Date: 2026-04-12

Meeke Masters Avoca in Thrilling TDC Autosolo Victory

Richard Meeke emerged triumphant at the TDC Avoca Multi-Venue Autosolo, maintaining his composure across five challenging tests to claim overall victory with a commanding performance in his Toyota Starlet.

The event, which featured 27 competitors across three classes, delivered close competition throughout the field, with Meeke’s final time of 1430.5 seconds proving just enough to hold off a determined Christopher Evans in his Toyota MRS by a mere 9.9 seconds.

Meeke established his credentials early, setting the fastest time on the opening test with 232.0 seconds, building a lead he would maintain throughout the day despite intense pressure from Evans, who briefly took the overall lead after the third test by less than a second.

The battle for third place was equally fierce, with Anthony Freeney’s Toyota MRS securing the final podium position with 1449.9 seconds, narrowly ahead of Piers MacFheorais in his Toyota MR2, who finished just 13.5 seconds behind.

In Class 1, Meeke’s dominance was clear from the outset, with Philip O’Reilly claiming second place in his Toyota Starlet, 45.4 seconds adrift. Dermot Hade completed the class podium, a further 15.3 seconds behind.

Class 2 provided the day’s closest finish, with John Nolan’s Toyota Starlet edging Brian Kingston’s Suzuki Ignis Sport by just 3.4 seconds after a day-long duel. Eamonn Byrne rounded out the top three in his Toyota Yaris, only 10.5 seconds behind Kingston.

The Class 3 battle mirrored the overall standings, with Christopher Evans taking class honours in his Toyota MRS, followed by Anthony Freeney in an identical car. Piers MacFheorais completed the class podium in his Toyota MR2.

Notable performances came from Garrett Kennedy, who piloted his Mazda MX5 to ninth overall, while the MacWilliam family showed impressive consistency with Craig and Guy finishing 15th and 21st respectively in their shared Toyota MR2.

The event highlighted the popularity of Toyota machinery, with Starlets dominating the entry list, while the challenging course design ensured that driver skill remained the decisive factor throughout all five tests.

Overall Results

Overall Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Richard Meeke	Toyota Starlet	1430.5
2	Christopher Evans	Toyota MRS	1440.4
3	Anthony Freeney	Toyota MRS	1449.9
4	Piers MacFheorais	Toyota MR2	1463.4
5	John Nolan	Toyota Starlet	1465.3
6	Brian Kingston	Suzuki Ignis Sport	1468.7
7	Philip O’Reilly	Toyota Starlet	1475.9
8	Eamonn Byrne	Toyota Yaris	1479.2
9	Garrett Kennedy	Mazda Mx5	1488.5
10	Dermot Hade	Toyota Starlet	1491.2
11	Alex Lyons	Toyota Starlet	1507.5
12	Graeme Hade	Toyota Starlet	1509.3
13	Eric O’Sullivan	Ford Puma	1532.1
14	Paul Tierney	Toyota Starlet	1561.8
15	Craig Macwilliam	Toyota MR2	1573.0
16	Frank Lenehan	Toyota Starlet	1579.8
17	Conor Clarke	Toyota Starlet	1581.1
18	Brian Casey	Suzuki Ignis Sport	1595.2
19	Eric Conlon	Toyota Starlet	1596.7
20	Eamon Horan	Toyota Starlet	1612.0
21	Guy Macwilliam	Toyota MR2	1639.5
22	Sean Downey	Toyota Starlet	1674.8
23	Jack Quinn	Mazda MX5	1747.6
24	David Meeke	Toyota Starlet	1836.1
25	Ronan Hussey	MGB	2000.0
26	James Mansfield	Mazda MX5	2016.1
27	Kyle Pepper	Toyota Starlet	2024.4

Class 1 Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Richard Meeke	Toyota Starlet	1430.5
2	Philip O’Reilly	Toyota Starlet	1475.9
3	Dermot Hade	Toyota Starlet	1491.2
4	Alex Lyons	Toyota Starlet	1507.5
5	Graeme Hade	Toyota Starlet	1509.3
6	Eric O’Sullivan	Ford Puma	1532.1
7	Paul Tierney	Toyota Starlet	1561.8
8	Conor Clarke	Toyota Starlet	1581.1
9	Eric Conlon	Toyota Starlet	1596.7
10	Eamon Horan	Toyota Starlet	1612.0
11	Sean Downey	Toyota Starlet	1674.8
12	David Meeke	Toyota Starlet	1836.1
13	Ronan Hussey	MGB	2000.0
14	Kyle Pepper	Toyota Starlet	2024.4

Class 2 Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	John Nolan	Toyota Starlet	1465.3
2	Brian Kingston	Suzuki Ignis Sport	1468.7
3	Eamonn Byrne	Toyota Yaris	1479.2
4	Frank Lenehan	Toyota Starlet	1579.8
5	Brian Casey	Suzuki Ignis Sport	1595.2

Class 3 Results

Class Position	Competitor Name	Car	Time
1	Christopher Evans	Toyota MRS	1440.4
2	Anthony Freeney	Toyota MRS	1449.9
3	Piers MacFheorais	Toyota MR2	1463.4
4	Garrett Kennedy	Mazda Mx5	1488.5
5	Craig Macwilliam	Toyota MR2	1573.0
6	Guy Macwilliam	Toyota MR2	1639.5
7	Jack Quinn	Mazda MX5	1747.6
8	James Mansfield	Mazda MX5	2016.1