Kris Meeke is out of the Dakar Rally after sustaining roll cage damage to his G Rally team-run buggy.
After being involved in a scary incident with the Mini of Krzysztof Hołowczyc on Thursday, the Northern Irishman was initially able to continue on in 48 “chrono” stage, after receiving a tow out of the sand from a truck class competitor.
But having reached the end of the 471 mile test, the roll cage was found to have sustained too much damage from the Hołowczyc incident to safely continue, forcing the challenger class competitor’s retirement at the halfway point of the event.
Meeke said: “Our Dakar Rally journey ends. We completed SS6, but after inspection the roll cage is damaged from the incident with the Mini.
“[Its] not the way we wanted to go. But in Dakar you can take nothing for granted.”
“[I’ve made] a lifetime of memories in only one week. We will be back.”
