Motorsport: McHale's car fails to pass

Top Irish rally star, Austin McHale was prevented from starting the Network Q Rally of Great Britain last evening when his car failed to pass pre-event scrutiny in Cardiff.

McHale and his co-driver, Brian Murphy were eagerly awaiting participating in this, the final and deciding round of the World Rally Championship, however, as they didn’t have the necessary homologation papers concerning the steering rack of their Toyota Ireland Corolla WRC, they couldn't start the rally.

When McHale originally acquired his Toyota Corolla, an ex-Carlos Sainz TTE car, it was in left hand drive. For the 2000 rally season, the Dubliner changed the car to right hand drive and that seems to be the crux as the British organisers needed to see the correct documentation which McHale didn't possess in Cardiff.

The Irish contingent is now down to Eamonn Boland/Anthony Nestor and Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman, both driving Subaru World Rally cars.

Elsewhere, Irish co-drivers, Trevor Agnew and Chris Patterson are partnering Neil Wearden (Subaru WRC) and Gwyndaf Evans (SEAT) respectively.

Meanwhile, Niall McShea/Michael Orr are contesting the Super 1600 category. Today's leg consists of seven stages in the Welsh forests.

Colin McRae, who was quickest on last night's Super Special stage, is one of four drivers that could win the World Rally Championship. Richard Burns, Tommi Makinen and Carlos Sainz also harbour title ambitions.