MOTOR SPORT: In his bid for a seventh Galway International Austin McHale (Rathcoole) faces a tough challenge from joint Pirelli Tarmac champions Ulstermen Eugene Donnelly and Derek McGarrity and twice British champion Jonny Milner in the weekend's First Choice Flooring-sponsored event.
Its 20 years since McHale scored his first Galway win, at the wheel of an Opel Manta 400. He won in 1990/91 in a BMW M3, and in 1993, 1997/98 driving Toyota Celicas.
Last year he was second in the British Rally championship and third in the Pirelli Tarmac, with Tyrone's Brian Murphy on the pace notes.
McHale's determination to win is further boosted by supreme confidence in his Focus RS since it has been converted from left to McHale's preferred right-hand drive.
The blindingly quick number two seed Donnelly is also in devastating form and will undoubtedly light up the stages of the West at the wheel of his totally rebuilt Toyota Corolla WRC.
Arch-rival McGarrity is seeded number three in a Skoda Fabia WRC, an unknown quantity in Irish rallying against the strong Subaru WRC competition headed by Eamon Boland, Tim McNulty, Kevin Lynch, Patrick Elliott, Denis Cronin and Maurice Gass.
Two more Ford Focus WRC's will be driven by Galway's John Joe Fleming and Ray Breen (Kilkenny). George Cullen (Galway) drives another Skoda Fabia WRC and Gareth McHale is in a Toyota Corolla WRC.
The opening round of the Pirelli Tarmac Rally championship will have over 130 starters, with 16 crews entered for the concurrently run Galway Historic Rally, headed by Mervyn Johnston and Frank Cunningham in Mini-Cooper S's.
Donegal's Columba Heena in a Toyota Corolla heads the 20 crews in Sunday's first Galway Junior Rally, for competitors under 27 years of age.
From tomorrow's 8am start the rally will head from Galway for 70 miles of stages in a three-stage configuration in the Loughrea, Gort and Kinvara areas, with centralised service in Oranmore.
WEEKEND FIXTURES: Saturday: Galway MC, Galway International Rally, starts Galway, 8.0am; MEC, Sporting Trial, Kilruddery, Greystones, Co Wicklow 11.30am. Sunday:Galway International Rally, restarts 9.15am.
