Hot Competition in Rodez
26th July 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marty McCormack and regular co driver Dai Roberts travelled to the south of France to contest the 4th round of the French Citroen Racing Trophy. After missing out on the third round to compete in rally Ypres the pair where seeking a good solid finish to put them back in contention in the championship race.

The large town of Rodez was host to the rally with the start/ finish ramp and super special stage in the town centre. From the outset it was to be a challenging event for the Rebound crew as the temperature was to reach highs of nearly 40c and the high altitude of the Midi Pyrénées added to the character of the event. Marty & Dai were given nominal stage times following two cancelled stages on Friday evening, leaving only one competitive stage before finishing day one 36th overall and 8th C2.

On a very hot day two, Marty and Dai set out to improve their position and after a consistent days rallying, with the soaring heat reaching 38c, the crew were up to 22nd overall and 5th in the Citroen Racing Trophy (CRT).

Travelling towards the last stage of the day, a super special in Rodez town centre before an overnight halt, the C2 started to drop voltage with the alternator being the suspected problem. With no service until Sunday morning all efforts were made by Marty and Dai to preserve power so the super special was contested with no intercom or lights. Adding to the existing problems the C2 began misfiring heavily through gear changes but the crew successfully completed Day 2 and parked the C2 up for the night in Parc Ferme.

The team rose on Sunday morning uncertain if the C2 could be repaired to compete in the final loop of stages. The team, lead by John McKillop, were able to fix the problem and the crew tackled the remaining three stages with a fully operational C2. Focused and keen to achieve good stage times Marty and Dai set out to tackle one the most gruelling of stages - a 36km test repeated twice.

The second of Sunday's stages saw the Rebound car set a storming pace to stop the clocks 12th fastest overall. Marty commented, 'That stage worked really well for us, the pace notes at the start were a bit fast and cost us some time but it worked really well after the first 3km and we felt we had a good push'. The final result saw Marty & team clinch 16th position overall and 4th in the CRT.

'We are very extremely happy with our result and the increase in our pace over the weekend in what is considered by the French to be a highly specialised event'.

Marty and the team would like to take this opportunity to thank their sponsors and crew for their continued help and support and look forward to competing in the next event - the Toddsleap Ulster Rally on 20th-21st August.

For regular updates on Marty's progress visit www.martymccormack.com


French Citroen Racing Trophy - Championship Rounds:

1. Touquet Pas de Calais - 19-21 Mar 10
2. Lyon Charbonnières Rhône - 16-18 Apr 10
3. Alsace Vosges - 22-23 May 10
4. Région Limousin - 11-13 Jun 10
5. Rouergue Aveyron Midi Pyrénées - 9-11 Jul 10
6. Mont Blanc Morzine - 3-5 Sep 10
7. Critérium des Cévennes - 22-24 Oct 10
8. Var - 26-28 Nov 10

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Marty McCormack

In 2009 Marty McCormack emerged as one of Britain's leading rally driving talents. Supported by his family and promoting local businesses, Marty competes in rallying with the aim of securing a competitive world championship drive.

Marty is also a member of 'Team UK' - a group of young drivers selected by the British Motor Sports Association for career development through the MSA's elite scheme.