Rally rusty McCormack keen on IRC 2WD Cup success

Leading Northern Irish driver Marty McCormack plans to shrug off his lack of recent competitive experience by chasing a strong result in the IRC 2WD Cup section of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally this week.

McCormack, 26, hasn’t rallied in anger since last October but is highly rated and capable of running at the front in the two-wheel-drive division when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier gets underway with the exciting 1.8-kilometre Titanic Super Special Stage in Belfast on Friday afternoon.

“It has been a while since I have been out competitively which means I might be a little ‘rusty’ but my last rally was on Tarmac in France against world championship regulars and we set the pace there so we should have a fighting chance against the IRC regulars,” said McCormack, a former British Junior champion. “But we’ll be against some of the best Europe has to offer so it’s a cautious optimism.”

McCormack will drive a Citroën DS3 R3T for the French Saintéloc squad, which will also prepare the Peugeot 207 Super 2000s of Mathieu Arzeno and Craig Breen. Team boss Sébastien Chetail said: “We are delighted to be running with Marty. He has shown his pace in BRC and WRC and we want to see the same winning form here in the IRC.”

Phil Mills, a former world title-winning co-driver, also rates McCormack’s prospects. He said: “He’s a dedicated young individual determined to get to the top. He ticks all the boxes and I’m sure he’ll do a good job.”