Atkinson crashes out in SS6 - stage cancelled.

Subaru's Chris Atkinson has crashed out of the lead in SS6 of the Telstra Rally Australia and as a result the second run through Murray North has been cancelled.

Atkinson had been 13.6 seconds in front going into SS6, until his Impreza WRC car slid wide on a left hand corner and bumped two wheels into some undergrowth and loose sand. The car was undamaged but became beached - stranded less than one metre off the road.

Atkinson and co-driver Glenn Macneall and a handful of spectators did their best to rock the car back onto the stage, but their efforts were curtailed when the hot exhaust pipe ignited a small brush-fire.

The stage was subsequently cancelled as other crews stopped and helped to put out the fire. Although the blaze was eventually extinguished, the damage meant Atkinson retired from the leg.

"Following the stopping of car 6, Chris Atkinson / Glenn MacNeall on stage six, the running of stage six has been cancelled," read a statement from the organisers' of the Rally Australia. "Cars 41, 32 and 37 who slowed to assist have been allocated nominal times. Car 34 onwards, based on their running order on the road, were given an alternate route to stage seven and given notional times."

Henning Solberg also retired from the leg in SS6, when he was caught out on a left hand corner and rolled his Peugeot 50 metres off the stage, the Norwegian had been sixth overall.

Henning was the fifth 'works' retirement of the day, joining Atkinson, Daniel Sordo and Stobart VK-duo, Matthew Wilson and Luis-Perez Companc on the sidelines.