Over the nine-stage contest, the Northern Irishman was in a class of his own, clocking the fastest time on each special stage. He clinched the overall victory by nearly a minute over Portugal’s veteran driver Armindo Araujo.
The battle for second place was tighter, with Araujo edging out Ricardo Teodosio by a mere 2.4 seconds.
Meeke competes in the Portuguese rally series with support from Hyundai Portugal.
“The car was perfect all weekend. I wouldn’t say the rally was easy, they never are. I had fun behind the wheel, and when you’re enjoying it, the pace comes naturally. You don’t have to try for anything extraordinary,” Meeke commented on the Portugal Autosport website.
Such was the dominance of Meeke and co-driver James Fulton that the duo even had time to wave at the fans during the competition.
Meeke and Fulton also triumphed in the season-opening Rally Serras de Fafe Rally in February. Although there are still six rounds left this season, Meeke has demonstrated that the national championship should be an easy feat for him.
However, the championship might remain an elusive dream for the five-time WRC event winner. The issue came up last year when the late Craig Breen entered the Portuguese rally series. The Portuguese Automobile and Karting Federation (FPAK) then took the matter under closer examination, revealing that foreign athletes cannot win the championship in an individual sport like car racing in Portugal.
The current ruling, however, is against the constitution as it contradicts the European Union’s treaties on sports and the free movement of people. Processing this issue in the Portuguese parliament could, nonetheless, take time.
Rallye Casinos do Algarve, results:
1. Kris Meeke Hyundai 1:02:32.2 2. Armindo Araujo Skoda +55.6 3. Ricardo Teodosio Hyundai +58.0 4. Ernesto Cunha Skoda +2:47.7 5. Rui Madeira Ford +3:06.0 6. Lucas Simoes Ford +3:33.5
