The main question that occupies the mind of the punter when studying rallying odds is whether anyone can stop Sebastien Loeb.
The Frenchman won his maiden championship in 2004 and has gone on to complete four wins in a row in his Citroen.
But rallying betting is never a foregone conclusion, and 2008 has again shown that Loeb is vulnerable. Many people holding rallying bets on Finn Mikko Hirvonen are hoping that this year Loeb will finally be toppled.
Hirvonen rallying odds shortened
The championship is so competitive that any slip-up can have a big impact on rallying odds. Loeb started the season by attracting his traditional flood of rallying bets, but having won the opening round in Monaco he was then forced to retire in the following Swedish Rally.
Hirvonen seized his chance, with his second consecutive podium finish, and continued to lead as Loeb could only grab 10th place in the Jordan Rally.
Hirvonen's consistency has kept him at the top of the standings and has attracted many rallying bets.
It all points to a season-long battle between the pair in Ladbrokes rallying betting.
Of the rest, Jari-Matti Latvala won in Sweden, but has failed to maintain his form and Australian Chris Atkinson climbed the podium for the fifth time this season when he finished third in Finland but his rallying odds suggest he may not catch the leading pair.
Loeb fans delighted to hold winning rallying bets
But as last year showed, nothing is certain in rallying betting until the end of the final rally, The Wales Rally of Great Britain in December. In 2007 Loeb led, but Marcus Gronholm mounted a superb challenge and shortened his rallying odds with each successive event.
The Finn looked well placed to land rallying bets and end Loeb's run of championship wins, but was forced to retire in successive rallies in Japan and Ireland. That saw Loeb installed again as favourite in the rallying betting, and though he finished one place behind Gronholm in the final rally, it was good enough for a four-point margin in the final standings.
Hirvonen, who finished just 13 points behind his compatriot Gronholm last year and scored two wins in the last three rallies, has been hard on Loeb's heels all year this time.
The chase for the manufacturers' championship, another popular market in rallying bets, is also tight this season, with defending champions Ford leading by just three points following Rally Finland.
Citroen's rallying odds shortened as they clawed back Ford's lead by six points in that event with Loeb's teammate Dani Sordo finishing fourth while Hirvonen's compatriot and Fellow Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala was only 39th.
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