Motor Rallying -- and Finland's Hanny Mikkola driving a Ford Escort has opened up a seven minute lead in the Lombard-RAC round-Britain rally. And with team-mate Bjorn Waldegaard -- last year's winner -- in second position, Ford seem well placed to score a record breaking seven wins in a row. In third place, consolidating the position he has held for two days is the West German, Walter Rohrl, driving a Fiat Miafiori.

SYNOPSIS: Hanny Mikkola, the current leader opened up an impressive seven-minute lead during the third day's northern stages.

In fourth place -- Britain's Roger Clark. The bleak Scootish sections are widely regarded as among the toughest in this years rally. And it was during some of the more isolated stretches that the strong Ford challenge began to show.

Russell Brookes one of Britain's top drivers last year -- also driving a Ford Escort -- moved up in to sixth place during the day.

The tough northerly sections of the rally have brought British-made cars to the forefront, as the challenge from other countries dissipates. Of the leading ten cars, only three are not British.

One of them is this Datsum Violet driven by Britain's Andy Dawson in ninth place.

With the Saab Turbos and highly fancied Lancia's both out of the competition with mechanical problems, the triumph TR-7's are the most powerful cars left. But it seems unlikely they will prevent the Ford entries -- prepared this year by dealers because of the Ford strike in Britain -- from celebrating their seventh successive victory.