Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Kris Meeke would be a worthy winner of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge according to Nicolas Vouilloz, the reigning IRC title-holder.

Meeke moved to the top of the drivers' standings following his second victory of the season on Sata Rally Azores last week.

Vouilloz, who could do no better than third in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 run by the same Kronos Racing team responsible for preparing Meeke's similar car, said he had been impressed by his team-mate's performance on the island rally.

Photos: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Kronos driver Vouilloz said:

We knew from Brazil that Kris can be quick. In the Azores I had no answer to his pace. If he keeps on driving like this then he definitely deserves to win the championship.

Vouilloz has yet to register a win in the IRC series this year but his podium finish in the Azores has propelled him to third in the championship battle behind Meeke and fellow Kronos driver Freddy Loix, whom he beat to the title in 2008.

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Meanwhile, Meeke, who will have a two day asphalt test before Ypres, said it was too early for him to be thinking about winning the championship:

There are still many more rallies left and I know people like Freddy and Nicolas will be very hard to beat on the tarmac rounds.

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Similar Posts:

• Ypres Rally 09: Meeke fastest on SS11 to further reduce gap with Loix – Vouilloz out on SS8
• Meeke: IRC is where I want to be next year
• Rally Brazil standings after SS10: Meeke suffers brake problems as Vouilloz wins stage

About the Author

Scott Coursey is the editor-in-chief of RallyBuzz.com and can be found on Twitter or on Facebook