Mexico [P] - 3-5 Mar 06

Posted: March 5, 2006 10:56 PM

Rally Mexico is Gareth’s second WRC event and follows his impressive 16th overall on the 1st round Monte Carlo rally. The rally is the first gravel rally in the sixteen round calendar, providing the Irish national forestry champion with an ideal opportunity to put his gravel experience to the test on the tough dusty stages of the Mexican event. The rally kicked off on Friday with the 1st leg run over three stages completed twice, this leg proved a real challenge and an early wake up for the Rathcoole driver with problems on the start line resulting in time lost this was followed by a puncture on stage two with Gareth and his co-drive Paul Nagle being forced into a roadside wheel change. The second loop of stages proved less eventful with MacHale setting top ten stage times as he settled into the rally, the Nextel super special stage rounded out day one, Gareth commented “It was a difficult day the stages are very challenging and proving tricky to read at times temperatures in the car are over 40 degrees at times, hydration is very important here”, Gareth finished the day in 8th place overall.

Day two started with the first run through ‘El Zauco’ 25 km stage and it claimed two of the leading cars with Gareth taking advantage of their problems and posting the six fastest time through the test finishing behind Henning Solberg. Stages nine and ten followed without any major problems and the cars made their way into the first service of the day. Gareth felt that the first three stages had suited him “the first stage was perfect the car worked very well and I was delighted to finish the stage six ahead of many of the leading drivers, I had a problem in the last stage and damaged a wishbone”. The Ford Focus emerged from service with the wishbone repaired and the Irish crew headed to the final loop to consolidate their now six overall position, no major problems were encountered and the day ended with the super special stage and their sixth overall in tact. The final day of the Mexico rally started with the gruelling ‘Leon’ stage at a total of 38km run in the early morning sunshine the stage was the longest in the rally and would be both a test of car and driver, Gareth emerged safely from the stage and posted ninth quickest time and commented “Its all about getting it home safely now and keeping it quick but clean through the final two stages, I am not thinking about the finish yet just the next stage”. Stage sixteen followed “Silao” and the final run through the spectator special from which Gareth and Paul emerged successful finishing sixth overall and ahead of many of the world championships most talented drivers. On finishing Gareth said “I am delighted to have finished sixth in only my second WRC outing, the car has been brilliant all weekend and the support from all the crew and supporters has been fantastic both here and from back home, it’s a tough rally very technical and tricky, roll on Rally Ireland”

Gareth MacHale is the current Irish National Forestry champion and Billy Coleman award winner 2005, he is sponsorsed by international air-conditioning company Sanyo Air Conditioners, Maxol Lubricants, All Sports Logistics, Tom Hogan Motors, and global Automation Technology Company ABB.

To keep in touch with Gareth’s progress during WRC events log on to

Gareth Machale Rallying

Full Results:
www.wrc.com - World Rally Championship Offical Site

Rally Mexico

• 2006 World Rally Championship

Gareth MacHale and Paul Nagle at the start of Rally Mexico

• Download Full Size photo of Gareth MacHale and Paul Nagle at the start of Rally Mexico

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• MacHale in Mexico
• Gareth MacHale/Paul Nagle No 15 for Rally Mexico

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28/02/06
MacHale in Mexico
Gareth MacHale fresh from his impressive 16th overall in the 1st round of the ’06 world rally championship the Monte Carlo rally faces his toughest test yet on the Rally Mexico. The event is the 3rd round of the world championship and the first of the gravel rallies in this years contest, the event based in the famous city of Leon 400km from the Mexico city will present the Irish crew with a real challenge as they cope with high altitude and temperatures in the mid thirties. The event runs from Friday 3rd until Sunday 5th March and will see the crews tackle seventeen stages in total covering over 350km of gravel stages including three runs over the ‘Nextel’ super special stage which will run on the evening of each of the three days. The super special will provide Gareth and co-driver Paul Nagle with their first taste of this type of spectacle where each driver competes head to head over the same stage, ‘I am looking forward to the super special stage, and competing against the WRC regulars, the stage looks like a really quick and quite technical test’ said Gareth.

Gareth will drive the Sanyo Air Conditioners Ford Focus WRC05 that he used to great effect on the Monty and hopes that his forestry experience will provide him with the a base upon which to build another good WRC result. Seeded 12th overall and with the top fifteen cars reversed on the start of day Gareth could find himself running 4th on the road “I like the gravel stages and my first experience of the Ford Focus on gravel will be interesting to say the least although I believe the gravel is not as rough as some of the Irish stages I experienced last year, I am out for a steady run and some top ten stage times” mentioned Gareth. Mexico kicks off a very busy month of March for Gareth and the MacHale rally team, on his return from Mexico Gareth heads straight to Sligo to commence his reece and compete along side his brother Aaron in the Maxol Lubricants Toyota Corolla WRC in the 2nd running of Rally Ireland. This will be followed by a two-week break before Gareth tackles his third WRC event Rally Catalunya at the end of the month.

Gareth MacHale is the current Irish National Forestry champion and Billy Coleman award winner 2005, he is sponsorsed by international air-conditioning company Sanyo Air Conditioners, Maxol Lubricants, All Sports Logistics, Tom Hogan Motors, and global Automation Technology Company ABB. To keep in touch with Gareth’s progress during WRC events log on to www.garethmacahale.com, for further information or photographs please contact.

Gareth Machale Rallying

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22/02/06
Gareth MacHale will start Mexico with Number 15 on his Ford Focus WRC 05 thanks to the "B" seed he now holds.
MacHale received the "B" seed after winning the Irish National Forestry Championship in 2005.

After Mexico the Crew will return home to compete on Rally Ireland where Gareth will drive his father Austin's "03" Focus

Rally Mexico

• 2006 World Rally Championship