KRIS MEEKE

Kris Meeke has won three British titles, been a Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) title-contender, and is currently joint second in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), having won round two in Brazil for Peugeot UK/Kronos Racing.
Meeke was born in July 1979, in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, into a famous Irish rallying family, 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 winning a Peugeot competition for new rally drivers in 2000 did the trick. 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 found a mentor in Colin McRae; he contested the British Junior Championship in a Ford Puma, winning the title in only his second full season, then combined a British campaign with his debut in the JWRC, driving a Team Palmer Opel Corsa in 2003. While strong performances in were thwarted by accident or mechanical woes, he claimed his second British Junior crown and the British S1600 Championship, then ran as high as 17th overall (second JWRC) on Wales Rally GB, before retiring.
Meeke’s 2004 season included his first JWRC podium finish (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.
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 with his maiden JWRC win (Monte Carlo). Third in Sardinia promoted him to first in the JWRC . . . but the gremlins intervened again and the title went to team-mate Dani Sordo. In his first run in a World Rally Car (Subaru Impreza S10), he finished ninth on Wales Rally GB.
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, since when he had concentrated on his work as a Citroen and Pirelli test driver, also coach for rising stars, until his call-up for the 2009 IRC campaign finally acknowledged his talent.

For further information:
web site – www.kris meeke.com