Motorsport: Loeb charges up leaderboard

WRC champ Sebastien Loeb has been pushing hard to catch up to the Rally NZ leaders. Photo / Getty Images

Six-time world champion Sebastien Loeb continued his spectacular charge up the Rally New Zealand leaderboard today, all but wiping out the deficit from his crash on the opening morning.

In what the Frenchman described as his greatest day in the sport, he made up more 1-1/4 minutes over the day's eight stages in north Waikato to be just 5.3 seconds off the pace going into the final day tomorrow.

"I think it was my greatest rally day," he said.

"It was incredible. We drove flat out everywhere in every stage."

Loeb said he hadn't known beforehand whether he could catch up the time he did, but it was a case of trying everything to recover from a mistake.

"I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I should get in the points."

Loeb's performance over the past day and a half drew superlatives from experienced rallying observers.

His chances of claiming his fourth consecutive rally win in 2010 appeared to have evaporated when he smacked his car side-on against a Northland bridge yesterday morning.

The mistake left him a distant 1min 40.3sec off the pace but, by last night, the Citroen Total driver had cut the margin to 1min 19.8sec.

Today, with a favourable start position of seven, he regularly made inroads again.

He produced a big move on the morning test through the 31km the Te Akau Coast leg, when his time was the fastest by 22sec.

When the field went through Te Akau Coast for the second time in the afternoon, there was another gain of 14.5sec.

He has four more stages around Raglan, west of Hamilton, to make it to the top of the podium yet again.

Compatriot Sebastien Ogier, from Citroen Total's back-up Citroen Junior team, ended today in the lead, ahead of Loeb, with Finn Jari-Matti Latvala third in a Ford, at 33.2sec down.

Ogier has been impressive during his first Rally of New Zealand, showing consistent speed from the opening morning in pursuit of his maiden world championship victory.

As the frontrunner, he will lead out on each stage tomorrow.

However, the role carries the disadvantage of acting as the road sweeper on the loose gravel surfaces, while those following him have cleaner lines.

"I've had a good rally for the moment, but it's still a long way to go," Ogier said.

"It will be hard to conserve the lead, but I will do my best."

The top New Zealander was Hayden Paddon, who was 15th overall at 12min 50.2sec down.

Paddon was also leading a New Zealand one-two-three in the production world championship category, ahead of Emma Gilmour and Kingley Thompson.

The leading New Zealander at the start of today, Mark Tapper, put his car on its roof during the afternoon and had to retire.

- NZPA