AUSTIN McHALE, with Brian Murphy on pace notes, is back to winning ways in Irish rallying. After two lean seasons, McHale, in a newer Toyota Celica GT4, won the weekend's Statoil Galway International Rally, round one of the Tarmac Rally Championship.
McHale's win was at the expense of Armagh driver Andrew Nesbitt. On Stage 13 yesterday, overnight leader Nesbitt slid off the treacherously wet road, his Toyota Celica GT4 firmly stuck in a field, his rally over. In the struggle for second,
Eamonn Boland (Wexford) beat Stephen Murphy (Carlow), both driving Ford Escort RS Cosworths.
Saturday's weather was ideal for rallying. By the end of the third stage, at the Loughrea service stop, a pattern was established, with Toyota Celica drivers McHale and Nesbitt locked in a fierce battle for the lead, which they shared on identical times of 19 minutes 43 seconds. Boland (19:45) and Murphy (19:50) were struggling to maintain the pace.
Nesbitt pulled away from McHale, opening up the gap of 24 seconds after seven stages. McHale was slowed by a clutch problem which was causing the gearbox to slip.
After the Dyke Road stage in Galway City, the rally cars and followers yesterday headed to the Athenry area for six very wet stages.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)