TEAM Dynamics Pro Rally Toyota pair Jonny Milner, from Huggate near Pocklington, and Nicky Beech extended their lead in the Pirelli British Rally Championship this weekend, after finishing second on the Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Scotland.

Driving their Toyota Corolla WRC, the winners of the two previous rounds had an action-packed rally.

After an excursion midway through the second day had damaged the front of the car, a freak turbo failure resulted in time penalties for the crew. Just as the repaired machine was due to leave the service area, a mechanic spotted the turbo problem and it had to be fixed on the spot - costing valuable time.

With Milner dropping to fourth after the penalties had been added for lateness, he attacked the final loop of stages with renewed vigour to claim a hard fought second behind winner Andrew Nesbitt.

Colin McRae won the Safari Rally that finished in Nairobi this afternoon and, in doing so, elevated himself to a unique place in world rallying.

The Scot's nerveless victory in Kenya was his 25th rally victory, making him the first driver ever to reach the quarter-century mark, one better than current championship rivals Carlos Sainz and Tommi Makinen.

McRae led for two of the Kenyan event's three days and brought his Ford Focus home almost three minutes ahead of the Peugeot of Finn Harri Rovanpera, after nearly eight hours of competitive driving across the bush.

It was a masterful performance to win his third Safari, following triumphs in 1997 and 1999, and he had to control the pace from the front on the championship's most extreme event.

McRae's Ford team-mate, Estonian Markko Martin, was took fourth on his African debut.

Citroen also starred on their first appearance in Africa for 30 years with Swede Thomas Radstrom finishing third and Frenchman Sebastien Loeb fifth.

The World Championship now heads back to Europe for the Rally of Finland next month.

The 'Finnish GP' is the fastest event in the series and only two non-Scandinavians have ever won it, such is its specialist nature.

Gronholm, who is seven points ahead of McRae in the overall standings, has won the event for the past two years but is now under greater pressure than ever to make it a hat-trick of wins.

Updated: 11:51 Monday, July 15, 2002