Richard Burns looks like becoming the first ever English winner of the World Rally Championship after both Tommi Makinen and Colin McRae crashed out of the Rally of Great Britain after a couple of stages. Burns finished day two of the Rally second behind Marcus Gronholm, and only now needs a placing in the top four to be crowned world champion. The Reading driver trails outgoing champion Gronholm by 36.6secs after eight stages but finds himself almost two minutes clear of fifth-placed Frenchman Didier Auriol - the only other man who could still mathematically win the title. McRae, who crashed out early on day two, is the only Briton ever to have won the World Rally Championship. He said on Friday night: "This is the biggest disappointment of my career. I feel terrible about it, both for myself and for the whole Ford team. There's not a lot more I can do now. Burns said of McRae's accident: "I'm surprised Colin was taking big risks on that stage -he's paid the price. I'm easing off a little because I need the points but not too much." McRae's rally ended a mere 10 minutes into the third stage of Friday morning when his Ford Focus thundered into a ditch, barrel-rolling into the obstacle. Yet, both McHale and Welsh co-driver Nicky Grist emerged unhurt from the 100mph accident, bar blurred vision for the Scot from an eye injury incurred during last season's Corsica Rally. Former champion Makinen was already out by that point - he hit a rock on the second stage of the rally, taking a front wheel off his Mitsubishi Lancer and wrecking the suspension. Makinen had been second in the standings on 41 points - one behind McRae. McRae began the day in the lead, having won Thursday's stage in Cardiff by 0.1 of a second - but the Scot can still take the title of the rest of his Championship rivals crash out - including Burns.