For years, the Meeke name has been synonymous with Irish rallying, father Sydney recognised as one of the leading motorsport preparation experts in the country, not least of which for his work with Irish star Bertie Fisher.

After qualifying with a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, Kris joined Cumbrian-based M-Sport, the headquarters for the Ford World Rally Team, as a computer-aided designer.

But it was the lure of active competition that saw Kris taking his first real step into the sport and, after winning a Peugeot competition for new rally drivers in 2000, his opening event was the Bulldog Rally. After a string of mixed results, his first category victory came on the third round of the 2001 Peugeot Super 106 Cup, the Swansea Bay Festival National Rally.

The Peugeot Cup, Britain’s leading one-make series, provided the opportunity to demonstrate his ability against drivers in similar machinery and from the outset he laid down the gauntlet and shocked more experienced campaigners by leading the opening round of the series in Wales. But, it was an unexpected opportunity to drive a 300 horse-power, four-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza on the Galloway Hills event in Scotland at the end of the year that Kris seized his first-ever outright victory.

In early 2002, Kris’ career was boosted when he was taken under the wing of Colin McRae and contested the British Junior Championship in a Ford Puma. In June, the young Ulsterman won his category in the Scottish Rally after a calculated drive overseen by McRae, and took second on the Jim Clark, his first full Tarmac event. Third position in the final round of the series was however enough for Kris to claim the British Junior Rally Championship title in only his second season in the sport, as well as third in the British S1600 series.

With the backing of McRae, Kris graduated to the Junior World Rally Championship the following year, campaigning an Opel Corsa run by Team Palmer. The seven-round series took the crews from Monte-Carlo to Turkey, Greece, Finland, Italy and Spain, before finishing on Kris’ home turf in Great Britain. He made an impressive debut in Rallye Monte-Carlo, setting two second fastest stage times on the final leg, but a string of small problems throughout the weekend had dropped him down the order and the result belied the performance of the 23-year-old. A retirement followed in Turkey and a potential second position was foiled in Sanremo with a crash, but consolation was taken from claiming the British S1600 title shortly afterwards. On Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, and the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship, Kris was holding second of the juniors and 17th overall at the end of the second leg, but was then forced onto the sidelines when he hit a rock and rolled out of the rally.

The 2004 season kicked off in awesome style however, Kris claiming his first podium position in the Junior World Rally Championship by finishing third in Rallye Monte-Carlo, one of the most unpredictable and treacherous rounds of the series. Mixing British with World outings, Kris then claimed the S1600 victory in the Rally of Wales, run purely as a shakedown test ahead of the second round of the Junior World Rally Championship in Greece.

After proving his pace on the opening events of the season his progress was hindered by a series of niggling problems on the next two rounds of the JWRC on the rough gravel terrain of Greece and Turkey, retiring his Opel Corsa through mechanical problems.

Kris bounced back from these disappointments to score a convincing class victory on the Pirelli Rally in Tampere, which the Team used as a shakedown for Rally Finland. The following weekend he was leading the JWRC on the fast challenging stages around Jyvaskyla before being caught out in the ruts on the exit of a right hand corner near the end of stage nine, ripping of a rear wheel, hitting a tree and rolling into a ditch.

It was expected that the Corsa would run at the front of the field on Wales Rally GB entertaining the home crowd. This was not to be, a further disappointment when he was plagued with electrical problems on the first day. Undeterred Kris set seven fastest stage times and finished on the podium in second place.

The World Rally Championship was making its first visit to Sardinia and everyone was starting from scratch, Kris had set his sight on his maiden victory. Hampered by mechanical and electrical problems he clinched seventh place claiming two championship points. This was his last appearance of the season driving the Corsa.

McRae Motorsport arranged for Kris to drive a Citroen C2 run by Kronos Racing for its debut in the JWRC, the final round of the championship in Catalunya. A car that has had so much factory development put into it was a great opportunity for Kris. Having no mileage in the C2 before the event shakedown Kris quickly adapted to the car's set up and upped his pace throughout the event challenging for a podium position. Delayed by a puncture he finished sixth and the season in seventh place in the JWRC.

Recording ten fastest stage times during the 2004 JWRC Kris was the most successful non-factory supported driver in the championship despite mechanical problems hampering his progress on several events throughout the season.

McRae Motorsport arranged for Kris to drive a Citroen C2 run by Kronos Racing for its debut in the JWRC, the final round of the championship in Catalunya. A car that has had so much factory development put into it was a great opportunity for Kris. Having no mileage in the C2 before the event shakedown Kris quickly adapted to the car's set up and upped his pace throughout the event challenging for a podium position. Delayed by a puncture he finished sixth and the season in seventh place in the JWRC.

Recording ten fastest stage times during the 2004 JWRC Kris was the most successful non-factory supported driver in the championship despite mechanical problems hampering his progress on several events throughout the season.

Kris and co-driver Chris Patterson are one of thirteen crews registered for the 2005 JWRC and will be driving a McRae Motorsport Kronos Racing Citroen C2. There may only be 13 drivers registered for the championship but there are six or seven drivers capable of winning each event, so it is going to be very competitive.

The 2005 Monte Carlo Rally will be a life long memory for Kris. "It is pretty special to win your first Junior World Rally Championship event and to win in Monte Carlo, the opening round of the season for a French Team winning their home event is something else" said Kris as he waited to cross the finish ramp. This maiden win was well overdue and well deserved, the mixed road conditions made the event very tricky

Kris recorded four fastest stage times on the event with the Citroen C2's being the quickest car over eight of the thirteen stages. "The C2 is very new, it has lots of speed and with future planned development can only get better. I am now very confident of the year ahead with my new Team" said Kris.

Corona Rally Mexico was Kris's non nominated event and he returned to the JWRC in Sardinia during April. Returning to the Podium in third place he retook his lead in the Championship in Italy.

On the Acropolis Rally he broke the rear left suspension arm on the first day of this rough event and fought his way back up the leaderboard to finish sixth overall and third in the Championship.

Due to an extended programme Chris Patterson has not been available for all occasions when Kris needed a co-driver. Kris was reunited with his former co-driver Glen Patterson with whom he won the 2002 Junior British Rally Championship on the Pirelli Rally Tampere in Finland which was a test for Neste Rally Finland . Their first event together in the Citroen C2 worked well winning the Super 1600 class, finishing 7th overall.

The following week on Neste Rally Finland they recorded the fastest time on the opening five stages for the Super 1600 class. With a comfortable lead Kris settled into a steady pace. On the eleventh stage of the event the leading crew were caught out by an incorrect pace note and went off the road. A bitter disappointment to the crew and team. With the super rally system they rejoined the event on Sunday and went on to finish seventh overall and score two valuable championship points

Kris Meeke was given opportunity to prove that he is one of Britain's leading drivers when he drives a Prodrive Subaru Impreza S10 WRC run by RED World Rally Team on this year's Wales Rally GB. He was comformably inside the top 8, at times outpacing his mentor Colin McRae, despite only 60kms testing, and his first ever outing in a World Rally Car and it will be a very steep learning curve for the young British driver.

During 2007, Kris has gained valuable experience in World Rally Cars. On his first outing on Irish Tarmac he was leading the Circuit of Ireland Rally, when the engine expired. He picked up from there, and won the Killarney Rally of the Lakes, and demolished the opposition on the Ulster Rally by over 2 minutes.

Rally Ireland was the big event of the year, and Kris stepped up to the plate. One the inaugural event, Kris posted 3rd fastest time overall at the Stormont Super Special, only being beaten by two World Rally Champions, Marcus Gronholm and Sebestian Loeb. Out on the stages, Kris struggled with his road position, and running in the muck pulled out by the cars in front, but was still able to hold 7th position. A turbo problem hindered his pace, when he slid off the road on the treacherous stages.

2008, with the backing of his sponsors, seen Kris tackle selected events in a Super 1600 Renault Clio, the highlight of which was Germany Rally where Kris showed that he still a major force on the WRC scene, by posting a series of fastest times, and leading the S1600 class by minutes before succumbing to an electrical fault on the very last stage.

These events put Kris back on the radar at World level, and Kris while continuing to work just as hard outside the cockpit, the young Dungannon man secured a fulltime seat with Peugeot UK in the 2009 IRC.

Keep tuned!