European Late Model Series was a stock car racing series that raced at short ovals in Europe, primarily in Belgium and the UK and later also in the Netherlands.
81-568: The series came about as the result of talks among CAMSO , Spedeworth International Ltd. and SCSA V8 Trophy . The thoughts were around the fact there are so many late model type stock cars in Europe which are not racing, and it seemed silly not to do something about it. For 2009 racing driver Tony Roots took over the CAMSO organisation with other drivers Colin White and John Stuard . The organisers put together
162-478: A calendar which featured the Warneton ten times and Lydden Hill and Hednesford once. Eighteen drivers joined the series for the first races. A summary of the weekend was broadcast on Motors TV UK. Each raceday featured 2 25 lap heat races and a 35 lap final. The first ever race of the series was won by Gary Ellis in a Chevrolet . In 2010 the series expanded to include Ipswich in its schedule and in 2011 Venray
243-812: A distance of 30 m. On 27 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 McRae's memory. The entry list included ex-World Championship drivers Hannu Mikkola , Ari Vatanen (partnered by his 1981 WRC winning co-driver David Richards ), Björn Waldegård , Malcolm Wilson , Russell Brookes , Jimmy McRae , Andrew Cowan and Louise Aitken-Walker , many competing in their original cars. A handful of current WRC drivers also took part including Matthew Wilson , Kris Meeke and Travis Pastrana . The outright winner
324-529: A documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of McRae's WRC win was released. Kenyan race car driver McRae Kimathi is named after him. Codemasters released the first Colin McRae Rally video game in 1998. Version 2 , known as Colin McRae Rally 2.0 , was released in 2000, for Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft Windows ; it was also ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2002. A third version found
405-544: 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. McRae also competed in racing series other than the World Rally Championship. In September 2002 he took part in an ASCAR Racing Series event at the Rockingham Motor Speedway , Northamptonshire, finishing in sixth place. McRae rejoined Prodrive for
486-432: A fuel pickup issue, so Round 2 didn't hit the calendar until 26 August back at Rockingham. The initial season saw 14 teams fielding 21 cars with the season eventually being won by John Mickel of Torquespeed, by beating Dutchman Michael Vergers in the final race by 0.2 seconds, winning the title despite only two wins to Vergers three. Following his championship win, Mickel stated "I owe it all to my crew. We've grown up around
567-566: A helmet livery similar to McRae's as a tribute. During the finale of the 2007 Scottish Rally Championship , the "Colin McRae Forest Stages" held in Perth 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
648-604: A link-up with the American Speed Association and incorporated the Pickup Truck Racing Series under the same banner. Michael Vergers who had been with the series since the inaugural season took the title for Team West-Tec winning three of the twelves rounds which once more were all held at Rockingham. In 2006 the SCSA and Pickup Truck Racing ran at Rockingham as part of the "Thunder Sundays" package organised by
729-478: A rally car by McRae, said he was shocked and saddened by McRae's death. He dedicated his win at the 2007 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix to McRae, saying "I want to dedicate this to Colin McRae. He was one of my big idols when I was very young, and it's because of him I have a big passion for rally". After the crash, an investigative team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch attended
810-496: A staple as teams worked to gain aerodynamics. At racing speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, a modern NASCAR race car can generate enough lift to get airborne if it spins sideways. To keep cars firmly planted, roof flaps were required in 1994. 1994 was also the final year that V6 engines were used in the Busch Series, as many short track series had abandoned six-cylinder engines. In 1995, Chevrolet switched back to
891-405: A steel-covered cockpit area. Suspension consists of twin wishbones with Proflex dampers. The process of designing the car was assisted by Codemasters , who created a 3D model of the car based on initial sketches done by DJM Motorsport. The bodywork of the car is loosely based on a first-generation Ford Ka bodyshell, deemed to be the optimal choice in terms of size, shape and weight. The engine
SECTION 10
#1733114634812972-468: A total of 20 rounds. The season saw its first American competitors compete as NASCAR drivers Randy Tolsma and Brandon Whitt both drove the no.48 Deuce Racing car, whereas Colin McRae , Darren Manning , Matt Neal and Jason Plato all joined XCEL Motorsport. Darren Turner registered six-wins during the season but having missed the opening five-rounds he would only place 7th in the Championship with
1053-548: 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." For 2003 , McRae signed for Citroën, a team of winning pedigree due to its successes of the previous year with young Frenchman Sébastien Loeb but otherwise undertaking its first complete campaign at World Rally Championship level. McRae's second-place finish on his début in Monte Carlo alongside Loeb and Carlos Sainz whom, aboard
1134-504: A wide audience on Windows and Xbox . Versions 04 and 2005 arrived in 2004 on all major platforms. 2005 was also remade for Sony's PlayStation Portable and Nokia 's N-Gage . Colin McRae: Dirt was the title for the next instalment of the series, which launched in 2007 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . The PlayStation 3 edition was released in the UK on 14 September,
1215-543: A year at Coatbridge College . He worked at Archie's Autos then at his father's plumbing and heating business as a technician. McRae was married to Alison (née Hamilton), whom he met aged 19 when she acted as his co-driver, and had two children, Hollie and Johnny. McRae moved to the principality of Monaco in 1995, partly through his friendship with David Coulthard . However, as his young family grew up, he spent more time back at his home in Lanarkshire . The couple bought
1296-593: Is a naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, 2.5-litre Millington Diamond Engine producing 350 BHP. Transmission is via a six-speed gearbox, manual or semi-automatic, and by mechanical front and rear differentials with the option of mechanical or active central differential. The car can be produced in either two- or four-wheel-drive formats. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 2 points awarded 2008 onwards in all races) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) † — Did not finish
1377-589: Is open to North American Stock Cars with a wheelbase of 104-105 inches. Performance is equalised to allow cars from both old series to race against each other competitively. More than half the rounds take place at the Belgian oval track in Warneton . Rounds in the UK include visits to Ipswich , Hednesford and Lydden Hill . Multiple rounds on the new half mile oval in Venray, the Netherlands have also been announced for
1458-576: Is stronger than death." Later, the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton song " Islands in the Stream ", 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. The announcement of McRae's death took place during qualifying for
1539-579: The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans where he took third place in the GTS class, and ninth position overall in a Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello partnering Darren Turner and Rickard Rydell . Le Mans winner Allan McNish commented that "Colin has adapted far better than people expected" to endurance sportscar racing. McRae made his debut on the Dakar Rally with Nissan in January 2004, and scored two stage wins. He returned to
1620-456: The 2007 Belgian Grand Prix with ITV commentator James Allen informing viewers of the news. Formula One driver David Coulthard , a friend of McRae, who was due to represent Scotland along with him in the Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium on 16 December, described him as "an understated yet fantastically talented individual", and announced that he would race the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix with
1701-713: The ARCA Racing Series until 2020, when composite-bodied cars in the style of the Generation 6 were mandated (despite this, modern ARCA cars still use Gen 4 chassis). As of 2022, the Gen 4 car is still legal in the ARCA Menards Series West and East (though Dodge body panels are illegal); Hailie Deegan scored her first NASCAR win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway dirt track in a Gen 4 Toyota Camry in 2019. In
SECTION 20
#17331146348121782-465: The BRSCC . The series continued to field only the twelve rounds and the participating number of drivers was moved down to 18. Oli Playle took the title with a dominating season scoring eight race wins. The SCSA name remained for 2007; as part of a new sponsorship deal competitors competed for the 'SCSA MAC Tools V8 Trophy'. On Wednesday 5 September, British motorsport publication Motorsport News reported that
1863-473: The Brands Hatch meeting of the 2007 World Touring Car Championship season, Andy Priaulx 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 commented the helicopter accident as terrifying news, and described McRae as "a pleasant fellow and a tough rival". Valentino Rossi , who was taught the basics of driving
1944-612: The Canary Islands . After several years of varying success, McRae switched to the M-Sport -run Ford factory team for 1999 , driving the new Ford Focus rally car . The deal saw McRae earning six million pounds over two years, which at the time made him the highest-earning rally driver in history. He immediately had two consecutive wins at the Safari Rally and Rally Portugal . The new car had many shunts and reliability issues for much of
2025-582: The European Late Model Series in 2009, racing in Belgium and the UK. Constructor cars consisted of NASCAR style Chevrolet , Ford and Pontiac racers with a field that peaked at 37 drivers competing during the 2002 season. John Mickel was the first ever champion with a different driver winning the title over all six-seasons, with Team West-Tec , RML and Torquespeed each winning two drivers championships each. Colin White and John Steward were
2106-619: The French race track at Croix en Ternois . In the United Kingdom , Motors TV aired full races of ASCAR, whilst Channel 4 aired a highlight show presented by Helen Chamberlain . In 2004 SCSA coverage reached 44 million viewers. Colin McRae Colin Steele McRae , MBE (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007), was a British rally driver from Scotland. He was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion , and in 1995 became
2187-666: The Monte Carlo , which started the trend of rounder body shapes in Cup and the then-Busch Series. In 1998, Ford introduced the Taurus , which was the first four-door stock car model approved for NASCAR competition in the modern era. The Gen 4 car was used full time until 2007, and it was retired in the Cup Series after the 2007 season (in which Toyota , who had already competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series , made their debut in
2268-695: The SCSA MAC Tools VSR V8 Trophy . Although going through these varying identities the series was commonly referred to and known by its original name of ASCAR . The series predominantly raced the oval tracks at the Rockingham Motor Speedway and the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in the early years but in its final season in 2008 was solely road racing series that would visit various tracks in the UK most notably Brands Hatch and in France at Croix en Ternois . The series folded in 2008 and merged into part of
2349-496: 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 kept the car running and continued on to the finish, his time only 0.13 seconds slower than eventual winner Travis Pastrana. He was unexpectedly entered for his final rally by semi-works Kronos Citroën at Rally Turkey in September, where he replaced Sébastien Loeb while
2430-548: The Xsara WRC , helped complete a 1–2–3 finish, the finest result he would achieve for the team, as he ended the season in seventh in the drivers' championship, with no victories. Rule changes are brought in for the 2004 season changing 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 Fréquelin 's leadership,
2511-609: The 17th-century Jerviswood House. McRae's nephew, Max McRae, is also a motorsport racer. In 1996, McRae was appointed a Member of the British Empire for services to motorsports in the Birthday Honours list . McRae began his competitive career in motorsport riding trial bikes at an early age, despite being more interested in four-wheeled machines rather than two-wheel bikes. He became the Scottish schoolboy motocross champion at
European Late Model Series - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-491: The 2000 season, the lacking reliability of the Focus 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 Mäkinen on
2673-505: The 2004 season, and fellow motoring journalists Tiff Needell and Amanda Stretton raced in the debut 2001 season. Toby Scheckter the son of 1979 F1 champion Jody competed in the 2002 season. The nationalities of every driver who participated in an ASCAR race from 2001 to 2007. Between 2004 and 2007 all of the ASCAR races were held at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in England . The circuit
2754-622: The 2011 season. VSR V8 Trophy ASCAR (Anglo-American Stock Car Racing) , was a stock car racing series that raced at circuits around the United Kingdom and Europe from 2001 until 2008. The series went through many guises during its seven year period and was known as the ASCAR Mintex Cup from 2001 to 2003, later known as the Days of Thunder Racing Series (2004) and the SCSA (Stock Car Speed Association) (2005 to 2007) before its final season as
2835-537: The Baja 500 Portalegre, winning the competition. McRae then returned to the series for one-off drives for Škoda on the 2005 Rally GB and Rally Australia , respectively finishing seventh and retiring due to a clutch problem on the final leg of the rally, the latter ending prospects of Škoda's best finish. On 5 August 2006, McRae competed for Subaru in the first live televised American rally in Los Angeles as part of
2916-464: The Cup and the then-Busch Series with the Camry ), while the other sixteen races were run by the fifth-generation Car of Tomorrow . The Car of Tomorrow went full-time in 2008, with the second-tier series adopting their own Car of Tomorrow first part-time in 2010 and full-time the following year. Body panels in the style of the Gen 4 car continue to be manufactured by Five Star Race Car Bodies, and were legal in
2997-552: The Dakar in 2005 and was fastest on two of the first three stages in Morocco, before crashing out of the rally towards the end of stage six. In 2004 and 2005, McRae represented Great Britain in the Race of Champions Nations Cup alongside Formula One driver and fellow Scot, David Coulthard . For the 2006 event England and Scotland entered separate teams with McRae and Coulthard re-uniting to represent Scotland. In 2005, McRae competed in
3078-725: The Frenchman recovered from an injury he sustained in a cycling accident immediately prior to the event. A final-stage alternator problem led to him retiring from seventh place. He was subsequently dropped by Citroën for the upcoming Rally Australia and replaced by Xavier Pons . In August 2007, McRae said he was still hoping to find a seat for the 2008 WRC season, but said 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." In 2007, talking to Autosport podcast, David Richards confirmed that he and McRae had talked about McRae's comeback to Subaru for season 2008. Robert Reid
3159-508: The Knockhill round, where he collided with Matt Neal . Race officials found McRae to have caused an avoidable collision and subsequently disqualified him. On his promotion for 1993 , McRae initially drove the Prodrive -built Group A Subaru Legacy alongside Finns Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Markku Alén . McRae then won his first WRC rally in the car at that year's Rally New Zealand . It
3240-563: 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 , a popular funeral song. The song " (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay " by Otis Redding , a favourite song of McRae's,
3321-465: The SCSA would come to an end after the final race of this season. However, the teams, and the organisers of the Mac Tools V8 Trophy vowed to continue in 2008, whether as a MSA Sanctioned championship, or just as a "series". The final recognised oval racing season was won by Colin White , with the field reduced once more to seven rounds, competed by only 15 drivers. 2008 heralded a new direction for
European Late Model Series - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-529: The age of thirteen. At the age of sixteen, through the Coltness Car Club, McRae found autotesting , obtained a Mini Cooper and started competing. A year later, he began to negotiate with another club member to use a borrowed Hillman Avenger GT for the Kames Stages, a single-venue stage rally not far from McRae's home. McRae finished the event thirteenth; first in his class although he had run most of
3483-529: The church. Around 700 mourners filled the church, with crowds of up to 15,000 outside. Shortly before 4 p.m., Martin Hewins, McRae's personal bagpiper for many years, played " Flower of Scotland " 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
3564-542: The contract, reluctant to commit such a high amount of their budget to a driver's salary. The two parties split into 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
3645-466: The crash. McRae's previously active website, ColinMcRae.com , 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. The funeral for Colin and Johnny took place on 26 September at Daldowie Crematorium near Glasgow, conducted by the Rev Tom Houston, who had married
3726-572: The day before McRae's death. An adaptation of the game for mobile phones was released by Codemasters Mobile. Colin McRae: Dirt 2 was released on the Wii on 8 September 2009, it released on PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on 11 September 2009, the PC version was released on 8 December 2009. This was the last mainline game in the series to bear the 'Colin McRae' moniker. On 27 June 2013, a remastered version of Colin McRae Rally 2.0 , simply titled Colin McRae Rally ,
3807-427: The driver's championship, two points behind Subaru 's Richard Burns . With victory in the Safari Rally in 2002 , McRae made the record books as the driver with most event wins in the World Rally Championship. His record was broken by Carlos Sainz . 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
3888-516: The driver's title, which he secured with a victory in a straight contest with his double champion teammate, Carlos Sainz , 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 and the Tour de Corse , McRae could not better second place in
3969-477: The event in a higher position. In 1986, driving a Talbot Sunbeam , McRae entered the Scottish Rally Championship with Ian Grindrod , his father's co-driver, as his co-driver, and soon made a name for himself with his speed and exciting style of driving. His driving style drew many comparisons to Finnish ex-World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen , whom McRae had always idolised. His first WRC event
4050-845: The first British driver to win the World Rally Championship Drivers' title . At 27, McRae was the youngest ever World Champion, a record that stood until 2022. McRae's performances with the Subaru World Rally Team enabled the team to win the World Rally Championship Manufacturers' title three times in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997 . After four years with the Ford Motor Co. team, where McRae won nine events, he moved to Citroën World Rally Team in 2003 where, despite not winning an event, he helped them win their first manufacturers' title. He
4131-536: The generation's final years, aerodynamic development led to some of the cars (otherwise known as "offset" bodies) being called "twisted sisters" in reference to the asymmetrical shapes of the car's body. The Car of Tomorrow, by contrast, featured a symmetrical body in order to curb aerodynamic development wars in an attempt to cut costs. The inaugural championship in 2001 was won by future NASCAR driver John Mickel racing for Torquespeed. In 2002 French driver Nicolas Minassian of RML Group arrived from CART and took
SECTION 50
#17331146348124212-400: The helicopter. A fatal accident inquiry into the incident concluded, on 6 September 2011, that McRae was at fault for the avoidable helicopter crash that led to his death and the death of his passengers. Sheriff Nikola Stewart stated, after the 16-day inquiry, that McRae had been engaged in "unnecessary and unsafe" low-level flying at the time of the crash, and that as a private pilot McRae
4293-571: The main area and apron of the circuit. In 2002 and 2003 the series also raced in Germany at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz but the venue was eventually dropped due to the costs involved and the projected grid numbers of cars willing to make the journey. The entire 2008 season was a road racing based series as opposed to the Oval circuits. This incorporated trips to Snetterton , Cadwell Park , Lydden Race Circuit , Brands Hatch , Pembrey Circuit , Mallory Park and
4374-404: The only drivers who raced in every season, whilst various drivers from a range of different styles of motorsport competed either single races or single seasons, most notably Colin McRae , Aaron Slight , Jason Plato , Max Papis , and the 2002 champion Nicolas Minassian . The ASCAR Mintex Cup made its debut in 2001 with the first ever race being held at the Rockingham Motor Speedway on 26 May,
4455-407: The pilot encountering handling difficulties, misjudgement, spatial disorientation, distraction or a combination of such events. There were indications that the pilot had started recovery but, with insufficient height in which to complete it, the helicopter struck trees in the valley and crashed, killing all four occupants." The parents of Ben Porcelli had not given McRae permission to take their son in
4536-425: The pit garages. The 1.48 mile American-style banked oval circuit was 18.3 metres (60.0 ft) wide and had a maximum bank angle of seven degrees and comprised four very distinct corners. Rockingham's oval was unique in the UK and one of only two speedways in Europe (the other is Lausitzring). The oval circuit could also be converted to a road course layout for events by positioning temporary chicanes and curves both on
4617-548: The race was won by former two-time BTCC champion John Cleland for his Chevrolet -powered Cleland Speedsport team. The event that took part in front of 12,000 fans saw Cleland qualify on pole, however he had to fight back to win the race which had seen six-different race leaders Further rounds at Rockingham, Knockhill Racing Circuit in Scotland , EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany and Mondello Park in Ireland were cancelled due to
4698-409: The rest of that season, however, which resulted in only sixth place in the championship standings overall. Moreover, a rare personal pointless run had begun for McRae that year which only stopped with a podium on the following February's Swedish Rally . McRae went on to be victorious on the asphalt turns of Catalunya and the gravel of Greece, and post 4th in the 2000 overall standings. Midway through
4779-408: The scene in cooperation with Strathclyde Police. The wreckage of the helicopter was removed to Farnborough for further forensic investigation. A 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 manoeuvering at high speed and low height. It
4860-441: The season. In 2004 the ASCAR label was dropped completely and the series was labelled as the "Days of Thunder Racing Series", the series also dropped the Germany races due to the costs involved and the projected grid numbers of cars willing to make the journey. The season which now ran exclusively from Rockingham was won by Stevie Hodgson of TorqueSpeed. 2005 saw the series renamed once again "Stock Car Speed Association" (SCSA) after
4941-490: The series as a day out for all the family and had appearances from bands such as Busted and The Darkness . ASCAR fielded the latest NASCAR Generation 4 variant race machines at the time, a combined field of 5.7 litre V8s tuned to 470 bhp & sporting Ford Taurus , Chevrolet Monte Carlo or Pontiac Grand Prix body shells. In 1992, the Gen 4 car arrived at the sport when steel bodies became primarily custom made instead of using stock pieces, and wind tunnels became
SECTION 60
#17331146348125022-444: The series with a focus on road courses due to a lack of dates offered by the oval tracks. The cars ran as part of the VSR Series , with the stock cars known as the VSR V8 Trophy. In 2009 the series joined with CAMSO V8 to form the new European Late Model Series . In 2003 the series took on the additional name of "Days of Thunder" after the film of the same name . This was done as a marketing tool as starting in this year they promoted
5103-423: The short ovals together and most of them have been with me since I was 10, they didn't let me down. They won it for me." The 2002 season saw the peak number of drivers racing in the series with 37 taking part during the year, representing a total of 13 teams. Each race event would partner the BRSCC Pickup Truck Racing , with the series being split between six-events at Rockingham, and two in Lausitz consisting of
5184-413: The stages of the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally before being forced into retirement, he then went on to score three consecutive victories in Argentina, Cyprus and Greece 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
5265-406: The standings in either 1996 or 1997, on both occasions behind Finland and Mitsubishi Ralliart 's Tommi Mäkinen . He helped 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 in Gran Canaria ,
5346-418: The title going to French driver Nicolas Minassian of RML Group who only won the one race back in Round 2. In 2003 the series took on the additional name of "Days of Thunder" after the film of the same name , the season was reduced to 13 rounds spanning over 8 events at both Rockingham and Lausitz. Minassian's replacement at RML, Ben Collins took six race victories, all coming in the final eight rounds of
5427-923: The title. Further Champions were Ben Collins in 2003, who also worked as The Stig on Top Gear during his ASCAR tenure, Stevie Hodgson, Michael Vergers, Oli Playle and Colin White . Although most of the field often included a field of British professional and semi-professional stock car drivers, a number of well-known racing drivers from across a wide variety of series competed, often racing either single races or for one full season. They included former WRC champion Colin McRae , ex Formula 1 drivers Max Papis and Kelvin Burt , former IndyCar series driver Darren Manning , former World Superbike Championship rider Aaron Slight , American Nascar drivers Randy Tolsma , Brandon Whitt and Steve Grissom also took part, as did former BTCC champions Jason Plato , Matt Neal and John Cleland . Aside from Ben Collins, future Top Gear presenter Chris Harris took part in
5508-419: Was Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team driver Matthew Wilson in a Ford Focus WRC. McRae's brother Alister McRae won the classic category. In November 2008 McRae was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame . In 2015, 20 years from when McRae won the 1995 WRC Championship, an exhibition of memorabilia, including cars, was displayed at a service park at 2015 Rally GB. In November 2020,
5589-402: Was added to the series. Because of disagreements between promoters at Venray and Warneton, the series split in 2013. The CAMSO V8 name was revived for the championship held at Warneton, which also includes visits to Lydden Hill, while the championship held at Venray was named the LMV8 Supercup. For 2017 the Series will be revived with races at Warneton and Lelystad. European Late Model Series
5670-466: 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 . Such were the rising fortunes of his young Subaru factory team as they competed against the frontrunning Toyota -powered Team TTE , who were excluded from the championship after the 1995 Rally Catalunya due to the use of an illegal air restrictor . It took only until 1995 for McRae to win
5751-420: Was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to motorsport in 1996. With 25 victories in the WRC, McRae held the record for the most wins in the series at the time of his retirement from full time rallying in 2003. A record since beaten. In 2007, McRae was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed near his home. His son and two family friends were also killed. McRae
5832-520: Was born in Lanark , Scotland, to Jimmy and Margaret McRae. Jimmy McRae was the five-time winner of the British Rally Championship . McRae was the eldest of three brothers; his middle brother, Alister McRae , is also a rally car driver. McRae's maternal uncle Hugh "Shug" Steele was also a former rally driver. He attended Robert Owen Primary School and Lanark Grammar School and studied for
5913-480: Was contacted by McRae to be his co-driver and the pair were due to test together, but McRae was killed before the test could take place. McRae died on 15 September 2007 whilst piloting his private helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350B2 Squirrel , which crashed one mile (1.6 km) north of Lanark , Scotland, close to the McRae family home. McRae's five-year-old son Johnny, and two family friends, Graeme Duncan and Johnny's six-year-old friend Ben Porcelli, also died in
5994-407: Was forced to choose between dropping McRae or Sainz. With Sainz being the more successful of the two during the 2003 season, McRae 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
6075-444: Was intact before 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 a low height, during which the helicopter deviated from its intended flight path; whether due to
6156-478: Was overlooked by the 6280 seat Rockingham Building, a steel-framed, glass-fronted grandstand building containing suites, offices, bars and kitchens, and by four grandstands. Together the building and grandstands offered a total seating capacity of 52,000. The inner pit and paddock complex was accessed from the Rockingham Building via two pedestrian tunnels and there was a further spectator viewing area on top of
6237-540: Was played when the family entered the chapel. The Proclaimers ' song " I'm on My Way " 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 and Dario Franchitti . A "Celebration of Life" service took place at St Nicholas Church in Lanark on Sunday 30 September at 4 p.m. Images from McRae's career and personal life were displayed on large video screens outside
6318-558: Was released for iOS devices, with ports to Android and Windows released in 2014. In 2003, McRae started designing a rally car named the McRae R4, which he debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007. It was designed to be an economic alternate to other rally cars, with an additional focus on safety. Built by DJM Race Preparation, the McRae R4's chassis is based on a steel safety cage with carbon panelling front and rear, and
6399-609: Was signed by Prodrive boss David Richards to his Subaru team in the British Rally Championship 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 level. In 1992, McRae made his debut in the British Touring Car Championship , with a one-off appearance for the Prodrive-run BMW factory team at
6480-563: Was the 1987 Swedish Rally in a Vauxhall Nova where he finished 36th overall, and again two years later, driving the Sierra and finishing 15th overall. In 1988 he took the Scottish Rally Championship series crown in his Vauxhall Nova. His next car was a Ford Sierra XR 4x4 . In 1989, he finished 5th overall at Rally New Zealand in a rear-wheel drive Sierra Cosworth. In 1990 McRae achieved sixth place in that year's RAC Rally , despite several accidents. In 1991, McRae turned professional as he
6561-621: Was unqualified and untrained to fly at such a level. McRae's flying licence was also found to have expired in 2005, and his "valid type rating" for the helicopter had expired in March 2007. In memory of McRae, the Swedish Rally organisers 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 United Arab Emirates driver Khalid al-Qassimi , who recorded
#811188