Hayden Paddon already leads the Pedders Eureka Rush by a staggering 10.7 seconds after the opening two tarmac stages.
Driving a Hyundai i20 R5, Paddon slid around the 2.61km stage to be over five seconds clear of Harry Bates' Toyota Yaris AP4 on both runs.
The stage started in fine conditions, although the Ballarat weather was bitterly cold and windy.
Rain then blew in, making the tarmac slippery and the conditions miserable for the hundreds of fans there to catch the action.
In third place after the first two stages is Simon Evans in a Subaru WRX, 1.4 seconds clear of Lewis Bates (Toyota), with Molly Taylor rounding out the top five, some 21.2 seconds from the lead.
The weather for tomorrow's eight gravel stages is expected to be cold and wet, with a top temperature of just nine degrees.
See the full Eureka Rush results HERE.
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