McShea sweats it out

Posted: June 12, 2003 11:40 PM

The 29-year-old and his co-driver Chris Patterson starred in the last round of the series, Rally Argentina, setting nine fastest times, running in second overall and as leading Mitsubishi despite a puncture that cost them the chance of fighting for victory.

Ultimately their run ended in disappointment when they damaged an oil cooler within sight of the finish, but in order to build on that confidence-inspiring run in the baking hot temperatures and rough, rocky stages of Cyprus, McShea has been putting extra emphasis on his physical preparations for the event.

"Argentina showed that we have the pace to run at the front, but to put in a similar performance in Cyprus will require an entirely different approach," says McShea. "The temperatures in the car can reach more than 60 degrees, but I can't let that distract my concentration because the big rocks mean I mustn't slip a centimetre off line.

"Living in Enniskillen might not be the ideal preparation for those sort of temperatures, but there are all sorts of exercises and preparations I can do despite the tendency for rain! It is critical to be as fit as possible. It is a real test of endurance and I've put a lot of work in just to make sure I am as ready as possible when I get out there."

McShea has prior experience of the event, having completed the recce and worked as a gravel noter in 2001 and then contested the rally last season, when he was forced to retire on the first day with car problems. "What I've learned from my previous visits is that there is absolutely no margin for error," says McShea, whose Mitsubishi Lancer E6 is run by New Zealand based company Neil Allport Motorsport. "If you go off line you will immediately get a puncture, and that normally costs you about two minutes and any chance of fighting at the front.

"Just to get through to the finish is an achievement, although I am obviously aiming for better than that. The important thing for me will be to find a pace straightaway and settle into it. It is a mistake to attack those sort of rough roads in a Gp N car and, even if someone takes big risks and pulls away early on, it will be important to hold my nerve and not break the car trying to catch them."