Motorsport: Paddon extends lead in Rally Portugal

New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon. Photo / Sarah Ivey

New Zealand's world rally team crew Hayden Paddon and John Kennard extended their lead in the production car category of Rally Portugal overnight.

The New Zealanders hold a comfortable six minute 35 second advantage over their nearest competitor, Mexican Benito Guerra, after two days of competition.

Paddon finished the first day with a 33 second lead after winning five of the six stages, and continued to dominate on day two.

The 23-year-old from Geraldine won all three morning stages and, on the afternoon's repeat loop, eased back slightly to finish each stage in second place while continuing to extend his overall lead.

Midway through the day, Paddon flagged his intentions for the remainder of the day.

"We were pushing on the first two stages and built a good lead," he said at the lunchtime service break.

"But the roads get much rougher on the second runs so we're going to take it easy this afternoon to protect our lead."

Having completed his game plan perfectly to successfully finish the day in the lead, Paddon also improved his overall standing to 11th.

Saturday's route was the longest of the rally, covering 148.1km in the hills above the Algarve coastline in southern Portugal. Overnight rain dampened the gravel roads initially, but they dried and made dust an issue for some competitors through the day.

Paddon and Kennard have just four more competitive stages to complete on Sunday.

The pair are competing in their brand-new Subaru Impreza WRX STI in the first of their 2011 production world rally championship events.

This season, Paddon contests six PWRC rounds, taking the two-time New Zealand rally champion from Portugal to Argentina, then Finland, Australia, Spain and Great Britain for his 2011 title bid.

In between times, Paddon returns home to contest two rounds of the New Zealand Rally Championship in Otago on April 10-11 and Whangarei on July 3-4.

- NZPA