Austin McHale is looking forward to returning to the tarmac in Ireland for this weekend's Shell Donegal International Rally following the two gravel events in the UK in which his Toyota Ireland Corolla WRC was dogged with punctures. 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.
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.
"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," McHale said.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
