Paddon continues to dominate P-WRC

Mitsubishi driver Hayden Paddon didn’t put a wheel wrong through the second day of Rally New Zealand and holds a healthy 2min 36sec class lead over Emma Gilmour (Subaru).

Kingsley Thompson remains third in a Mitsubishi, more than four minutes behind Gilmour, with the closest non-New Zealander being Chinese Chaodong Liu, who is almost five minutes down on Thompson and more than 11 behind leader Paddon.

The only driver able to beat Paddon on the longer, gravel stages today was Toshi Arai. The Subaru driver returned under the Superally regulations, following his suspension damage yesterday. Arai was fastest on three of the long stages, recovering to sixth overall in the P-WRC category by the end of the day.

Paddon said: “It was quite tough this morning. The car was oversteering quite a bit. We were trying to get some more grip from the rear, but I think it might have been due to the level of loose gravel on the roads. It was better through the afternoon, when the roads had been completely swept. It’s been another good day for us, but with a good lead in the Production class, we have to just keep our concentration through the final day.”

The only downside to Paddon’s day came when he was caught and passed at the Hampton Downs racetrack stage. The competitors were started in pairs at five-second intervals. Paddon’s on-track rival was former Junior World Rally Champion Patrik Sandell in his Skoda Fabia S2000. Paddon admitted he was surprised at the pace of the Swede and his Czech Republic machine. “Even on the straights, he was pulling away from me,” said Paddon. “I was quite surprised, I thought the Group N cars had more power - but it pulled away.”

Gilmour’s early charge was stymied by a puncture on the second stage - and then getting caught in the dust of a fellow competitor on the third test. After that, she pegged Paddon’s lead at just over the three-minute mark. Gilmour is also running in a career-best position ahead of the final day, and with a big lead over Thompson, she is unwilling to risk anything in a bid to try and take time out of the leader.

Gilmour said: “Today has been okay, the puncture wasn’t great this morning and then getting caught in the dust. I need to tidy it up a little bit, to look to get further up the field.”

Thompson was delighted with third on his first attempt at the event, despite losing fifth gear on his Lancer through the afternoon. He said: “It’s fantastic - we’re having a ball on this rally. I have been surprised at some of the stages today. I thought the gravel would have been swept where we are running on the road, but in some of the stages we’ve still been on the marbles.”

Liu is fourth, with Gianluca Linari’s Subaru fifth and Arai sixth.