COLIN McRae and Nicky Grist's dreams of regaining the world rally title looked to be left in tatters in South Wales this morning when he crashed out of the Network Q Rally of Great Britain.

The 33-year-old Scot's challenge came to end 10 minutes into the third stage of the day - and the fourth of the rally - when his Ford Focus barrel-rolled into a ditch in the Welsh forests.

McRae and Abergavenny's Grist's retirement, following Tommi Makinen's accident earlier in the day, leaves England's Richard Burns the clear favourite to become world champion on Sunday.

Burns just needs to finish fourth to snatch the crown by one point by McRae who must now hope that his English rival fails to finish.

It looked to be going so well for McRae as he led the event, albeit by just 0.2secs from Finland's Marcus Gronholm, going into the stage in the Rhondda Valley - at 16.45 miles, the longest of the event so far.

The 1995 champion was pushing hard with Welsh co-driver Nicky Grist to maintain that advantage when the accident happened while he was travelling at around 100mph. McRae had seen Makinen, the only other realistic challenger, crash out on the opening stage of the day at St Gwynno when his car hit a rock which ripped a wheel off his Mitsubishi.

But McRae, who has crashed out of his home event for the past three years, has now been left with seeing him cherished position as Britain's only world champion at risk from Burns.

The 30-year-old Englishman, who trails McRae by just two points, is currently lying third just under 20secs adrift of outgoing title holder Gronholm whose Peugeot team-mate Didier Auriol is second, only 11.9secs back.

Burns, who is joining Peugeot in a reputed £4.2million deal next year though Subaru claim they can keep hold of his services should he be crowned champion, needs to finish anywhere in the top four to claim the drivers' crown.

Spain's Carlos Sainz, who is seven points adrift of Burns and the only other man with a mathematical chance of the title, has struggled today with a puncture.

Meanwhile, rising stars Nik Elsmore, from the Forest of Dean, and Abergavenny's Jayson Brownhad a successful day in the Mitsubishi Lancer last night in the N Class. They powered past the finish post despite an earlier spin which cost them five valuable seconds.