Motorsport: Home win will do for Burns

Richard Burns needs only to repeat his performance of the last three years in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain at the end of this month to achieve his ambition of becoming world champion for the first time.

That is the tantalising prospect facing the Englishman after his battling second to current champion Marcus Gronholm at the end of the gruelling Telstra Rally Australia in Perth.

Having finished runner-up in the title race for the last two years, the Subaru driver can at last prove his true worth on home soil in an event he has won for the past three years.

Burns’ opportunity has come in part because of the inability of Scot Colin McRae to be punctual for the position selection meeting following the second day of action in Western Australia.

The leading drivers all had the opportunity to decide their starting times for the next day based on their previous performances.

The positions were vital, given the road surface made up of tiny pieces of slippery gravel which slows the early starters down considerably.

Those same early starters would effectively sweep away the gravel for those following, so the last thing the top drivers would want would be to lead their colleagues out for their day’s work.

But that was just the nightmare situation McRae faced after clerk of the course Garry Connolly ruled he would have to take what was available after all the other leading riders took their pick.

As things turned out, McRae dropped only one position.

But the error left no opportunity for him to improve on his fourth place of the first day. It also gave his championship-chasing rivals the chance to close the gap.

McRae began the rally level with Finland’s Tommi Makinen on 40 championship points, with Burns (34) and Ford team-mate Carlos Sainz (33) breathing down his neck.

Makinen’s chances of victory Down Under were always slim.

Driving a new Marlboro Mitsubishi Lancer Evo WRC with a replacement co-driver following the injury in Corsica to his regular partner Risto Mannisenmaki, the Finn was always going to be up against it.

His cause was not helped by the pain and discomfort he felt from back muscle problems linked to a hairline vertebrae crack he suffered on the Mediterranean island.

Sainz’s hopes of improving his score were dashed on the first day when he hit a tree stump and wrecked the rear end of his Ford Focus.

Although mechanics performed miracles to get him back on the road, the 90-second penalty added to the time he had already lost ensured he would be out of the points and the title race for another year.

McRae leads on 42 points; Makinen totals 41; Burns is breathing down their necks on 40, and Sainz remains on 33.

It all means the scene is set for the Network Q countdown which starts in Cardiff on November 22, where the smart money will surely be on Burns to achieve that lifelong ambition at last.

‘‘The championship battle is as close as it’s ever been now and I’ve put myself right up there,’’ he said.

‘‘I have a really good chance to win my home rally. It’s going to be a hard fight but I know that if I win, the job will be done.’’

However, the last word went to McRae, who if things had worked out slightly different Down Under would now be crowned world champion.

‘‘We still have everything to go for in Britain,’’ he said.

‘‘With three riders separated by just two points, it’s going to be fun. It’s simple the winner takes all!’’