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Colin McRae

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Colin McRae



 
 
Colin Steele McRae, MBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 rally
Rallying

Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars....
 driver born in Lanark
Lanark

Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland.Lanark was the county town of the former county of Lanarkshire....
.

The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae
Jimmy McRae

Jimmy McRae is a Scotland rallying driver. He is the father of World Rally Championship drivers Alister McRae, and the late 1995 World Rally Championship season List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions Colin McRae....
 and brother of rally driver Alister McRae
Alister McRae

Alister McRae is a Scotland rallying driver, who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Championship Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Championship season List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions, Colin McRae....
, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion
British Rally Championship

The MSA British Rally Championship is a calendar year rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It consists of six rounds throughout the British Isles....
 and, in 1995, became the first Briton
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 to win the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer....
 Drivers' title
List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series administrated by F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile , motorsport's world governing body. The series currently consists of 15 three-day events driven on surfaces that range from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice....
.

McRae's Subaru
Subaru World Rally Team

The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a British American Tobacco cigarette brand popular in Asia....
 won the World Rally Championship Constructors' title
List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions

List of World Rally Championship Constructors' or Manufacturers' Champions from World Rally Championship 1973 results to World Rally Championship 2007 results seasons....
 three times in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997. After a four year spell with the Ford World Rallye Sport team, which saw McRae win nine events, he moved to Citroën World Rally Team in 2003 where, despite not winning an event, he helped them win the first of their three consecutive manufacturers' titles.






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Encyclopedia


Colin Steele McRae, MBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 rally
Rallying

Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars....
 driver born in Lanark
Lanark

Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland.Lanark was the county town of the former county of Lanarkshire....
.

The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae
Jimmy McRae

Jimmy McRae is a Scotland rallying driver. He is the father of World Rally Championship drivers Alister McRae, and the late 1995 World Rally Championship season List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions Colin McRae....
 and brother of rally driver Alister McRae
Alister McRae

Alister McRae is a Scotland rallying driver, who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Championship Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Championship season List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions, Colin McRae....
, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion
British Rally Championship

The MSA British Rally Championship is a calendar year rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It consists of six rounds throughout the British Isles....
 and, in 1995, became the first Briton
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 to win the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer....
 Drivers' title
List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series administrated by F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile , motorsport's world governing body. The series currently consists of 15 three-day events driven on surfaces that range from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice....
.

McRae's Subaru
Subaru World Rally Team

The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a British American Tobacco cigarette brand popular in Asia....
 won the World Rally Championship Constructors' title
List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions

List of World Rally Championship Constructors' or Manufacturers' Champions from World Rally Championship 1973 results to World Rally Championship 2007 results seasons....
 three times in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997. After a four year spell with the Ford World Rallye Sport team, which saw McRae win nine events, he moved to Citroën World Rally Team in 2003 where, despite not winning an event, he helped them win the first of their three consecutive manufacturers' titles. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 for services to motorsport in 1996. McRae died in a helicopter accident in September 2007 which also claimed the life of his son as well as two family friends.

In November 2008 he was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame

The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame in Scotland, initiated on St Andrew's Day , 2001. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and the National Museums of Scotland....
.

Personal and early life

McRae was married to Alison, and had two children, Hollie and Johnny. McRae moved to the principality of Monaco
Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe . The territory lies on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea....
 in 1995, partly through his friendship with David Coulthard
David Coulthard

David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, is a United Kingdom former Formula One racing driver. By virtue of a long career he has amassed a notable points haul, and lies fifth on the List of Formula One driver records#Career points, being the top United Kingdom scorer....
. However, as his young family grew up, he spent more time back at his home in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire , officially the County of Lanark, was formerly a Counties of Scotland of Scotland.It was bounded to the north by Stirlingshire and a detached portion of Dunbartonshire, to the northeast by Stirlingshire, West Lothian, to the east by Peeblesshire, to the southeast and south by Dumfriesshire, to the southwest by Dumfriesshi...
 - accepting the higher tax liability of living in Scotland. The couple bought the 17th century Jerviswood House.

Career


Early career

Colin McRae began his competitive career in motorsport riding trial bikes at an early age, although the Scot was more interested in four wheeled machines rather than two wheel bikes. At the age of sixteen, through the Coltness
Coltness

Coltness is the largest suburb of the town of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The 2001 census indicated a population of almost 4,500.Lying to the north east of the town centre, Coltness is an area of mainly local authority built housing, divided into the two distinct areas of East and West Coltness....
 Car Club, McRae discovered autotesting, he soon traded his bike for a Mini Cooper and started competing. A year later, however, he began to negotiate with another club member to use his Hillman Avenger
Hillman Avenger

The Hillman Avenger was a rear-wheel drive Small family car originally manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes between 1970 and 1976, and made by Chrysler Europe from 1976 to 1981 as the Chrysler Avenger and finally the Talbot Avenger....
 for the Kames
Kames

Kames can be:* Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish philosopher* Abdesalam Kames, Libyan footballer* Kames, East Ayrshire, Scotland* Kames, Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
 Stages, a single–staged rally venue not far from McRae's home, the Scot finished the event fourteenth; first in his class although he had run most of the event in a higher position.

In 1986, driving a Talbot Sunbeam, McRae entered the Scottish Rally Championship
Scottish Rally Championship

The Scottish Rally Championship is a series of Rallying run throughout Scotland over the course of a year which takes in 7 gravel rallies & 1 tarmac event which take in some breathtaking rally action and some of the best of Scotland's scenery....
 and soon made a name for himself with his speed and exciting style of driving. His driving style drew many comparisons to Finnish
Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
 ex-World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen
Ari Vatanen

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finland rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....
, who McRae had always idolised. In 1988 he performed a giant killing act when he took the Scottish Rally Championship series crown in a humble Vauxhall Nova. Craving more power, his next car was a Ford Sierra XR 4x4
Ford Sierra

The Ford Sierra is a large family car built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Qu?ment....
.

His first WRC event was the 1987 Swedish Rally
Swedish Rally

The Uddeholm Swedish Rally , formerly the Swedish Rally, is an automobile rallying competition held in V?rmland, Sweden in early February....
 behind the wheel of his Nova, and again two years later, driving the Sierra and finishing 15th overall. Later that year, he finished 5th overall at Rally New Zealand
Rally New Zealand

The Rally of New Zealand is the oldest World Rally Championship event to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969 and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, New Zealand before moving back to the North Island, New Zealand in 1971....
 in a rear wheel drive Sierra Cosworth. By 1990 McRae was driving a Sierra Cosworth 4x4 and achieved sixth place in that year's RAC Rally, despite several accidents. 1991 saw McRae turn professional as he was signed by Prodrive
Prodrive

Prodrive Ltd. is a motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races automobile for companies and teams such as Subaru and Aston Martin....
 boss David Richards
David Richards

David Richards may refer to:* David Richards , chairman of Prodrive and Aston Martin, former team principal of the BAR and Benetton F1 motor racing teams...
 to his Subaru
Subaru

is the automaker division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of flat engine in most of their vehicles....
 team in the British Rally Championship
British Rally Championship

The MSA British Rally Championship is a calendar year rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It consists of six rounds throughout the British Isles....
 for an annual wage of approximately £10,000. McRae was British Rally Champion in both 1991 and 1992, soon graduating to the Subaru factory team at World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer....
 level. 1992 also saw Colin McRae make his début in the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship

The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s and...
, with a one-off appearance for the Prodrive-run BMW factory team at the Knockhill round. In the last of the three races of the event, McRae collided with Matt Neal
Matt Neal

Matt Neal is a United Kingdom motor racing driver. He won the British Touring Car Championship in 2005 and 2006. He has also won a European Touring Car Championship race....
. Race officials found McRae to have caused an avoidable collision and subsequently disqualified him.

World Rally Championship


1993-1998: Subaru
On his promotion for 1993, McRae initially drove the Prodrive
Prodrive

Prodrive Ltd. is a motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races automobile for companies and teams such as Subaru and Aston Martin....
-built Group A
Group A

In relation to motorsport governed by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition....
 Subaru Legacy
Subaru Legacy

The Legacy is a mid-size car introduced by the Japanese automaker Subaru in February 1989 as a larger companion to the company's Subaru Leone/Subaru Loyale....
 alongside Finns
Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
 Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola
Hannu Mikkola

Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rallying driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times....
 and Markku Alén
Markku Alén

Markku Allan Al?n is a Finland former Rallying and race car driver. He drove for Fiat, Lancia, Subaru World Rally Team and Toyota Team Europe in the World Rally Championship, and still holds the List of World Rally Championship records for most stage wins in the series....
. McRae then won his first WRC rally in the car at that year's Rally New Zealand
Rally New Zealand

The Rally of New Zealand is the oldest World Rally Championship event to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. Rally New Zealand was first held in Taupo in 1969 and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, New Zealand before moving back to the North Island, New Zealand in 1971....
. It was also the first rally win for the newly formed Subaru World Rally Team, shortly before the Legacy was due to be pensioned off in favour of the new Subaru Impreza 555
Subaru Impreza

The Subaru Impreza is a compact car that was first introduced by Subaru in 1993."Impreza" is a coined word, deriving from an originally Italian language word, impresa, meaning a feat or achievement....
. Such were the rising fortunes of his young Subaru factory team as they competed against the frontrunning TTE ran Toyotas, aided by the latter team's exclusion from the championship after the 1995 Rally Catalunya
Rally Catalunya

The Rally Catalunya is a Rallying competition on the World Rally Championship schedule. Now held on the wide, smooth and sweeping asphalt roads around the town of Salou, Catalonia, Spain, it was previously held around the region of Costa Brava....
 where it was discovered that the Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese team had been using illegal turbocharger
Turbocharger

A turbocharger, or turbo, is a gas compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine. Like a supercharger, the purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the mass of air entering the engine to create more power....
s, it took only until 1995 for McRae to win the drivers title, which he secured with victory in a straight contest with his double champion team-mate, Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spain Rallying driver. He won the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions with Toyota Team Europe in 1990 World Rally Championship season and 1992 World Rally Championship season, and finished runner-up four times....
, on the season-ending Rally of Great Britain. Although still a winner with the outfit in individual rallies in succeeding years, including, increasingly, more specialised events such as the Acropolis Rally, Safari Rally
Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest Rally racing. It was first held from May 27 to June 1, 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as a celebration of the coronation of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
 and the Tour de Corse
Tour de Corse

The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rallying first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It has been part of the World Rally Championship schedule since the inaugural 1973 World Rally Championship season....
, McRae could not better second place in the standings in either 1996 or 1997, on both occasions behind Finland and Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi

The , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese Conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy....
 Ralliart's Tommi Mäkinen
Tommi Mäkinen

"Turbo" Tommi Antero M?kinen He is a four-time World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996 World Rally Championship season, 1997 World Rally Championship season, 1998 World Rally Championship season and 1999 World Rally Cham...
. He did, however help Subaru complete their run of three consecutive manufacturers' titles during this time. In what would turn out to be his final season with the team, in 1998 he won three more rallies and placed third in the standings, as well as winning the Race of Champions
Race of Champions

The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best auto racing and Rallying drivers....
 in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is an island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean 210 km from the northwest coast of Africa. It is located southeast of Tenerife and west of Fuerteventura....
, the Canary Islands
Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a Spain archipelago which, in turn, forms one of the Spanish Autonomous Communities and an Outermost Region of the European Union....
.

1999-2002: Ford
After several years of varying success, McRae switched to the M-Sport Ford team for 1999, driving the new Ford Focus rally car
Ford Focus WRC

The Ford Focus Template:Ford_RS_series WRC is a car built for the BP Ford World Rally Team by Malcolm Wilson 's M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2 litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship....
. The deal saw McRae earning six million pounds over two years, which at the time made him the highest earning rally driver in history. This move was immediately rewarded with two consecutive wins at the Safari Rally
Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest Rally racing. It was first held from May 27 to June 1, 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as a celebration of the coronation of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
 and Rally Portugal. A number of shunts and unreliability issues for the new car for much of the rest of that season, however, resulted in only sixth place in the championship standings overall. Moreover, a rare personal pointless run had begun for McRae that year which was only to be halted with a podium on the following February's Swedish Rally
Swedish Rally

The Uddeholm Swedish Rally , formerly the Swedish Rally, is an automobile rallying competition held in V?rmland, Sweden in early February....
, the beginning of a recovery which saw McRae victorious in on the asphalt turns of Catalunya and the gravel of Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
, and post 4th in the 2000 overall standings. Midway through the 2000 season, the unreliability of the Focus had led to McRae threatening to leave the team if the problems continued. The upturn towards the end of the season resulted in him deciding to renew his contract with Ford for a further two years. McRae's intermittent success with Ford continued into 2001, where after failing to score in any of the first four rounds, including having momentarily led defending winner Tommi Makinen on the stages of the season opening Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally

The Monte Carlo Rally is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco who also organizes the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique....
 prior to being forced into retirement, he then went on to score three consecutive victories in Argentina
Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
, Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
 and Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 to tie with Mäkinen at the top of the points table. However, having again led the championship outright entering the final round in Great Britain, McRae once more missed out on a possible second title, crashing out and finishing second in the drivers championship, two points behind Subaru
Subaru

is the automaker division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of flat engine in most of their vehicles....
's Richard Burns
Richard Burns

Richard Burns was an England Rallying driver. He was born in Reading, Berkshire, Berkshire. He was the 2001 World Rally Championship season World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 World Rally Championship season and 2000 World Rally Championship...
.

With victory in the Safari Rally
Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest Rally racing. It was first held from May 27 to June 1, 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as a celebration of the coronation of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
 in 2002, McRae made the record books
List of World Rally Championship records

The list of records in the World Rally Championship includes records and statistics set in the World Rally Championship from the 1973 World Rally Championship season opener 1973 Monte Carlo Rally, to the 2008 Rally New Zealand....
 as the driver with most event wins in the World Rally Championship. His record has since been broken by Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spain Rallying driver. He won the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions with Toyota Team Europe in 1990 World Rally Championship season and 1992 World Rally Championship season, and finished runner-up four times....
, Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb

S?bastien Loeb is a France Rallying and winner, with co-driver Daniel Elena, of the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and of a record eleven world rallies in 2008, all, save for 2006, with the Citro?n Total World Rally Team....
 and Marcus Grönholm
Marcus Grönholm

Marcus "Bosse" Gr?nholm is a former Finland rallying driver. Driving for Peugeot, he won the World Rally Championship in 2000 World Rally Championship season and 2002 World Rally Championship season....
. McRae's contract with Ford came to an end following the 2002 season, and after reportedly asking for wages of five million pounds a year, Ford decided against renewing the contract, reluctant to commit such a high amount of their budget to a drivers salary. The two parties split on amicable terms, with Ford's European director of motorsport Martin Whitaker stating "On behalf of all of us at Ford Motor Company I would like to publicly thank Colin and Nicky for their efforts during the past four years with the Ford team... I wish them both well in the future." McRae said of his time with Ford "It's been a very successful four years, we've achieved a lot of very good results and I'm quite happy that myself and Ford have had a very successful partnership."

2003: Citroën
For 2003, McRae signed for Citroën, a team of winning pedigree due to its successes of the previous year with young Frenchman Sebastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb

S?bastien Loeb is a France Rallying and winner, with co-driver Daniel Elena, of the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and of a record eleven world rallies in 2008, all, save for 2006, with the Citro?n Total World Rally Team....
 but otherwise undertaking its first complete campaign at World Rally Championship level. McRae's second place finish on his début in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is one of Monaco's various administrative areas, sometimes erroneously believed to be a town or the country's capital. The official capital is Monaco-Ville and covers all quarters of the territory....
 alongside Loeb and Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spain Rallying driver. He won the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions with Toyota Team Europe in 1990 World Rally Championship season and 1992 World Rally Championship season, and finished runner-up four times....
 whom, aboard the Xsara WRC
Citroën Xsara

The Citro?n Xsara is a small family car produced by France automaker Citro?n since 1997.Like its predecessor, the Citro?n ZX, the Xsara shared the running gear with the Peugeot 306....
, helped complete a 1-2-3 finish, transpired to be the finest result he would achieve for the team, for the season was to end with seventh in the drivers' championship, with no victories. Rule changes that were to be brought in for the 2004 season changed the previous practice of having three nominated points-scorers within a team to two. With Loeb partway through a multiple year contract, this meant the Citroën factory team, under Guy Frequelin
Guy Fréquelin

Guy Fr?quelin is a former France rallying and sports car driver.Perhaps Fr?quelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wheel of a briefly competitive Talbot Sunbeam Lotus in the driver's classification of the World Rally Championship 1981 results World Ral...
's leadership, were forced to choose between dropping McRae or Sainz. With Sainz being the more successful of the two during the 2003 season, it was McRae who had to look elsewhere for 2004. David Richards, McRae's former boss at Subaru, who had by now taken over WRC's commercial rights holders ISC and worried that the loss of a character like McRae would damage his ability to market the sport, set about trying to help McRae find a drive for 2004. McRae was unable to find a team, and for the first time in over ten years he would not be competing in the World Rally Championship.

Later career

As the only other potential alternative suitors, Subaru instead eventually chose Mikko Hirvonen
Mikko Hirvonen

Mikko Hirvonen is a Finland Rallying driver currently driving for the BP Ford World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions in both 2006 World Rally Championship season and 2007 World Rally Championship season....
 to partner Petter Solberg
Petter Solberg

Petter "Hollywood" Solberg , from Spydeberg in ?stfold, Norway, is a professional rally racing driver. He won the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions in 2003, driving for the Subaru World Rally Team....
, McRae found himself without a drive for the 2004 season. He instead pursued other interests, including competing in the Paris Dakar Rally and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a sports car racing endurance racing held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and runs on a Circuit de la Sarthe containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and dr...
(see below).

In 2004 & 2005 McRae represented Great Britain in the Race of Champions
Race of Champions

The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best auto racing and Rallying drivers....
 alongside Formula 1 driver and fellow Scot, David Coulthard
David Coulthard

David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, is a United Kingdom former Formula One racing driver. By virtue of a long career he has amassed a notable points haul, and lies fifth on the List of Formula One driver records#Career points, being the top United Kingdom scorer....
. For the 2006 event England and Scotland entered separate teams with McRae and Coulthard re-uniting to represent Scotland.

McRae then returned to the series for one off drives for Skoda on the 2005 Rally GB
Rally GB

Wales Rally GB is the largest and most high profile rallying in the United Kingdom. It is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship and Motor Sports Association British Rally Championship and is based in and around the city of Cardiff in Wales....
 and Rally Australia
Rally Australia

Rally Australia is an Rallying event which was held in and around Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia between 1988 and 2006. The next event is due to be held in New South Wales in 2009, and automobile parts supplier, Repco, have just signed on as joint sponsors of the 2009 event and Rally New Zealand....
, respectively finishing seventh and retiring due to a clutch
Clutch

A clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation, which can be engaged and disengaged. Clutches are useful in devices that have two rotating shafts....
 problem on the final leg
Leg (rallying)

In rallying, a leg is each day of the whole event. For example, as of 2005 each World Rally Championship event lasts over 3 legs - from Friday over Saturday to Sunday ....
 of the rally, the latter dashing hopes for what may otherwise have been only the team's second ever podium place after the 2001 Safari Rally
Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest Rally racing. It was first held from May 27 to June 1, 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as a celebration of the coronation of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
.

On 5 August 2006, McRae competed for Subaru in the first live televised American rally in Los Angeles as part of the X-Games. McRae rolled the car on the penultimate corner after landing awkwardly from a jump, which damaged the front bumper and left front tyre. Despite this McRae's time was only 0.13 seconds slower than eventual winner Travis Pastrana. McRae was, though, to have one more opportunity at world championship level: he was unexpectedly entered for his final rally by semi-works Kronos Citroën at Rally Turkey in September, where he replaced Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb

S?bastien Loeb is a France Rallying and winner, with co-driver Daniel Elena, of the World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and of a record eleven world rallies in 2008, all, save for 2006, with the Citro?n Total World Rally Team....
 while the Frenchman recovered from an injury he sustained in a cycling accident immediately prior to the event. A final-stage alternator problem consigned him and returning co-driver Nicky Grist
Nicky Grist

Nicky Grist is a Wales rallying co-driver. He lives in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire with his wife and children....
, to a final placing outside the top ten.

McRae’s competitive spirit also led him to compete in racing series other than the WRC
World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer....
. In September 2002 he tried his hand at oval racing when he took part in the Ascar (UK version of NASCAR
NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the largest sanctioning body of stock cars in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series....
) race at the Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham Motor Speedway

Rockingham Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit Rockingham, Northamptonshire and Corby in Northamptonshire, England. There is an unusually shaped oval racing circuit, and an infield road course....
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a landlocked Counties of England in the England East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the United Kingdom Census 2001....
; eventually finishing in sixth place. McRae rejoined Prodrive
Prodrive

Prodrive Ltd. is a motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races automobile for companies and teams such as Subaru and Aston Martin....
 for the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans
2004 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 72nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and June 13, 2004....
 where he took third place in the GTS class, and ninth position overall in a Ferrari 550
Ferrari 550

The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 550 Barchetta were 2-seat Gran Turismo sports cars built by Ferrari. Introduced in 1996, the 550 was an upmarket Front-engine design V12 engine coupe of the kind not seen since the Ferrari Daytona....
-GTS Maranello partnering Darren Turner
Darren Turner

Darren Turner is an England auto racing. He was McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 1996. He is a former test driver for the McLaren Formula One team, but has raced primarily in Touring car racing and Sports car racing since 2000....
 and Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell

Rickard Rydell is a Sweden racing driver. He won the 1998 British Touring Car Championship, and has also been a frontrunner in the European/World Touring Car Championship....
. Fellow countryman, and Le Mans winner Allan McNish
Allan McNish

Allan McNish is a racing driver, born on 29 December 1969 in Dumfries, Scotland. He lives in Monaco with his wife Kelly. He is a two-time American Le Mans Series champion and two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most recently in 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans....
 commented that "Colin has adapted far better than people expected" to endurance sportscar racing.

McRae, made his debut on the gruelling Dakar
Dakar

Dakar is the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cap-Vert, on the country's Atlantic Ocean coast. It is Senegal's largest city. Its position, on the western edge of Africa , is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional seaport....
 Rally Raid with Nissan in January 2004, and impressed the team by scoring two stage wins on his way to a memorable finish on the gruelling trans-Sahara event. He returned to the Dakar
Dakar

Dakar is the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cap-Vert, on the country's Atlantic Ocean coast. It is Senegal's largest city. Its position, on the western edge of Africa , is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional seaport....
 in 2005 and was fastest on two of the first three stages in Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
, before crashing out of the rally towards the end of stage six.

In August 2007, McRae claimed to still be working on finding a seat for the 2008 WRC season, stating that "if it doesn't happen next year, then I won't (return) because you can only be out of something at that level for so long."

Colin McRae Rally

Codemasters
Codemasters

Codemasters is one of the longest running United Kingdom video game developers. The CEO is Rod Cousens, formerly of Acclaim Entertainment. In 2005, Codemasters was named as the top independent games developer by Develop Magazine, an international monthly journal for video game developers....
 released the first Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally

Colin McRae Rally is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters for the IBM PC clone, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Xbox, Xbox 360 and N-Gage....
 video game in 1998. Version 2, known as Colin McRae 2.0, was released in the year 2000, for Sony
Sony

is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
's PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
 and for the PC; it was also ported
Porting

In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable Computer program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed ....
 to the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance

The is a 32-bit Handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo; resembling Sega's 8-bit Game Gear. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color....
 in 2002. A third version found a wide audience on the PC and Xbox
Xbox

The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....
. Versions 04 and 2005 arrived in 2004 on all major platforms. 2005 was also remade for Sony
Sony

is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
's PSP
PlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
 and Nokia
Nokia

Nokia Corporation is a Finland Multinational corporation communications corporation, headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki....
's N-Gage
N-Gage

The N-Gage is a mobile telephone and handheld game system based on the Nokia Series 60 platform. It started selling on October 7, 2003. It attempted to lure gamers away from the Game Boy Advance by including cellphone functionality....
. Colin McRae: DiRT
Colin McRae: Dirt

Colin McRae: DiRT is the sixth racing game in the Colin McRae Rally series, developed by Codemasters, and the last of the series to be published before Colin McRae's death....
 was the title for the next installment of the series, which launched in 2007 for the PC, Xbox 360
Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
 and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
. The PlayStation 3 edition was released in the UK on 14 September, the day before McRae's death. A special edition for mobile phones will also be available from Codemasters Mobile.

Colin McRae R4

Colin McRae chose the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as the Festival of Speed, is an annual hillclimbing featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England....
 to unveil the , which had been conceived at the beginning of 2005. The intention was to make a cheaper alternative to WRCs (World Rally Cars) with significantly lower running costs. The McRae R4 was designed for use in rallying, rally cross, circuit racing and ice racing events, with the possibility of a one-make race series.

Designed by Colin McRae and Dave Plant and built by DJM Race Preparation, the McRae R4’s chassis is based on a steel safety cage with carbon paneling front and rear, and a steel-covered cockpit area. Suspension consists of twin wishbones with Proflex dampers. The body styling has been done by Keith Burden and Tom Webster. It appears that some components of the vehicle have been taken from existing production cars, the doorline in particular appears very close to that of the Ford Ka.

The engine is a normally-aspirated 4 cylinder, 2.5 litre Millington Diamond Engine producing 350 BHP. Transmission is via a six-speed gearbox, manual or semi-auto, and by mechanical front and rear differentials with the option of mechanical or active central differential. The car can be produced in either 2 or 4 wheel drive formats.

Alison McRae has said that she would like production of the car to continue following Colin's death.

Death

McRae died on 15 September 2007, when his helicopter crashed 1 mile north of Lanark
Lanark

Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland.Lanark was the county town of the former county of Lanarkshire....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, close to the McRae family home. McRae was piloting the helicopter at the time of the crash. McRae's five year old son Johnny, and two family friends, Graeme Duncan and Johnny's six year old friend Ben Porcelli, died alongside him in the crash. McRae's previously active website, , was later replaced with a memorial screen stating a few details about the crash, and then with a short statement released on behalf of McRae's father, Jimmy, and later a book of condolences.

Funeral and celebration services


The funeral for Colin and Johnny took place on Wednesday 26 September at Daldowie Crematorium near Glasgow, conducted by the Rev Tom Houston, who married the McRaes, and the Rev Steven Reid, chaplain at Johnny's school. An address was given by Robbie Head, a former rally driver and commentator who was a close friend of McRae's, with the Rev Houston giving the benediction. McRae's niece and nephews performed the tune Highland Cathedral
Highland Cathedral

Highland Cathedral is a popular bagpipe melody.The melody composed for the bagpipes was written by German musicians Ulrich Roever and Michael Korb in a Scotland Music from Scotland....
, a popular funeral song. Also, the song "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay

" The Dock of the Bay" is a Soul music song written and performed by USA soul music singer Otis Redding, released posthumously on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968 and was the first posthumous single in U.S....
" by Otis Redding
Otis Redding

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an United States soul music singer. He is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of Gospel musi...
, a favourite song of McRae's, was played when the family entered the chapel; and The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers

The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of Twin#Monozygotic twins Charlie and Craig Reid . They are best known for the songs Letter from America , I'm on My Way , and I'm Gonna Be ....
' song "I'm on My Way
I'm on My Way (song)

I'm on My Way, written by Charlie Reid and Craig Reid, is a song by Scotland pop music group The Proclaimers for their 1988 album Sunshine on Leith....
" was played when they left. Colin and Johnny McRae were cremated in the same coffin. Among the attendees at the funeral were fellow Scottish racing drivers Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart

Sir John Young "Jackie" Stewart, Order of the British Empire , better known as Jackie, and nicknamed The Flying Scot, is a Scotland former racing driver....
 and Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti

George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scotland race car driver of Italian-Scots. He formerly competed in the Champ Car series before switching to the Indy Racing League where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500....
.

A "Celebration of Life" service took place at St Nicholas Church in Lanark on Sunday 30 September at 4pm. Images from McRae's career and personal life were displayed on large video screens outside the church. Around 700 mourners filled the church, with crowds of up to 15,000 outside. Shortly before 4pm, a lone bagpiper played "Flower of Scotland
Flower of Scotland

Flower of Scotland is a popular Scotland song, used frequently at special occasions and sporting events. Although Scotland has no official national anthem, Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which unofficially fulfil this role, along with Highland Cathedral and the older Scotland the Brave....
" as the family arrived at the church. The service was conducted by the Rev Alison Meikle, who said "Two weeks ago Lanark was struck by silence. A terrible silence bought at an enormous price. However, in our tears love is stronger than death." Later, the Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers

Kenneth Ray "Kenny" Rogers is an United States country music singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor and entrepreneur.He has been very successful, charting more than 70 hit singles across various music genres and topping the country and pop album charts for more than 420 individual weeks in the United States alone....
 and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is a Grammy Award-winning United Statesn singer-songwriter, author, actress and philanthropist, known for her prolific work in country music....
 song "Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream

"Islands in the Stream" was a 1983 hit country music and pop single for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, written by the Bee Gees. It was the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton ....
", a favourite of Johnny's, was played. Friends of the pair shared poems and anecdotes from the McRaes' lives. After the service, Colin McRae's widow, brother and father bowed and applauded the crowds who had gathered outside to pay tribute to the McRaes.

Reaction

McRae's death was met by much grief from former colleagues, rivals and fans alike. Formula One
Formula One

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, and currently officially referred as the FIA Formula One World Championship is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile ....
 driver David Coulthard
David Coulthard

David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, is a United Kingdom former Formula One racing driver. By virtue of a long career he has amassed a notable points haul, and lies fifth on the List of Formula One driver records#Career points, being the top United Kingdom scorer....
, a good friend of McRae, who was due to represent Scotland along with him in the Race of Champions
Race of Champions

The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best auto racing and Rallying drivers....
 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium

The original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007....
 on December 16, described him as "an understated yet fantastically talented individual", he also announced that he would race the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix
2007 Japanese Grand Prix

The 2007 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 30 September at the recently revised Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka, in very heavy rain and misty conditions....
 with a helmet paint design similar to that of McRae's as a tribute. During the finale of the 2007 Scottish Rally Championship
Scottish Rally Championship

The Scottish Rally Championship is a series of Rallying run throughout Scotland over the course of a year which takes in 7 gravel rallies & 1 tarmac event which take in some breathtaking rally action and some of the best of Scotland's scenery....
, the "Colin McRae Forest Stages" held in Perth
Perth, Scotland

Perth is a town and former royal burgh in central Scotland. Sitting on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative headquarters of Perth and Kinross council area....
 in September 2007, there was no number 1 car as McRae had been due to drive the course car on the event. Instead, his car was parked at the starting point of the rally, where fans were able to sign a book of condolences.

Following his win at the Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events....
 meeting of the 2007 World Touring Car Championship season
2007 World Touring Car Championship season

The 2007 World Touring Car Championship season is the 4th World Touring Car Championship season. It commenced on March 11 and ended on November 18, after twenty-two races....
, Andy Priaulx
Andy Priaulx

Andrew Graham Priaulx, Order of the British Empire is a motorsport driver, European Touring Car Championship champion, and three times World Touring Car Championship champion....
 dedicated it to McRae, commenting that his death "shows how fragile life can be". McRae's former rival, four-time World Rally Champion Tommi Mäkinen
Tommi Mäkinen

"Turbo" Tommi Antero M?kinen He is a four-time World Rally Championship List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions, a series he first won, and then successfully defended, continuously throughout 1996 World Rally Championship season, 1997 World Rally Championship season, 1998 World Rally Championship season and 1999 World Rally Cham...
 commented the helicopter accident as terrifying news, and described McRae as "a pleasant fellow and a tough rival". Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi is an Italian professional Motorcycle sport and multiple Grand Prix motorcycles World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with 8 Grand Prix World Championships to his name....
, who was taught the basics of driving a rally car by McRae, said he was shocked and saddened by the sudden departure of the former World Rally Champion.

As a mark of respect for McRae, the Swedish Rally
Swedish Rally

The Uddeholm Swedish Rally , formerly the Swedish Rally, is an automobile rallying competition held in V?rmland, Sweden in early February....
 organizers set up an award for the longest jump over a crest on the Vargåsen stage of the rally. The inaugural winner of the award, named Colin's Crest, was Ford's
Ford Motor Company

The Ford Motor Company is an United States multinational corporation and the world's List of automobile manufacturers#World Motor Vehicle Production by Manufacturer based on worldwide vehicle sales, following Toyota, General Motors, and Volkswagen Group....
 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven states situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia....
 driver Khalid al-Qassimi
Khalid al-Qassimi

Khalid AlQassimi is a rallying driver from Abu Dhabi. He won the FIA's Middle East Rally Championship in 2004. At the half way stage of the 2007 World Rally Championship a joint venture between the BP Ford World Rally Team and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board was announced to bring a third official Ford Focus WRC to the team's World Rally Champi...
 who recorded a distance of 30 m.

On the 27th of September 2008 the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally took place in Perth, Scotland. An enhanced entry list of several former big name rally drivers took part in memory of Colin. The impressive entry list included ex-World Championship drivers Hannu Mikkola
Hannu Mikkola

Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rallying driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times....
, Ari Vatanen
Ari Vatanen

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finland rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....
 (partnered by his 1981 WRC winning co-driver David Richards
David Richards (racing)

David Pender Richards Order of the British Empire is the chairman of Prodrive, and a former team principal of the British American Racing and Benetton Formula Formula One motor racing teams....
), Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård

Bj?rn Waldeg?rd from Rimbo is a former Sweden Rallying driver, and the winner of the inaugural List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions in 1979....
, Stig Blomqvist
Stig Blomqvist

Stig Lennart Blomqvist is a Sweden rally driver. Blomqvist won the Swedish Rally several times, and was the 1984 World Rally Championship....
, Malcolm Wilson
Malcolm Wilson (rally)

Malcolm Wilson is a United Kingdom former rally driver. He is the father of current World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson.After a successful driving career of his own, he went on to manage and run the BP Ford World Rally Team with his M-Sport operation, based at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth in Cumbria, England....
, Russell Brookes
Russell Brookes

Russell Brookes is an English former rallying driver. He won the British Rally Championship with a Ford Escort RS1800 in 1977 and with an Opel Manta 400 in 1985....
, Jimmy McRae
Jimmy McRae

Jimmy McRae is a Scotland rallying driver. He is the father of World Rally Championship drivers Alister McRae, and the late 1995 World Rally Championship season List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions Colin McRae....
, Andrew Cowan
Andrew Cowan

Andrew Cowan is a Scotland former rally driver, and the founder and senior director of Ralliart until his retirement on 30 November 2005....
 and Louise Aitken-Walker
Louise Aitken-Walker

Louise Aitken-Walker MBE is a British rallying and saloon car racing driver. Aitken-Walker entered competition in 1979 and finished 19th in her first Rally GB two years later....
, many competing in their original cars. A handful of current WRC drivers also took part including Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson

Matthew Wilson is a Rallying driver from Cockermouth in Cumbria, England. He is the son of M-Sport boss and former WRC driver Malcolm Wilson . Wilson currently competes in the World Rally Championship for the Stobart M-Sport Ford team....
, Kris Meeke
Kris Meeke

Kris Meeke is a Rally racing driver competing in the Junior World Rally Championship. His current co-drivers are Glenn Patterson and Paul Nagle....
 and Travis Pastrana
Travis Pastrana

Travis Alan Pastrana is a motorsports competitor who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several events, including supercross, motocross, Freestyle Motocross, and rallying....
. The event was deemed a great success, attracting record spectator numbers to the Perthshire forests. Outright winner was Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team
Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team

The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team is a Rallying team competing in the World Rally Championship. The team's principal is Malcolm Wilson , whose M-Sport operation runs Stobart as well as the BP Ford World Rally Team factory team and Munchi's Ford World Rally Team....
 driver Matthew Wilson in a Ford Focus WRC. Fittingly, Colin's brother Alister McRae won the classic category.

Investigation

After the crash, an investigative team from the UK Department for Transport
Department for Transport

In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for the English transport network and transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved....
 Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Air Accidents Investigation Branch

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigates air accidents in the United Kingdom. It is a branch of the Department for Transport and is based at Farnborough Airfield in Farnborough, Hampshire, Hampshire, England....
 attended the scene in co-operation with Strathclyde Police. The wreckage of the helicopter was removed to Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield

Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Hampshire, Hampshire, England.Farnborough Aerodrome has a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee ....
 for further forensic investigation. Pilots operate under strict regulations, and are expected in the case of helicopters under CAA rules to undertake a competency test every year, and renew their licenses every five years - to not do so is illegal. It later emerged that McRae had not undertaken a competency check as required in March 2006, and that effectively his license had expired in February 2005. A CAA spokesman commented "The investigators must determine why he (McRae) hasn’t kept up to date with his documentation. There is no suggestion that Mr McRae was not a competent pilot.”

The final report into the accident was published on 12 February, 2009. In it, the AAIB did not reach a definite conclusion as to the cause of the accident, stating instead that "the helicopter crashed in a wooded valley while manoeuvring at high speed and low height. It was intact prior to impact, and the available evidence indicated that the engine was delivering power. The cause of the accident was not positively determined. Although no technical reason was found to explain the accident, a technical fault could not be ruled out entirely. However, it is more likely that the pilot attempted a turning manoeuvre at low height, during which the helicopter deviated from his intended flight path; whether due to the pilot encountering handling difficulties, misjudgement, spatial disorientation, distraction or a combination of such events. There were indications that the pilot had started a recovery but, with insufficient height in which to complete it, the helicopter struck trees in the valley and crashed, killing all four occupants."

Complete WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1987
1987 World Rally Championship season

The 1987 World Rally Championship season was the 14th season of the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallying in the same venues of the 1986 World Rally Championship season....
Colin McRae Vauxhall Nova MON SWE
36
POR KEN FRA GRC USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA     - 0
British Junior Rally Team Vauxhall Nova             GBR
Ret
   
1988
1988 World Rally Championship season

The 1988 World Rally Championship season was the 15th season of the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallying, following the same schedule as the 1987 World Rally Championship season....
Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot 205 GTI MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
    - 0
1989
1989 World Rally Championship season

The 1989 World Rally Championship season was the 15th season of the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallying, with some adjustments to the schedule versus the 1988 World Rally Championship season....
Colin McRae Ford Sierra XR 4x4
Ford Sierra

The Ford Sierra is a large family car built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Qu?ment....
SWE
15
MON POR KEN FRA GRC  ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV     34th 8
Gary Smith Motorsport Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is the result of a Ford-project with the purpose of "Producing a downright winner for Group A racing events in Europe."...
       NZL
5
         
R.E.D. Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is the result of a Ford-project with the purpose of "Producing a downright winner for Group A racing events in Europe."...
             GBR
Ret
   
1990
1990 World Rally Championship season

1990 World Rally Championship season was the 18th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 12 rallies. The drivers' world championship was won by Carlos Sainz in a Toyota Celica GT-Four, ahead of Didier Auriol and Juha Kankkunen....
Shell UK Oil Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is the result of a Ford-project with the purpose of "Producing a downright winner for Group A racing events in Europe."...
MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV GBR
6
     34th 6
1991
1991 World Rally Championship season

The 1991 World Rally Championship season was the 19th season of the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 14 rallying....
Subaru Rally Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
Ret
   - 0
1992 Subaru Rally Team Europe Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE
2
POR KEN FRA GRC
4
NZL
Ret
ARG FIN
8
AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
6
   8th 34
1993 555 Subaru World Rally Team
Subaru World Rally Team

The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a British American Tobacco cigarette brand popular in Asia....
Subaru Legacy RS MON SWE
3
POR
7
  FRA
5
GRC
Ret
ARG NZL
1
FIN AUS
6
ITA ESP GBR
Ret
    5th 50
Subaru M.S.G. Subaru Vivio Sedan 4WD
Subaru Vivio

The Subaru Vivio was a kei car that was introduced in March 1992, and manufactured by Subaru. It has a supercharged 658 cc engine which is small enough to place it in the lightcar class, which gives its owners large tax breaks in Japan....
    KEN
Ret
            
1994 555 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza 555 MON
10
POR
Ret
KEN FRA
Ret
GRC
Ret
ARG
Ret
NZL
1
FIN ITA
5
GBR
1
       4th 49
1995 555 Subaru World Rally Team
Subaru World Rally Team

The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a British American Tobacco cigarette brand popular in Asia....
Subaru Impreza 555 MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
POR
3
FRA
5
NZL
1
AUS
2
ESP
2
GBR
1
         1st 90
1996 555 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza 555 SWE
3
KEN
4
IDN
Ret
GRC
1
ARG
Ret
FIN
Ret
AUS
4
ITA
1
ESP
1
        2nd 92
1997 555 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC 97 MON
Ret
SWE
4
KEN
1
POR
Ret
ESP
4
FRA
1
ARG
2
GRC
Ret
NZL
Ret
FIN
Ret
IDN
Ret
ITA
1
AUS
1
GBR
1
   2nd 62
1998 555 Subaru World Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRC 98 MON
3
SWE
Ret
KEN
Ret
POR
1
ESP
Ret
FRA
1
ARG
5
GRC
1
NZL
5
FIN
Ret
ITA
3
AUS
4
GBR
Ret
    3rd 45
1999 Ford Motor Co
BP Ford World Rally Team

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team which was also known as the BP Ford World Rally Team until mid-2007 and the Ford Motor Co team prior to 2005 is Ford of Europe's factory World Rally Championship team....
Ford Focus WRC
Ford Focus WRC

The Ford Focus Template:Ford_RS_series WRC is a car built for the BP Ford World Rally Team by Malcolm Wilson 's M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2 litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship....
MON
DSQ
SWE
Ret
KEN
1
POR
1
ESP
Ret
FRA
4
ARG
Ret
GRC
Ret
NZL
Ret
FIN
Ret
CHN
Ret
ITA
Ret
AUS
Ret
GBR
Ret
   6th 23
2000 Ford Motor Co
BP Ford World Rally Team

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team which was also known as the BP Ford World Rally Team until mid-2007 and the Ford Motor Co team prior to 2005 is Ford of Europe's factory World Rally Championship team....
Ford Focus RS WRC 00
Ford Focus WRC

The Ford Focus Template:Ford_RS_series WRC is a car built for the BP Ford World Rally Team by Malcolm Wilson 's M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2 litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship....
MON
Ret
SWE
3
KEN
Ret
POR
Ret
ESP
1
ARG
Ret
GRC
1
NZL
2
FIN
2
CYP
2
FRA
Ret
ITA
6
AUS
Ret
GBR
Ret
   4th 43
2001 Ford Motor Co
BP Ford World Rally Team

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team which was also known as the BP Ford World Rally Team until mid-2007 and the Ford Motor Co team prior to 2005 is Ford of Europe's factory World Rally Championship team....
Ford Focus RS WRC 01
Ford Focus WRC

The Ford Focus Template:Ford_RS_series WRC is a car built for the BP Ford World Rally Team by Malcolm Wilson 's M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2 litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship....
MON
Ret
SWE
9
POR
Ret
ESP
Ret
ARG
1
CYP
1
GRC
1
KEN
Ret
FIN
3
NZL
2
ITA
8
FRA
11
AUS
5
GBR
Ret
   2nd 42
2002 Ford Motor Co
BP Ford World Rally Team

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team which was also known as the BP Ford World Rally Team until mid-2007 and the Ford Motor Co team prior to 2005 is Ford of Europe's factory World Rally Championship team....
Ford Focus RS WRC 02
Ford Focus WRC

The Ford Focus Template:Ford_RS_series WRC is a car built for the BP Ford World Rally Team by Malcolm Wilson 's M-Sport and based on the Ford Focus Climate 2 litre production hatchback, developed to compete in the World Rally Championship....
MON
4
SWE
6
FRA
Ret
ESP
6
CYP
6
ARG
3
GRC
1
KEN
1
FIN
Ret
GER
4
ITA
8
NZL
Ret
AUS
Ret
GBR
5
   4th 35
2003 Citroën Total Citroën Xsara WRC MON
2
SWE
5
TUR
4
NZL
Ret
ARG
Ret
GRC
8
CYP
4
GER
4
FIN
Ret
AUS
4
ITA
6
FRA
5
ESP
9
GBR
4
   7th 45
2005 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia WRC MON SWE MEX NZL ITA CYP TUR GRC ARG FIN GER GBR
7
JPN FRA ESP AUS
Ret
22nd 2
2006 Kronos Total Citroën W.R.T. Citroën Xsara WRC MON
2006 Monte Carlo Rally

The 74?me Monte Carlo Rally , the first round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season took place between January 20th and 22nd, 2006....
SWE
2006 Swedish Rally

The 55th Uddeholm Swedish Rally, the second round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season took place between February 3rd and 5th, 2006....
MEX
2006 Rally México

The 20? Corona Rally M?xico, the third round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season took place between March 3rd and 5th, 2006.Event...
ESP
2006 Rally Catalunya

The 42? Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada,the fourth round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season took place between March 24th and March 2006....
FRA ARG ITA GRC GER FIN JPN CYP TUR
Ret
AUS NZL GBR - 0




Journals

  • Evans, David (20 September 2007) Autosport
    Autosport

    Autosport is the title of a weekly magazine covering motorsport, published in the United Kingdom every Thursday by Haymarket Group #Haymarket Consumer Media....
    ,"McRae Tribute", Vol. 189, No. 12, pp. 6-11, Haymarket Publications.


External links