McRae crashes out in Mexico.

Alister McRae retired from the Corona Rally Mexico when he rolled while chasing a podium position in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship [PCWRC].

The Jardine Lloyd Thompson Rally Team [JLT] driver, who is co-driven by David Senior, suffered the accident while battling back up the order after dropping almost a minute on the opening stage of the rally with a puncture.

"We were pushing to make up the time we had lost and I got a bit wide in a fast right-hand bend," explained McRae. "We slid into a ditch then clipped a rock. That was enough to send the car over."

McRae was uninjured in the accident, while Senior was taken to hospital for precautionary checks. He was later released with mild concussion.

"The car is in a pretty sorry state," said McRae, who drives for the RED World Rally Team. "I don't know what speed we were doing, but it was quick enough. We had been optimistic of keeping the pressure on the front-runners and making up some places so it is doubly disappointing not to finish the event."

The FIA Production Car World Rally Championship is a feeder category for the full FIA World Rally Championship and McRae is hoping to use the series as a springboard back into a full-time drive with a manufacturer team in 2005.