Best of British McCormack is Junior Rally Champion
Date published : 04 Sep 2009 - 08:54:43
One young driver
has dominated the MSA British Junior Rally Championship in 2009, twenty three
year-old Northern Irishman Marty McCormack taking a hat-trick of asphalt
victories to seal the title with one event in hand.
Young drivers are a
feature across the board in this year’s BRC, but only the front wheel drive
pilots are eligible for this, one of only three MSA British Rally titles. That
said, the competition was fierce early on, three different winners in three
different makes of car coming from the first half of the
season.
Having been fourth
Junior first time out, McCormack’s previous experience in his Citroën C2R2
showed as the season progressed, taking second on the Pirelli. But it was on
tarmac that the car and driver combination shone, He took ninth place overall on
the Jim Clark Rally, sixth on the Isle of Man and an amazing fourth place on his
home Ulster Rally, missing the overall podium by just twelve
seconds.
In addition, his
stunning Ulster result was sufficient to seal him a place in the Pirelli Star
Driver final at the end of the season, where he will vie for a fully funded
drive in the 2010 British Rally Championship.
With such great
pace, he and co-driver Phil Clarke can now afford to go to the final round of
the UK’s Citroën Racing Trophy, Rallye le Touquet, needing just to finish the
event to take the Citroën title too.
The amiable lad
from Draperstown can even afford to switch back to his trusty Escort on the
final round of the British Rally Championship, Rally Yorkshire, having auctioned
the co-driver’s place for charity.
Martin will collect
the prestigious MSA British Junior Rally Championship award alongside the best
of British in Motorsport at the glittering prize ceremony at the Royal
Automobile Club’s Pall Mall headquarters in January.
