special edition of our DustTrails Podcast, Jeff Whitten brings us some recollections on those early years and what it took to get a monthly newspaper from an idea to a reality.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

Multiple Australian Rally Champion Cody Crocker speaks to Peter Whitten on the 18th iteration of our DustTrails Podcast and opens up about many things from his Subaru career in the Australian Rally Championship.

From building his first factory car in two weeks to explaining his key flaw identified by Subaru boss, Nick Senior, Crocker is candid about where his career began.

Crocker’s amazing highs are also featured, with the championships in Australia and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship a key part of the discussion.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

Listen to the first part of Peter Whitten’s interview with Cody Crocker as he tells how he got involved in the sport, how he managed to win the Australian Rallysport News Junior Challenge, and the rise that followed.

His chance meeting at the side of the Hume Highway with co-driver Greg Foletta, his short-lived run in a Mazda 323, and the Rally Australia trip that saw their Subaru Legacy fall off the trailer.

Crocker reminisces with Peter Whitten about all those memories and tells many a story along the way.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/

Phil Rodgers is perhaps best known as team manager for Subaru Rally Team Australia in Cody Crocker’s championship-winning years, but his history goes back much further than that.

Typically, he started rallying a Datsun 1600, but it wasn’t too long before his talents moved into the management side of the sport.

He’s been a driving force behind names such as Jamie Drummond, Eric Pietila, Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima and Michael Guest, and is now one of the keys to success behind Hyundai’s N Performance brand in Australia.

In a wide-ranging podcast chat with RallySport Magazine’s Peter Whitten, we work through Rodgers’ rallying history and recall some of the highlights (and lowlights) along the way.

Special Stage is produced for the Motorsport Podcast Network by RallySport Magazine >> https://rallysportmag.com/