The narrow stone wall-lined stages of the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores saw Peugeot UK’s Kris Meeke secure his second IRC victory in 2009. This week, Kris and co-driver Paul Nagle will return to the island to try and secure a repeat of last year’s triumph.
Sao Miguel is the largest of the nine islands which make up the Atlantic archipelago and is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 930 miles (1,500km) south of Lisbon and 2,422 miles (3,900km) from the east coast of North America.
This year, the stages are largely unaltered from those Kris and Paul dominated last year and, like in Brazil, the experience gained from winning last year’s event will be an added bonus for the Peugeot UK crew.
The stages on the island are, however, very challenging as some of the gravel stages are interspersed with short tarmac sections providing reduced grip, when the cars are fitted with gravel specification tyres. As Kris was victorious in last year’s rally, he will start the first three opening stages on Thursday as the first car into the stages. The order for the second day will be decided by the rally finishing order after day one.
'Last year, I had to get out an atlas to find out where the Azores actually were' – Kris Meeke
Last year, Kris and Paul had to contend with exceptionally heavy rainfall which lead to the cancellation of the final stage. This, however, did not slow down the dynamic duo who set 10 fastest stage times on the 17 run stages.
"Last year, I had to get out an atlas to find out where the Azores actually were," said Kris. "What I discovered was a magnificent island situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery was stunning and its gravel tracks were ideal for rallying."
The 2010 rally will be contested over a total of 19 stages (17 stages in 2009) with a total distance of 140 miles (226km), including the fantastic Sete Cidades stage around the rim of an extinct volcano in the west of the island.
"The most spectacular stage takes you along the rim of a volcano," adds the Ulsterman. "The surface tends to be covered with a thin top-coating of particularly slippery lava dust, and the roads are generally narrow, but also very fast. There are few well-defined, tight turns. The roads wind their way past farms and fields and are often lined by inhospitable stone walls. The slightest mistake can put you out."
Kris’s mentor, the late Colin McRae, will also play a part in the remaining IRC season as the Sata Rallye Azores will see the first running of the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy. This will be awarded to the driver who produces the most spectacular performance in the spirit of the rally legend, who lost his life in a helicopter accident in 2007.
The winner of the award will be selected by a panel of judges made up of Colin’s father Jimmy McRae, IRC Motorsport Development manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas and a representative from Eurosport, Gilbert Roy. The trophy is part of the new partnership between the IRC and the Colin McRae Vision, an organisation which aims to improve the health and education for children around the world.
Currently in fifth position in the drivers’ standings, Kris will be keen to repeat last year’s success. A win in the Azores would be a big step towards retaining his driver’s title.
The rally begins on Thursday, July 15 and finishes on Sunday, July 17. For more on Kris Meeke click here.
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