Rally - Meeke flies the Flag

Kris Meeke scored an emotional victory in his first start with Team Hyundai Portugal and the i20 N Rally2 at Rali Terras d’Aboboreira in Portugal at the weekend (April 28-29). 

Stepping into the car left empty by Craig Breen, Meeke was sensational on the gravel event. Alongside co-driver Ole Fløene he won all three stages on the opening day to put himself in the lead and was able to hold on to the position through day two, helped by a further four quickest times despite his position first on the road, to score a victory. Meeke dedicated the win to his former WRC team-mate, he and Fløene flying the Irish flag following the final stage.

The result means the Hyundai Portugal-supported squad have now won all three events to start the season. Breen won the opening round, before Ricardo Teodósio – who finished fifth on the weekend’s rally – was victorious in round two.

In the same event, young Max McRae and Mac Kierans driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4 finished 51^st overall and 16^th in the Rally4 category against an entry of 34 Rally4 cars. Max will be contesting the Junior ERC next month in an Opel so this outing in The Racing Factory’s Peugeot was purely to gain seat time and a chance to drive on gravel. His only previous experience of European gravel was last year’s Nicky Grist Stages in Wales.

(Thanks to Hyundai for the Pics)