David Higgins extended his lead in the 2017 American Rally Association Championship (ARA) at the weekend.

The Manxman led a thrilling Subaru one-two in the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) ahead of his team-mate Travis Pastrana.

The win was Higgins’ seventh career win at STPR and his third victory of this year’s ARA championship (ARA) as well as the fourth successive one-two finish for the team.

The Susquehannock forest rally, based around Wellsboro in the state of Pennsylvania, got underway in earnest last Friday, with Pastrana and co-driver Robbie Durant battling Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew.

The event began with Pastrana jumping out to a big lead as Higgins was slowed on the first two stages with a mechanical problem.

The rally resumed on Saturday with Higgins, behind by more than one minute to Pastrana, mounting a determined charge to reel his team-mate back in.

Higgins went on full attack, winning eight of the nine stages on the second day to close the gap to Pastrana.

Although the latter defended his lead for most of the day, his hopes of keeping the Manxman at bay were dashed on the penultimate forest stage where a small mistake caused him go off the road, causing a tyre puncture and slowing him by nearly three minutes, handing the lead and eventual victory to Higgins.

’It was a good hard combat win,’ said Higgins after the podium celebrations.

’We knew Travis was going to have to go 100 per cent and we knew that at the limit it’s always possible a driver can make a mistake and get a tyre puncture.

’We had to keep maximum pressure on them all the time. We’re just happy to be here on the top of the podium again.’

The next round of the American Rally Association Championship is the New England Forest Rally which takes place over the weekend of July 21-22.