Mitsubishi's Guy Wilks leads round seven of the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship following day 2 of the Wales Rally GB.
Wilks, who took the BRC round six honours on Friday, concluded Saturday's action 7.6 seconds up on triple British Rally champion Mark Higgins.
The battle between the two has been close all day, but it is Wilks who has the upper hand on both time and championship position.
Although on paper Higgins leads the series, the BRC scores the best five from seven rounds so Wilks only needs to finish third or better to take the title.
His approach to day 2 has been to ‘stay in the middle of the road', which has proved a formula for fast stage times in the wet and muddy conditions.
“It's the [British Rally] championship I am concerned about now,” said Wilks post-SS12, “and not Mark's strategy.”
Mark, who lost time in the final forest stage though isn't giving up and he is determined to keep pushing so Guy can't ease up.
"We dropped time in SS12 but we need to keep the pressure on Guy," he confirmed.
David Higgins meanwhile completes the BRC top three, having inherited a place when Gwyndaf Evans retired on SS11 with gearbox issues. He is however four minutes down on the battle for the lead, after a puncture cost him time.
Rob Swann finished the day fourth in his privately entered Impreza, while Mark Higgins' team-mate Wyn Humphreys holds fifth despite the car falling on co-driver Ally MacKay's foot during a routine tyre change.
Further down the order, Rob Gill is sixth, while David Meredith and James Wozencroft complete the top eight.
Overall times after SS7-SS13 - round 7 of the BRC - Top 10:
1.
Guy Wilks Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
1hour 04mins 32.6secs N4*
2.
Mark Higgins Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
1hour 04mins 41.2secs N4*
3.
David Higgins Subaru Impreza
1 hour 08mins 30.4secs N4*
4.
Robert Swann Subaru Impreza
1 hour 09mins 55.6secs N4
5.
Wyn Humphreys Subaru Impreza
1 hour 11mins 35.2secs N4
6.
Rob Gill Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
1 hour 13mins 35.0secs N4
7.
David Meredith Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
1 hour 15mins 37.1secs N4
8.
James Wozencroft Suzuki Swift
1 hour 16mins 54.5secs N2
9.
Darren Gass Citroën C2 S1600
1 hour 16mins 58.0secs A6
10.
Hugh Evans Mitsubishi Lancer Ev
1 hour 20mins 41.9secs N4
