Meeke: We are working hard to do Rally Ireland.

by Rob Wilkins

Kris Meeke has confirmed that he is doing everything he can to take in the inaugural Rally Ireland in November, the penultimate round in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship.

Meeke, who competed in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship with the Citroen C2 Super 1600 in 2005 and 2006 and who has been doing odd events in the Irish Tarmac Championship this season, added that while nothing is yet confirmed it is definitely a possibility.

Indeed Kris' chances were boosted by his dominant win on the Ulster International Rally recently, when he convincingly beat triple Irish tarmac champion, Eugene Donnelly. It was only his fourth outing in a WRC car - and his third on asphalt.

"Obviously it is fantastic for the WRC to be coming to Ireland at the end of the year and myself I have been doing events this year in the Irish Tarmac Championship and it has obviously raised my profile within my home country. Everyone is keen to see me out on Rally Ireland," Meeke told Crash.net Radio.

"We are trying our best at the moment to make sure we are there and all I can say is that we are working very, very hard behind the scenes to put the right package in place and get out there.

"There is nothing I would like to do more than go out in front of my home supporters and compete at world level against the cream of the drivers' in the world. We will see. I am hopeful and fingers crossed we will be there."

Pressed on if he will use a Subaru Impreza WRC car, like he has been using in the Irish Tarmac Championship, Kris added that is probably the mostly likely choice.

"I have to say at the moment it is looking like a Subaru," he continued. "We have been competing this year with a Subaru in the Irish Tarmac Championship and its looking likely it will carry through to a Subaru again, but nothing is finalised at the moment."

As for his plans for 2008, Kris noted while he wants to compete in the WRC, it is all dependent on money as he wants to do a proper programme.

"I have people working on my behalf trying to secure budgets [for 2008]. It is purely down to if we can get a budget together to do a sustained programme at world championship level," he explained.

"Doing one or two events in a season is not going to be beneficial to anybody. We need a sustained programme and as everyone knows that costs money.

"It is purely down to if we can secure the money and all we can do is work hard and try and get it. If it comes it comes and if it doesn't... well we can only try. We will have to see what happens.

"I am working hard in the background and fingers crossed we can sort something," he concluded.

TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH KRIS MEEKE: CLICK HERE