KRIS MEEKE

In his short career – he was born the same year Bjorn Waldegard became World Rally Champion – Kris Meeke has won three British titles and been a title-contender in the Junior World Rally Championship, mentored by former Champion, the late Colin McRae.
Meeke was born in July 1979, in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, into a family synonymous with Irish rallying, father Sydney one of the country’s leading motor sport preparation experts. After qualifying in Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, Meeke joined M-Sport, headquarters the Ford World Rally Team, as a computer-aided designer.
But he wanted to compete, and victory in a Peugeot competition for new rally drivers in 2000 set him on course. The 106 Peugeot Super Cup produced his first class win in 2001, his first outright victory coming at the end of the same season, following an unexpected invitation to drive a Subaru Impreza on the Galloway Hills in Scotland.
In early 2002, Meeke was taken under McRae’s wing; he contested the British Junior Championship in a Ford Puma, winning the title in only his second full season. The following year, he combined a British campaign with his debut in the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC), driving an Opel Corsa run by Team Palmer. A number of strong performances were thwarted by accident or mechanical woes, but consolation came with his second British Junior crown and the British S1600 Championship, then running as high as 17th overall (second in JWRC) ‘at home’ on Wales Rally GB, before retiring.
Again mixing home and away commitments, Meeke’s 2004 season included his first JWRC podium finish in Rallye Monte-Carlo, S1600 victory on the Rally of Wales, and a convincing class win on the Pirelli Rally in Tampere. Meeke was the most successful non-factory JWRC driver that year, with 10 fastest stage times.
For the final round of 2004, McRae Motorsport arranged for Meeke to drive a Citroen C2 run by Kronos Racing, where he stayed for 2005, which started well. His maiden JWRC win came in Monte Carlo, then he finished third in Sardinia and was leading the JWRC when the gremlins intervened again. . . and the title went to his team-mate Dani Sordo. By the end of 2006, he was consistently the fastest in JWRC and one of seven potential winners in the final round, but an accident put paid to his chances; in common with fellow-Brit Guy Wilks, Meeke was passed over for the new WRC campaign.
Over the past two seasons, Meeke has concentrated on his work as a Citroen and Pirelli test driver, also a coach for rising stars. Occasional outings in World Rally Cars have produced positive results, including victory for the first time in the Ulster Rally.