New Zealand rallying's power couple, Richard and Sara Mason, are in an enviable position going into today's Wairarapa Rally driving their Subaru.
Their unblemished record (three wins from three starts) means the four-time national champions can sew up the New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) this weekend, at their home event, with two rounds left to run.
The Masterton-based Masons hold a 68-point lead at the championship's halfway mark - a lead so large only four other drivers of the 30 registered still have a mathematical chance of taking the title.
As the NZRC returns to the North Island for the three remaining rounds, where a maximum 90 points are on offer, the Masons need just 16 of those 90 to shut out their four rivals and achieve their goal of winning a record fifth NZRC title.
''There would be nothing better than winning the championship by winning our home rally - for the eighth time - in front of all our family, friends and supporters,'' Richard Mason said.
However, there are some young drivers, seeded second to fifth, who will be doing their utmost to rain on the Masons' parade.
Nineteen-year-old Lance Williams, of Te Aroha, in only his second full season of competition and driving a Subaru WRX R4, has had a rapid rise in results - culminating in a career-high fourth at the previous round, Rally Canterbury. He starts No 2 on the road, reflecting his second place in the NZRC.
Also in a WRX, Rangiora's Matt Summerfield did not have a successful outing at Canterbury, as his engine failed on the first stage. However, he is hot off a win at the Ashley Forest Rallysprint two weeks ago, driving Steve Murphy's infamous Mitsubishi V8 Cordia.
Tauranga's David Holder is also in fine form, with back-to-back thirds at the Canterbury and Otago rounds, in his ex-Hayden Paddon Mitsubishi Evo 8.
Rounding out the top five is Nelson's Ben Hunt, who won his first NZRC event at the 2013 Daybreaker Rally, having stepped up from a Ford Fiesta the year before. He has continued his fast pace this year and consistent top five stage times at Canterbury led to a second behind Mason.
Driving their high-horsepower, Maxi-style rally cars, Andrew Hawkeswood (Mazda 2) and Emma Gilmour are seeded sixth and seventh respectively.
Dunedin's Gilmour has returned from the third round of the Global Rallycross Championship in the United States, stepping out of her Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster and into her Suzuki Swift. She will team up again with Australian co-driver Ben Atkinson and is hoping for a positive outcome over the nine-stage, 163km event.
''The last round in Canterbury didn't go our way, with an overheating problem ending the rally early for us, so since then the team has made some quite drastic modifications to the engine. We really hope we have got to the bottom of the issues this time,'' Gilmour said.
