Double crash sets up World Rally title thriller

Both world rally championship title contenders crashed out of last weekend’s Rally of Japan.

It leaves the pair poised for an epic battle for the championship over the final two rounds.

Trackside’s Keith Collantine expects a fantastic finale.

World Rally Championship duellists Marcus Gronholm and Sebastien Loeb are separated by just four points as the title race heads into the final two rounds.

The Rallies of Ireland and Great Britain will decide whether Loeb wins the title for a fourth year in a row – or whether arch-rival Gronholm will snatch it from him.

Gronholm had just taken the lead of the Japanese event when he crashed his Ford Focus on the fourth stage.

Afterwards he said: "The accident was similar to the one in Australia when I went off the road and hit some tree stumps. That cost me the title so I hope it works out a different way this season.”

But no sooner than had he begun lamenting his championship hopes did a similar fate befall Loeb.

The Frenchman dumped his Citroen C4 into a ditch as he was poised to take the lead in the championship. It transpired his co-driver Daniel Elena had mis-read the pace notes.

Last year Gronholm lost the championship to Loeb by a single point last year despite the Frenchman missing several rounds with a broken arm.

This will be the Finn’s last chance to reclaim the title he won in 2000 and 2002.

And British fans will get plenty of chances to see the battle for the championship first-hand. The next round is over the channel in Ireland from November 16-18th.

The British rally will conclude the season on November 30th – December 2nd.