BACK TO THE TARMAC AS McHALE HEADS FOR DONEGAL!

Posted: June 17, 2002 7:29 AM

Despite the flat tyres caused by roadside rocks on both the Welsh and Scottish Rallies, the five times Irish Tarmac Champion was pleased with the performance of the left-hand drive Corolla in the British Rally Championship. However, four punctures alone in Scotland dropped him from fourth place going into the last stage to eighth at the finish, having lost over four minutes.

McHale finished the third stage on a front puncture, which happened on the start line and then collected a rear flat on the next stage. At the end, a final demoralising puncture on the last stage dropped him off the leaderboard.

In Wales at the end of May, rocks again caused mayhem and despite lying fifth for the early part of the event, suspension damage and punctures dropped him down the order in the Toyota Finance-supported Corolla. Donegal - the third round of the Toshiba Computers International Tarmac Championship – is one of his favourite rallies, and he hopes that punctures on the tarmac event will be a problem he won't have to consider. With Brian Murphy (Newbridge) in the co-driver's seat as usual, McHale is hopeful of a top three finish.

He said: "We're back on tarmac for the rest of the season and I'm looking forward to Donegal. I'm more used to the left-hand drive now and am quietly confident with the car, which is going very well and has been rebuilt after Scotland for Donegal. Although the Corolla is no longer in the World Championship, I feel it's still a very competitive car."

In a new departure, this year's Shell Donegal International Rally 2002 will start from An Grianán theatre in Letterkenny, with the driver’s briefing held in the main auditorium. The cars will assemble at the theatre at noon on Friday, June 21. Drivers will start by competing over eight stages, a format of four stages each done twice, before returning to an overnight halt at parc ferme at the Courtyard Shopping Centre car park.

Saturday is when the rally starts in earnest, and as usual the day takes in the famous stages of High Glen, Port Lake, a new one, Kindrum, Fanad Head, and Knockalla, all being done twice with centralised servicing in the Milford area.

On Sunday the rally heads to the Inishowen Peninsula with a high noon start in the Moville area. Seven stages are scheduled, three being done twice with a single stage also being completed before a return to the victory ramp outside the Mount Errigal Hotel on Sunday evening at approximately 18.30.