The entry list for the Pirelli International Rally has received a major boost with the news that five times Irish Rally Champion Austin McHale will be crossing the Irish Sea for another tilt at the Gateshead based event, the opening round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship, which runs over the weekend of 25th. /26th. April. McHale is something of a legend in Ireland, having dominated the domestic rallying scene for a number of years but the vast majority of his wins have come on tarmac surfaced events, the gravel tracks in KielderForest present a totally different scenario, as the Irishman found to his cost last year when he made an early departure from the rally after losing out to the unfamiliar slippery surfaces of the forest tracks.

McHale, from Dublin, will be driving a potent factory built Toyota Corolla WRC and, if he can adapt to the conditions, might prove a stern challenge for the similar car of reigning British champion, Jonny Milner although the Yorkshireman has far more gravel experience and proved last season that he is mature enough to cope with any pressure that might come his way.