New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon, behind the wheel of a Hyundai, stunned world champion Sebastien Ogier at the Rally of Italy on Friday when he opened up an eight-second lead. Paddon, 28, Hyundai Motorsport's third driver, found himself in the lead of a world championship event for the first time. He had only previously captured one stage -- on the Rally of Catalunya in 2014. On Friday, he ended up with three more, setting the fastest times on the opening three stages of the day. Paddon also overcame a problem with his car's left-rear suspension. "It will be a hard day tomorrow because my rivals know the course better than I do but I will count on my fighting spirit to help keep my...
Full Story »