Stuck in a ditch, Hayden Paddon's hopes of winning the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship category in Rallye de France Alsace disappeared as quickly as the momentary error that left him and co-driver John Kennard stranded.
"Unfortunately, the smallest of driving errors has put paid to our goal of cruising through Sunday's six stages and also to our championship hopes," said a bitterly disappointed Paddon.
"We were taking it really easy all day in the tricky muddy conditions and taking absolutely no risks."
By the end of the morning's three stages, Paddon had a lead of nearly two minutes over Irishman Craig Breen who had moved into second place. The afternoon's first repeated stage, special stage 20, was to bring a sad end to Paddon's rally.
"It was the smallest of mistakes, running slightly wide on a muddy, tight right-hand corner - a first gear corner - and the rear wheel slightly touched the grass. This then sucked the car into the grass-filled ditch where we were stuck. While we had two wheels of the car still on the road, we just could not get the car out," he said.
