McRae in top condition for APRC opener

23rd April 2010

By Richard Rodgers

Alister McRae says he has never been in better physical shape ahead of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship getting underway in Malaysia this weekend.

The Scot, who will partner Chris Atkinson in the two-car MEM-run factory Proton team, has undertaken a rigorous training programme in preparation for the seven-event series.

He said: “My co-driver Bill Hayes is a semi-professional cyclist so we’ve been doing loads of work on the bike. I’m in better shape now than I have been throughout my career, so I’m not so concerned about the hot conditions we’re going to face in Malaysia. We’re also expecting rain.”

McRae has driven the MEM-built Proton Satria Neo on three rallies so far and claimed a podium finish in one of the Super 2000 machines on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge-counting Rally of Scotland last November.

Apart from team-mate Atkinson, who starts the Johor-based event as the number one seed, McRae will also face strong opposition from Japan’s Katsu Taguchi in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. However, Taguchi has been forced to recruit Mark Stacey as a replacement co-driver after Chris Murphy, his intended partner, was unable to fly to Malaysia from his base in London due to the flight restrictions caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Defending Asia Pacific champion Cody Crocker is currently without a drive following the withdrawal at the end of last season of the Motor Image team.

The Malaysian Rally features 16 stages covering 236.42 competitive kilometres.