Motorsport: Ireland's McHale bid to win Polski Rally

Continuing his European programme of events, Austin McHale is one of four FIA "B" seeded drivers in the three-day Polski Rally that begins in Poland later today.

McHale and his co-driver, Brian Murphy in their Toyota Ireland Corolla WRC and the Mitsubishi Evo 5 of Gene Megan and Dermot O'Gorman are the Irish representatives in the 80 plus entry.

The Polski is the fourth co-efficient 20 rally of the European Rally Championship and, outside the Monte Carlo Rally, is one of the oldest rallies in Europe.

Running since 1921, this will be the 58th event and it will be based in Klodzko.

In the past, the rally has been won by Piero Liatti, Patrick Snijers and Robert Droogmans.

McHale/Murphy were pipped for second on the Pnuemant Rallye at the end of April and were due to contest the Krakowski Rally a few weeks ago.

Instead, they drove their former Toyota Celica ST185 to fourth place in the Punchestown Rally Masters.

Unlike The Pneumant Rallye, the Polski is an all tarmac 20 stage event and will suit the multi tarmac champion, who is seeded at number four.

Heading the entry is Krzysztof Holowczyc in a Peugeot 206 with Janusz Kulig, second on last year's rally, driving a Ford Focus WRC. Leszek Kuzaj (Toyota Corolla) heads off the start line just before McHale.

Meegan, seeded at 18, competes in the Group N category where Dominique Bruyneel, well known to Irish fans from his participation in the Rally of the Lakes, will also drive a Mitsubishi.

Today's five stages begin at 5pm.

McHale also plans to contest next month's Duetschland Rally in Germany, an event that is tipped for inclusion in next season's World Rally Championship.