Colin McRae 25 years ago
Discussion
He won the WRC 25 years ago this coming Sunday , your thoughts/memories . Met him a few times over the yrs from his first National event in his Nova , through his times with his GpA Cosworth and into the Subaru years , always committed but fairly laid back at the same time unless he was beating panels back out with a sledgehammer . One of a kind without doubt and greatly missed in the world of motorsport .
I was sixteen when McRae won his championship in 1995, I remember it like yesterday. I'd grown up following motorsport, but that was such a powerful event and was a huge influence. As soon as I could drive I'd joined the local motor club, started doing road rallies, then bought a stage rally car... I can't believe it's been 25 years.
McRae's natural talent was off the chart. This onboard video from 2001 astounds me every time I see it...
https://youtu.be/1sAbQ5wRr0o
McRae's natural talent was off the chart. This onboard video from 2001 astounds me every time I see it...
https://youtu.be/1sAbQ5wRr0o
Dirtfish are tweeting as live; and today is the penultimate day; Tuesday 21st November;
7 stages to run: Dyfnant, Hafren Sweetlamb, Brechfa, Trawscoed, Crychan, Cefn & Sweetlamb Hafren. It was grey, wet, misty, foggy.....
I was in for the two runs in Hafren - and in between had 5 Live on the car radio and could listen to their regular updates.
Unless you were around, it's hard to imagine a WRC round in the UK capturing so much coverage; it was big! Newspapers, Radio, TV, etc And the buzz in the stages was something else. Great days.
The contrast with now is night & day.
7 stages to run: Dyfnant, Hafren Sweetlamb, Brechfa, Trawscoed, Crychan, Cefn & Sweetlamb Hafren. It was grey, wet, misty, foggy.....
I was in for the two runs in Hafren - and in between had 5 Live on the car radio and could listen to their regular updates.
Unless you were around, it's hard to imagine a WRC round in the UK capturing so much coverage; it was big! Newspapers, Radio, TV, etc And the buzz in the stages was something else. Great days.
The contrast with now is night & day.
Give me a Rothmans Legacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OtLVgVZpSo
Such an inappropriate rally car, but both Colin and Jimmy did amazing stuff with them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OtLVgVZpSo
Such an inappropriate rally car, but both Colin and Jimmy did amazing stuff with them.
S100HP said:
I've never understood the adulation for this guy. He killed himself, another adult and two young children by engaging in "unnecessary and unsafe" low-level flying. He's not a hero, he's a dick.
Not many would dare say it but I agree... a waste of lives for what was simply showing off....Bemmer said:
S100HP said:
I've never understood the adulation for this guy. He killed himself, another adult and two young children by engaging in "unnecessary and unsafe" low-level flying. He's not a hero, he's a dick.
Not many would dare say it but I agree... a waste of lives for what was simply showing off....
Kawasicki said:
Bemmer said:
S100HP said:
I've never understood the adulation for this guy. He killed himself, another adult and two young children by engaging in "unnecessary and unsafe" low-level flying. He's not a hero, he's a dick.
Not many would dare say it but I agree... a waste of lives for what was simply showing off....A heavily tarnished legacy now unfortunately.
Bemmer said:
S100HP said:
I've never understood the adulation for this guy. He killed himself, another adult and two young children by engaging in "unnecessary and unsafe" low-level flying. He's not a hero, he's a dick.
Not many would dare say it but I agree... a waste of lives for what was simply showing off....Also points out that he had a considerable amount of time to escape the situation. Roll level pull back on the cyclic and climb. But no he stuck in an ever decreasing radius turn at high speed, low level in a valley with high G and rotor loading until the inevitable happened.
No doubt he was a great driver but the old adage of if in doubt flat out in rallying just doesn’t work in aviation.
“There are old pilots and bold pilots but very few old and bold pilots.”
I work and fly with test pilots and everyone of them to a t is methodical, exacting, precise, outstanding planners and self critical. Not one of them is a fly by the seat of there pants bold type.
Just a shame he took his friend and kids with him.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
I get the sentiments about his demise, I really do.
But then this thread is surely about celebrating his successes. I know some posters will claim you can't separate one from the other but I think you can. I'm pretty certain he didn't go out intending to crash his helicopter.
It's a thread about his WRC Title win - in 1995. Not what happened years later....That can/and has be discussed elsewhere.But then this thread is surely about celebrating his successes. I know some posters will claim you can't separate one from the other but I think you can. I'm pretty certain he didn't go out intending to crash his helicopter.
My memories are of the RAC in 2000, never call it it's real name, it will always be that.
Can't remember what forest Halfway i think just before he retired on the rally. Two runs, first run was heaving down.
Long left hander with a huge cut a car width and more off the crown of the road.
Marcus or Burns were first on road, small cut about a foot over the inside Carlos was second I think and took a half car width cut, we were stood about 2 car widths back.
Some idiot amateur photographer was standing just before the apex about a car width off the inside and I shouted to him "You know who is next on the road don't you?"
Sure enough the bellend dived out the way when it was obvious Col was at least a car width, maybe more down the bank cutting as if his life depended on it.
He was the best at being fast, but the worst at accepting a result ifhe wasnt first, not great for a rallyist!
Can't remember what forest Halfway i think just before he retired on the rally. Two runs, first run was heaving down.
Long left hander with a huge cut a car width and more off the crown of the road.
Marcus or Burns were first on road, small cut about a foot over the inside Carlos was second I think and took a half car width cut, we were stood about 2 car widths back.
Some idiot amateur photographer was standing just before the apex about a car width off the inside and I shouted to him "You know who is next on the road don't you?"
Sure enough the bellend dived out the way when it was obvious Col was at least a car width, maybe more down the bank cutting as if his life depended on it.
He was the best at being fast, but the worst at accepting a result ifhe wasnt first, not great for a rallyist!
LukeBrown66 said:
My memories are of the RAC in 2000, never call it it's real name, it will always be that.
See I'm the opposite, I hate people calling the modern 'watered down' version the RAC; it's basically a different event. I also dislike people calling/tagging the old version Wales Rally GB....In my mind, the last real RAC was in 1995. 1996 was a 'non championship event, and since then it's been the modern 'cloverleaf' format based in the same host town.
Edited by ArnageWRC on Saturday 21st November 23:00
The helicopter comments are very valid. I remember a Galloway Hills Rally in Dalbeattie sometime in the 90's. Helicopters were buzzing about in total chaos. It was amazing that there were no accidents amongst the trees. Other reckless behaviour outside of rallying was fairly common too.
the attitude he took to flying was the very same attitude that made him a rally legend. It would always have been when not if he crashed the helicopter.
However my greatest memories of McRae are the 1991 National Rally in Yorkshire where a friend invited me to go with him and his dad on a corporate do run by Chris Lord to spectate at the rally. We were in Dalby, and it was my friends first rally, so I walked him up the stage to the end of a long straight just before the braking zone and we stood on the edge of the track. McRae was first through and whistled past full chat at 120mph, which is quite something to behold when you are about 3 feet from the car. I turned to my mate to see what he thought of the spectacle
only to see him running into the trees, shouting f
king hell.....
However my greatest memories of McRae are the 1991 National Rally in Yorkshire where a friend invited me to go with him and his dad on a corporate do run by Chris Lord to spectate at the rally. We were in Dalby, and it was my friends first rally, so I walked him up the stage to the end of a long straight just before the braking zone and we stood on the edge of the track. McRae was first through and whistled past full chat at 120mph, which is quite something to behold when you are about 3 feet from the car. I turned to my mate to see what he thought of the spectacle
only to see him running into the trees, shouting f
king hell.....loskie said:
The helicopter comments are very valid. I remember a Galloway Hills Rally in Dalbeattie sometime in the 90's. Helicopters were buzzing about in total chaos. It was amazing that there were no accidents amongst the trees. Other reckless behaviour outside of rallying was fairly common too.
The thread is about the 1995 WRC Title win. We all know what happened, later on; that's for another discussion. Another thread derailed....Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff