Kris wins day 1 battle of the Brits

Peugeot's IRC 207 s2000 Rally car cornering at speed image

Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke devastated the competition

With the 2009 IRC drivers’ title already under his belt, Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke devastated the competition once again on the first day of the inaugural Rally of Scotland.

Rain, gales and weather warnings had greeted the ceremonial start and opening spectator stages at Scone Palace on Thursday evening. And the rain returned on Friday, leaving rally rivals Kris and Guys Wilks (Skoda) to fight to keep their cars on the road in the treacherous conditions.

Day 1 of Rally Scotland – dubbed the ‘Battle of the Brits’ – didn’t disappoint. Ardent fans kitted out in waterproofs had their dedication rewarded as Kris and Guy thrillingly swapped stage wins all day.

However, it was Kris’s blistering night-time performance in his Peugeot 207 S2000 on the final 17km Craigvinean stage that saw him come flying in 15 seconds faster than Guy to take a 21.2-second lead at the overnight halt.

“It was very difficult because the lights were set too low and I couldn’t see in the distance,” Kris said. “But I had a good push and it looked pretty good. It’s so difficult in the dark but the atmosphere is incredible and the spectators have been brilliant.”

The six stages of Day 2 remain.

“That monster of a stage at the end is going to be a challenge,” said Kris. “You have to be very careful; it is very slippery in places and there are some big rocks out there. We need to treat it with respect.”

The final day of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge action for the 2009 season continues…

Rally of Scotland: Day 1 Standings

	Driver	Car	Time
1	Kris Meeke (GB)	Peugeot	56 minutes 35.3 seconds
2	Guy Wilks (GB)	Skoda	+21.2s
3	Alastair McRae (GB)	Proton	+1m 18.2s
4	Jonny Greer (GB)	Ralliart	+3m 49.1s
5	David Bogie (GB)	Ralliart	+3m 54.2s

You can also follow the Peugeot UK team on Twitter and watch our vidcasts with Kris and Paul.

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Kris wins day 1 Battle of the Brits

Kris wins day 1 battle of the Brits