Multiple WRC rally winner Kris Meeke has won the 2026 Otago Classic Rally held over the weekend. Making his third Otago appearance, the Northern Irish star once again piloted the famous Rossendale Ford Escort Mk2 to victory ahead of Deane Buist (Ford Escort RS1800) and Derek Ayson (Opel Manta 400).
“I feel very privileged to be invited back for a third time,” commented Meeke. “Their (Otago Rally) 50th anniversary is something very special.
“To come to the far side of the world to such a special event. I just love it. It is the roads, the environment. Everything here seems just a little bit more chilled and relaxed.
“Stuart (Loudon) (co-driver) just said to me coming into the service park, ‘Look at this roadside service the way it used to be’. This is what I grew up around, not these big corporate structures you have in a championship.”
Meeke won 15 of the 16 Special Stages held over the two-day event with Buist winning SS11 (Table Hill).
“It’s the one unique thing with this rally,” said Meeke. “You are blessed with not only the best topography of roads but the amount of them. There are 16 stages in this rally, 15 of them gravel and they are all new, no repeat of stages so you need to be on your guard. It is a privilege.”
Otago Classic Rally Results (Top 10)
(Position, Driver 1/Driver 2, Car)
1/ Kris Meeke/Stuart Loudon, Ford Escort RS1800
2/ Deane Buist/Karl Celeste, Ford Escort RS1800
3/ Derek Ayson/Catriona Kelly, Opel Manta 400
4/ Ben Harding/Charlotte Harding, Mazda RX7
5/ Stewart Reid/Shane Reynolds, Ford Escort RS1800
6/ Brent Taylor/Dave Neill, Ford Escort RS1800
7/ Paul Cross/Janey Blair, Toyota Corolla AE86
8/ Jamie Luff/Brad Luff, Ford Escort
9/ Glenn Brinkman/Kaylie Newell, Datsun Bluebird
10/ Ally Mackay/Mikko Johnston, Ford Escort Mk 1
Comments