Everyone was looking forward to seeing Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco at the Ardeca Ypres Rally but he was forced to withdraw for medical reasons. Not wanting to let their fans down, the Jobfixers Rally Team sought a solution. In consultation with the organisers, they opted for a world-class driver. None other than 5-time WRC winner and fan favourite, Kris Meeke will be driving the Jobfixers 992 Rally GT in Ypres!
“First of all, let me say that I owe this opportunity entirely to Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco and the Jobfixers Team,” says Kris Meeke. “He has had to withdraw following an unfortunate fall. I am thrilled that they are giving me the chance to drive the Porsche 992 Rally GT. I have never driven a rally in a Porsche, but it has long been on my bucket list, especially after seeing the results achieved last year by drivers like Dani Sordo with the 992 in Ypres. In fact, within an hour of finalising the deal with Jobfixers, I called Dani. He is going to send me onboard footage from last year and has already given me a few tips, as I am convinced that driving that machine in Ypres will be a huge challenge!”
Meeke, naturally, holds fond memories of the Ypres Rally. “I remember my first time competing there, in 2009 with the Peugeot 207 Super2000, alongside Paul Nagle. We won the event, no small feat for a debut in Ypres. I had been testing with my teammate Freddy Loix, and before lunch, I wasn’t even close to his times. After lunch, I got to ride along with Freddy for a run. That was a mistake on his part, because later that day, I clocked faster times than Freddy,” laughed Kris, who would go on to fight many more heroic battles against ‘Fast Freddy’ in Ypres, though he never managed to win again. His last appearance was in 2013, when he debuted the Peugeot 208 T16 as the course-opening car.
Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco is certainly enthusiastic after choosing Meeke. “We hope the fans appreciate our decision to field the Jobfixers Porsche with a top international driver. After a few days of rest, I’ll have recovered from the concussion I sustained in a cycling accident, but the doctors have made it clear that I absolutely cannot risk any further impacts in the coming weeks. I am confident that the Jobfixers colours are in good hands with Kris Meeke,” Cracco concluded. Despite not being in the car Cracco plans to be in Ypres to cheer on his replacement.
