Colin McRae’s death in a helicopter crash on 15th September, 2007, robbed motor racing of one of its most colourful personalities. Throughout a World Rally Championship career which saw McRae become the first Briton to win the title, he established a reputation as the most spectacular driver in the series.
Early Success and a Drive with Subaru
McRae, born on 5th August, 1968, came from good rallying stock. His father Jimmy was a multiple winner of the British Rally Championship and his younger brother Alistair would also go on to a successful career in the sport. After dabbling with motorbikes (he won scrambling and trials championships) McRae decided on rallying as his chosen discipline. In 1986 he entered the Scottish Rally Championship, driving a Talbot.
Just a year later and McRae made his debut at World Championship level, driving a Vauxhall Nova in the Swedish round. He returned to the same rally in 1989, finishing 15th in a Sierra. At that year’s New Zealand Rally he made people take notice with an excellent fifth place finish.
David Richards, the Prodrive supremo, recognised McRae’s raw talent and, for 1991, signed the Scot to drive a Subaru in the British Rally Championship. McRae repaid Richards’ faith in him by winning the title, and repeated the feat in 1992.
For 1993 Prodrive and McRae decided to enter the World Championship with the Subaru Legacy, which was soon to be replaced by the Impreza. Despite its age, McRae managed to score both his first World Championship victory and the first for the Subaru World Rally team in New Zealand.
World Rally Champion in the Impreza
McRae’s greatest season came in 1995, when he won the World Rally Championship after a season-long battle with his Subaru team-mate, the experienced Spaniard Carlos Sainz. In both 1996 and 1997 he had to settle for second in the title chase behind Finalnd’s Tommi Makinen, although he did help Subaru to win the Manufacturer’s title in both years. 1998 was McRae’s last with Subaru and he ended his association with the Japanese firm by scoring three wins during the season.
A Move to Ford, the Paris-Dakar and Le Mans
A Ford Focus was McRae’s new mount for the 1999 season, and the combination gelled quickly, scoring consecutive victories on the Safari Rally and in Portugal. Throughout the rest of the season crashes and unreliability meant McRae could only finish sixth in the championship. Throughout his career McRae had a reputation as an extremely committed driver, who tended to either win or crash. His no holds barred style made him a firm favourite with rally fans the world over. There were several serious accidents, including a life-threatening one in Corsica, but they didn't slow him down.
McRae also managed two wins in 2000, finishing the year fourth overall. In 2001 he looked set for his second world title, but crashed out on the final event, Rally GB, handing the World Championship to Subaru’s Richard Burns.
By 2003, McRae was a Citroen driver, once again partnered with Sainz and an exciting young French talent, Sebastien Loeb. On the trio’s debut in Monaco they finished 1-2-3, with McRae second. It was to be his best result in a frustrating season and, at the end of it, McRae was dropped from the team.
During 2004 McRae tried some alternative forms of racing. He drove a Nissan in the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally, scoring two stage wins. He also competed at Le Mans in a Prodrive entered Ferrari, helping the car to ninth overall. A return to the Paris-Dakar in 2005 brought more stage wins before a terminal accident.
McRae made a couple of appearances for Skoda on the World Rally Championship in 2005. The following year he also subbed for an injured Loeb, driving a Citroen in Turkey. It was to be his final appearance on the world stage.
McRae's 2007 Helicopter Accident and Tributes from his Peers
At the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed McRae unveiled his own car, the McRae R4. Designed as a multiple use racing vehicle, available in both two and four-wheel drive configurations, McRae had high hopes for it. Sadly, he did no have the chance to promote it much further before the helicopter crash near his Lanarkshire which claimed his life. McRae’s five year old son Johnny, his six-year old friend Ben Porcelli and McRae’s friend Graeme Duncan also died in the accident.
Following his death tributes were forthcoming from all areas of motor sport. Among those offering there condolences were McRae’s good friend David Coulthard and the MotoGP star Valentino Rossi, a big fan of the Scottish driver. Rossi dedicated his Portugese MotoGP victory to McRae and was quoted in the Daily Record newspaper speaking about a man he admired very much;
"Colin McRae was very important to me. He was one of my great idols when I was young... He gave me a lot of passion for that sport - always a great show, sometimes some mistakes, but always very fast."
Within the space of two years Britain had lost both of its Rally World Champions. McRae's death followed that of his friend and rival Richard Burns from a brain tumour in 2005. McRae left behind his wife Alison and young daughter Hollie.
 |
 |
 |
