Colin McRae made a name for himself in motorsport by winning the British Rally Championship in 1991 and 1992, as well as becoming the first British driver and the youngest person to win the World Rally Championship in 1995. In addition, he helped several motorsport teams, including Subaru World Rally Team and Citroen World Rally Team, in winning a number of rally championship manufacturers’ titles.
McRae died in a helicopter crash with his son Johnny and two family friends in 2007, when he was 39 years old. His death stunned the entire world.
Here is what we have compiled his life and death.
Early Life And Background Of The Late Scottish Rally Driver
Colin McRae was the oldest of three sons born on August 5, 1964, in Lanark, Scotland, to Jimmy McRae, a five-time British Rally champion, and Margaret McRae. Alister McRae, a rally driver, and Stuart McRae are his younger brothers.
McRae attended Robert Owen Primary School and Lanark Grammar School before spending a year at Coatbridge College.
Colin was charmed by cars at the age of 2. He started riding motorcycles by the age of 7, and by the age of twelve, he was competing in trials. At 14, he won the junior and intermediate championships.
Besides, he became part of his family’s heating and plumbing business, but he spent more time in the garage servicing company cars.
Career Summary Of Colin McRae
Colin began riding motorcycles at an early age but turned to cars and began competing at the age of 16. He made his Kemes Stages debut in Scotland, finishing 14th overall and first in his class.
When he was about 18 years old, it became clear that the Scot has an innate flair for driving at the Scottish Rally Championship in 1986. The next year, in his debut World Rally Championship, he finished 36th overall and third in his class in Sweden.
At the 1988 Tweedies Rally, he tested his first rally victory. He won the British Rally Championship in 1991 and 1992. Three years later, at the age of 27, he became the first British rally driver and the youngest rally driver in history to win the World Rally Championship. However, the record was broken in 2022 by Kalle Rovanperä, a Finnish rally driver.
Colin was unable to replicate his achievement in the subsequent World Rally Championships, although he did assist his Subaru World Rally Team in winning the World Rally Championship Manufacturers’ crowns in 1995, 1996, and 1997. He also contributed to Citroen World Rally Team’s first-ever manufacturers’ title.
The Scot had a record of 25 victories at the World Rally Championship in his career.
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Colin McGrae Was Married To Alison (née Hamilton) McRae And Had Two Children
Alison (née Hamilton) McRae was the Scottish rally driver’s wife. She was a rally driver as well. He met her when he was 19 and she was his co-driver at the Tweedies Rally in 1988, according to Wikipedia.
Although it is unknown how long they dated before getting married, some publications claim that the couple dated for a long time before exchanging marital vows.
Colin and his wife later had two children, a daughter named Hollie and a son named Johnny.
The Scot Died In A Helicopter Crash With His Son Johnny And Two Family Friends In 2007
Colin McRae’s helicopter crashed within a mile from his family’s house in Lanark, Scotland, on September 15, 2007, killing him, his 5-year-old son Johnny, and two family friends, Graeme Duncan and his son’s 6-year-old friend Ben Porcelli.
The news of his death rocked the motorsport world, prompting reactions from race drivers like then-Formula One driver David Coulthard and British professional racer Andy Priaulx, as well as 9-time Grand Prix motorcycle road racing champion Valentino Rossi, all of whom described the helicopter disaster as sad.
Furthermore, at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix, Coulthard wore a helmet similar to McRae’s, Priaulx dedicated his Brands Hatch wins of the 2007 World Touring Car Championship season to the Scot, and Rossi, who learned the basics of driving a rally car from McRae, dedicated his 2007 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix to him.
Colin and his son were cremated at Daldowie Crematorium eleven days after the accident. A “Celebration of Life” service was held on the twelfth day at St. Nicholas Church in Lanark, which was attended by around 15,000 people.
An investigation into the accident was initiated in order to determine what caused it. A team from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), along with Strathclyde Police, went to the crash site and collected the debris for forensics.
The AAIB published a report a study two years after the incident, however, it was unable to determine the cause of the catastrophe. According to the investigation, the helicopter was maneuvering at high speed and low altitude before crashing in a wooded valley.
In September 2011, a fatal accident investigation blamed McRae for the crash, which was avoidable. Furthermore, Sheriff Nikola Stewart stated that the Scot was engaging in unnecessary and dangerous low-level flying and that as a private pilot, he lacked the qualification and training to fly at such a level.
