Wales Rally GB: Series summary

Guy Wilks and Phil Pugh are 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Champions after scoring a straight pair of wins on Wales Rally GB.

They took the win on the first day of the gruelling event which counted as round six of the Championship with chief rival Mark Higgins trailing in third after three frustrating punctures.

This left the Mitsubishi Motors UK crew only needing third place themselves on round seven to secure the title. Saturday saw Wilks and Higgins battle it out while Gwyndaf Evans suffered transmission failure. But Wilks not only achieved sufficient points but eked a lead over Higgins, who had transmission troubles of his own on the last three stages of the event.

"We knew what we had to do and it is a great result for the whole team," said an exuberant Wilks at the end of the final stage, "We had a bit of a scare on the same stage Mark first had his gearbox troubles, but it all came good in the end."

As the crews arrived in Cardiff it was clear that Higgins involvement at the finish ceremony was by the skin of his teeth, "We've lost all but third gear," he explained, "Obviously I'm gutted about the championship - it's not been a good year."

David Higgins took his Subaru to a creditable third place albeit disappointed about an early puncture. "The team have done a great job and I think if it weren't for the breakdowns early in the year we could have had a much better Championship position."

Wyn Humphreys overtook Rob Swann on the final pair of stages for fourth after Swann suffered two punctures. "We've completed 23 rallies with just one retirement," said Humphreys, "so it is great to finish our first BRC season in fourth place; it's a reward for the boys."

Swann was crestfallen to have dropped a place in the dying stages of the event. "I can't believe it." He shrugged, "To have lost time when we were on a charge to catch David (Higgins). And then to lose a place to Wyn again!"

Rob Gill used Super Rally to post fifth while David Meredith was sixth, both in Mitsubishis with Darren Gass the first of the two wheel drive finishers in his Citroen. Jonny Greer took ninth and rounding off the top ten was a relieved Hugh Evans.

-credit: rallybrc.co.uk