Former World Rally Championship star Kris Meeke will compete in the most prestigious Historic rally in Ireland at the Towers hotel Killarney Historics Rally on the 29th of November
The Tyrone man will make a one-off appearance at the prestigious event driving a BMW M3 E30 made by MATS a Netherlands based company that specialise in BMW rally cars similar to those which rallied in the late 80s and early 90s.
Since leaving the Wrc at the end of the 2019 season, Meeke has competed in the Dakar Rally, a one off appearance at NitroCross at Lydden Hill and most recently he has competed in the Portuguese Rally Championship where he finished runners up to former Mini Wrc teammate Dani Sordo.
It is 16 years since Meeke last competed in Ireland, on the 2009 Midland Stages Rally, where he and Paul Nagle drove a Renault Clio S1600. The last time he drove in Killarney was the 2007 Historic Rally the same year he won the Rally of the Lakes.
This year’s rally, while still based in Killarney, will feature some new and long-absent roads in the Kenmare region, with a special highlight being a full-length night run down Moll’s Gap to close out the event.
It is also the 35th anniversary of Bertie Fisher and Rory Kennedy’s famous victory in the 1990 Rally of the Lakes.
“For me just to drive an M3 in a rally is a dream come true, but especially this rally,” said Meeke. “I have fond memories of Bertie Fisher winning this rally 35 years ago. It is just brilliant that all this has come together. Paul Nagle was beside me for most of my World Rally Championship career and his dad Maurice, who founded this rally, was very much to the forefront during my time in the WRC”.
“My dad Sydney turns 80 this year, and he ran Bertie’s BMW back in the day. I really hope we can get him to come to Killarney to witness this. I’ve been living abroad for a long time, the last time I entered the Historic Rally was in 2007 in Conor Curley’s car, so I’m really looking forward to returning to Kerry where I know so much of the rally community. It’ll be great to be back in Kerry but even better for a rally. Huge thanks to Paul Ahern for pulling this together, my friendship with Paul goes back to my early days with Paul Nagle and it’s great that we are all still good friends.”
This will be Meeke’s first-ever outing in a BMW M3 E30, made possible by local sponsor Paul Ahern from Ahern’s BMW in Castleisland. Meeke is one of several drivers expected to pilot the legendary German rally machine in Killarney next month.
Drivers already confirmed for the event include defending champions Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy who will be the top seeds in another Mats BMW.
“It will be fantastic to have so many BMW M3s in the rally again this year after Donagh and Rory’s great win in the M3 last year,” said Paul Ahern.
“To have Kris home and back in Kerry will be fantastic in a Mats BMW after such a hugely successful WRC and to see him go up Moll’s Gap in the M3 35 years after Bertie Fisher’s famous win in the BMW following that big battle with Austin MacHale and the Russians in the ice, will make this a special weekend for everyone.”
“It’s also a great boost for what is now one of the best historic rallies in Europe and a real credit to the hard work Maurice, Angela, and the Nagle family put into it so many years ago that along with the work Anthony O Connor and the Killarney and District Motor Club team have done in the years since taking up the baton.”
Killarney’s own, Noel O’Sullivan will make a return to the Historics rally after an 11 year absence from the event however the partnership between Meeke and himself is still very familiar after the pairing competed in the Otago Rally both this year and last year where they piloted their “Rossandale” BDA MK2 Escort to podiums on both occasions.
The rally will feature returning stages in Kenmare and for the first time a night run of the famous Molls Gap stage. The rally Is run on the 29th of November with the ceremonial start in Killarney town on the evening of the 28th.
Written by Tony Griffin “Bear”
