And he did it in the best possible fashion. Twelve months earlier in a moment of seriousness among wild celebrations in Chester, McRae informed an adoring crowd that he wanted to be back a year later and he wanted to be fighting for the title. 1 1995 RAC Rally Subaru Impreza 555 (1st overall) Ringer put the result into perspective: "Instead of just being Jim McRae's son, Colin suddenly stood out as a real talent."Ī few weeks later David Richards telephoned Lanark. Despite the dramas, McRae was sixth overall and ahead of Ford's factory cars. We borrowed that, bolted my door shut and carried on."Ĭoming through the Scottish Borders, things really looked up and McRae set four fatsest times as he closed on the finish. "The door was opened again and the team had a quick look around for something to keep it shut - the only thing they could find was the bolt off a farmer's gate. "The team welded my door shut," said Ringer, "but the scrutineers took one look at that and said 'No way!' McRae's co-driver Derek Ringer helped guide him to a controlled and utterly competent first win in Greece - but admitted there was some special speed involved early doors.īy now Ringer's door had started flapping open, a legacy of bouncing off a stone gate in Chatsworth on the opening day. Nobody doubted McRae's speed and his times through stages like New Zealand's tortuously twisty Motu Road had pointed to patience as well as performance, but it was this win that really woke people up to the fact that McRae could drive a tactical rally as well. 5 1996 Acropolis Rally Subaru Impreza 555 (1st overall) Nobody predicted that result, but it worked a treat in showing the world that Colin had moved on from his years in blue and yellow. Neither man nor machine missed a beat and the pairing scored its first win in Africa. The first two rounds were tricky with the all-new, revolutionary Focus and it was with some trepidation that Colin boarded the flight to Kenya for the Safari Rally. So, eight years after his last World Rally Championship start in a Ford, McRae was back behind the Blule Oval at the start of the 1999 season.
0 kommentar(er)
