The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33538
A by Rob Marshall lthough MINI’s entry into the WRC was perhaps the world’s worst kept secret, there was at least some surprise, when Kris Meeke was revealed as the first MINI WRC driver at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Prodrive chairman, David Richards, had previously admitted that a UK car, piloted by a UK driver, would be at the head of the list of requisites for both fans and the MINI community. And with the choosing of Meeke, Richards has been true to his word. Yet while Meeke is relatively unknown outside of Ireland and Europe, he has not been plucked from obscurity. Hailing from Northern Ireland, his family has a strong connection with motorsports. His father is the highly respected vehicle preparation specialist, Sydney Meeke, who is considered to be the doyen of Irish rallying engineers. The passion rubbed off on his son clearly, as he joined Ford’s World Rally Team’s headquarters as a computer- aided designer, after graduating from Queen’s University in Belfast, with a degree in mechanical engineering. Still, his driving career was kick-started after academia, when he entered the 2000 ‘Find A Driver’ competition at Silverstone Racing Circuit in England, which was sponsored by Peugeot. He won. Paddy Hopkirk, who also hails from Ulster, singled out his performance as ‘especially worthy.’ The boost led Meeke to enter the 2001 Peugeot Cup. Sponsored by Peugeot UK, the series provided new drivers with the opportunity to pit their skills against seasoned drivers. His results might have been mixed, but the experience was invaluable, especially as the opportunity arose to drive a 300bhp Impreza in Scotland at the end of 2001. Driving the more powerful Subaru, Meeke won his first-ever event. 18 www.mc2magazine.com McRae’s Protégé Ex-Subaru driver, Colin McRae, who by that time had left Prodrive to go to Ford, had been watching the young Irishman’s progress closely and offered to hone his raw talent. With the encouragement of his mentor, Meeke participated in the 2002 British Junior Championship and not only piloted his Ford Puma Coupe to victory in the Scottish Rally but also proved his capability on tarmac stages, contesting the local Jim Clark Commemorative Rally. A podium finish in the series’ final round was enough to award Meeke the British Junior Rally Championship title. The following year, bristling with confidence, Meeke entered the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC), driving an Opel Corsa (a small lift-back, made by GM’s European subsidiary). A promising start was hampered by the car developing mechanical problems, with Meeke slipping down in the rankings until a crash forced an early retirement from the series in Italy. Yet, Meeke appeared to return to winning form at the last event in Great Britain, until a severe rollover snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Keen to banish the previous year’s disappointment from his memory, Meeke entered the 2004 JWRC with revitalized gusto and achieved his first podium position, by finishing third in the famous Monte Carlo Rally. However, mechanical glitches dogged the Opel throughout and a final clash with a tree and a rollover into a ditch finished it off. While Meeke emerged unhurt from the incident, it was a low point for him. Even though further electrical maladies plagued the replacement car at the Wales Rally GB, the Irishman nursed it to a fine runner-up place. Further unreliability problems led to the Opel making its final outing in Sardinia. Despite W i Mpp eeko a t e eh a na n e rm in t ms l hae s rge MI main t t y en lo N o t ny uI WR y nm kou o ew an m t nC t s wi t h I r ou t i is dt isha h r a l e Eu r l oou s a y pin et tg , buo c b , d r i v e r K r i t wi t s s g ha h h i n e . The Rising Star