Meeke to stand in for Button at three Nitro Rallycross rounds

Former Citroen and Toyota driver Meeke, who has been on testing duty for Skoda’s WRC2 efforts this year, will contest the British, Swedish and Saudi Arabian rounds of the 2022 Nitro Rallycross campaign while Button is unable to compete due to prior contractual commitments.

Meeke will fill-in for Button at the opening two rounds of the Nitro Rallycross season in Britain and Sweden, before the 2009 F1 world champion starts his campaign at the Finnish round on 27-28 August. Meeke’s final outing in Saudi Arabia will take place on the 10-11 December.

Meeke will join up with Xite Energy Racing team boss and driver Oli Bennett for the trio of rounds after testing the electric Nitro RX’s FC1-X car in Barcelona earlier this year.

It will mark the first time Meeke has competed in electric machinery, following his background in WRC and the Dakar Rally.

“When Oli contacted me, I was really interested in every aspect: the team, the car and the championship,” said Meeke, who will make his debut at Lydden Hill on 18-19 June.

“When I tried the car, OK the conditions weren’t perfect and it was very wet, but you could immediately see the huge potential not only with the car, but with the whole series that Nitro Rallycross is creating.

“Rallycross is a category of motorsport that suits electrification perfectly: it’s short, sharp racing with an incredible amount of power available instantaneously.

“If it’s managed well, this can certainly be a bright future.”

Kris Meeke, Xite Energy Racing

Photo by: Xite Racing

Meeke concedes his experience of wheel-to-wheel racing is set to be his biggest hurdle, with his only representative experience a sole European Rallycross outing in an Albatec Peugeot at Loheac 2013, but he is relishing the opportunity.

“All motorsport has a steering wheel and a set of pedals,” he said.

“Rallycross is probably the most similar to rallying – albeit with more cars around you. Racecraft is a big thing which I openly admit I don’t have much of.

“I have a lot to learn, but hopefully I can bring something to the party in terms of helping the guys with the set-up of the car.

“For sure, over one lap on my own I can be fast but it’s about engineering a result with cars around you.

“I’m excited, it’s something new to me. Rallycross is something I’ve always been intrigued by and any machine that puts out the equivalent of 1000 horsepower.

“If that doesn’t get your juices flowing then I don’t know what does.”