Racing Legends: Colin Mcrae

I'm Chris Hoy Olympic cycling champion and lifelong fan of rally driving now I'm going to retrace the steps of one of my all-time sporting heroes nineties rally legend Colin McRae Colin McCrea is straight up a god that guy's amazing with the help of his friends and family is spectacular I'm on a mission to uncover Wow what made him such a revered driver by attempting to drive like Cohen hey you do know right I'll discover a man who lived life to the limit and drove to the limit too like all geniuses he had his flaws but he was respected around the world Colin was definitely one of my biggest inspirations now I'm going to experience the Colin McCrea story from the driver's seat right now taking a ride is just so much fun as a professional cyclist I've been crowned world champion 11 times an Olympic champion on six occasions but that doesn't stop me looking for the next big thrill this is my purpose-built track car a toy that helps me feed my love of speed I think all young boys want to be racing drivers at some point in their lives suppose there are similarities between cycling and track driving if you don't think ahead and things happen too quickly we've got too much to go here Kozinski a poll has the I love cycling and I love I love cars too and so I don't suppose you have to be wanting either you can give me both so nobody game of course when it comes to driving I'm just an amateur but that hasn't stopped me wondering what life might have been like had I chosen a different route like Colin McRae wasn't just the winner winning obviously he was the best driver in his time and he was he was world champion but it was the way that it that was so special sadly Colin died when a helicopter he was piloting crashed in 2007 the tragedy also claimed the life of his son and two other people but four legions of fans the success as a rally driver is still an inspiration Colin was just a born winner it was all about being the fastest the best and the quickest amazingly McRae turned a 1 minute 14 seconds it into a 36 second win when he was behind the wheel there was nothing else like it you know he was he was in his world his own world his legacy when were born because he was an all-action hero how you gonna attack tomorrow just attack again 100 percent he was just flat out all the time and a runaway victory for Colin McCrea and his co-driver Derek ringer he was the people's champion he's going to live on in our memories forever Colin McRae 1995 World Rally Champion now I'm going to retrace the steps of Britain's first World Rally Champion and with the help of his friends and family attempt to drive just like Colin I'm massively looking forward to the next few days it's obviously such a tragic story as well that it's going to be I'm sure be quite difficult at times to I don't expect to be any good at rally driving at all you know I think I'll really enjoy it but I'm under no illusions that I'm any kind of Colin McCrea the second before I meet those who knew him best I want to understand what made Colin McCrea legendary so I'm getting the lowdown from a man who knows what it takes to drive a rally car meet American rally driver ken block block is a superstar famous for his trademark urban rally driving which has become an internet phenomenon in terms of driving style kanna's as close as it gets to McRae so with the help of archived footage I wanted to grill him on what made colum take the pure appreciation of having fun with a car was something that we shared quite genuinely we'd love to just play with these cars which is so aggressive at that done yeah colin was definitely one of my biggest inspirations you know because of the way that he drove those cars in those days this is when I first got interested in rally just when he won the World title and you know he switches on TV and you watch this she can't feel to be excited by this the stale which he approached the rally stages full commitment absolutely flat out is spectacular bravery seems to be a key ingredient in a rally drivers makeup and Colin's mantra of F and a flat a often gave him the upper hand but this approach also earned him the nickname Colin McCrea whoa whoa this is Finland I think he crashed three different times in this rally there's another one same role Colin was also the first rally driver to gain notoriety in the USA helped by a spectacular performance in America's first-ever televised rally yeah Colin came over the first year that we had the X Games rally competition and it was a very exciting time her teammate was one of the biggest legends in the sport Colin McRae one thing for sure McRae cannot afford a slip-up travis pastrana with the best time and Colin made just a tiny mistake right at the end of the last stage the most amazing thing for us really was we can see him actually downshift from second to first as he's rolling the car the guy just had so much experience and hey if it does land back on its wheels he wanted to be ready landed on its wheels and he took off and he lost I don't know a second or two did the transition a bit too much in the jump in it that hoop ten in the front and over we went dude Colin McCrea is straight up a god this guy comes out here rolls the car not even OB lost time that guy's amazing there we go another thing : is famous for is this computer game good recovery the legends franchise sold over 10 million copies worldwide making him a household name your reactions are collected though it's good as I like 3 I just hoped my driving would be better in a few days time when I be doing this for real I'm not good at talking and drive at the same time we have a decent track my first meeting with the McRae family is at Collins farm in lanning sure the house he and his wife Allison made their family home awesome to meet you how are you thank you to be here today to meet his family and to see where all started it's a great privilege the heart is always like this Dylan Manik Suresh always later my guide for the next few days would be Colin's dad Jimmy who as a five time British Rally Champion can take some of the credit for his son's glittering career I'm very excited to meet Jimmy a legend in his own right and you know I think people talk about him as Colin's dad but I think they forget that actually colon used to be Jimmy's son him you know he was five times British Rally Champion a real icon in the sport and easier without the card here Norman to my amazement Colin's treasured car collection is still housed here like an aircraft hi yeah yeah Wow bigger than you use your family galleries that yeah just about well it's great machine to it cuz not just very definitely yeah every car we uncovered revealed another part of this fascinating story the autotest many he drove aged 14 the Talbots sunbeam he learned to rallyin this was built for both Scottish championship it was then and his first professional car slightly bigger than Delhi the legacy was the start of his model championship career that Mister statement still into the World Championship but there was one car that Jimmy had a special connection with it's pretty special yep this is a Sierra Cosworth yes this was originally my car when the Scotties rally with this one there was one in only take one beautiful family would rallied by Jimmy : and his brother Alistair this family a limb played a part in all their careers how did he handle that well that's when he he beat me so very well I did all right yeah not at all the thing about this car is well it's it's road legal sucking teeth like you just know it's not offer I said okay yeah well treat Jimmy was going to take me back to where it all started for Colin we were going to find out exactly how his son became a rally legend I know a shortcut here we'll head up this gravel road ever it's pretty good nice one and I had a feeling it might be a bumpy ride Cullens driving ability was obviously in his DNA but I know from personal experience that it takes hard work to get to the top of your game his story starts on two wheels by the age of 13 Collins showed promise on a motorbike and had befriended Scottish junior champion Robbie Allen if you see in Colin straightaway this this competitive instinct was there something about him the basics I learned a bit of the balance the throne control of a motor Beatty Hyde Street Hwy what you then was able to do was adapt the skills he had we very quickly got the stage Williams's score his champion it in his age group I mean that was worse than once straightaway that sure this sort of determination and the short of a competitive age they had within a year Colin had taken the Scottish junior scrambles crane making a name for himself as one of the best young talents in the country when I was doing BMX as a kid I was just to look up to the older guys or the guys are have bitten me and think what was it they were doing that was different was that say McCullen that he looked to guys like yourself and Bottomly knows he'd be better than everybody else in his own age group so he had to then look at where the next target was the next can a challenge for him wasn't if the challenge was somebody older more experienced then that's where you go was great to see so many kids I enjoying the facility here I mean who knows it could be a coma create a future right there dissing a future role champion leaving in loss gross at anything he doesn't matter no absolutely even cycling you never know but to his mother's relief Cullen didn't want to be a motorcyclist he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a professional rally driver well Colin you're 19 now doing your first long mud RAC rally yes how old were you indeed you first rally just a bit foot weeks after my left I'm 70 is battling good night sleep is my strength to a nickel what's it like Marvin being surrounded by all this lot my biggest problem is Colin because I don't think he knows his limitations [ __ ] it hasn't fighters you need he's got a few rough edges to be filed off in 1988 : entered the Scottish Rally Championship in a humble Vauxhall Nova one of the slowest cars and a 10 stage competition that year Jimmy McRae set out for what he hoped would be his winning drive in his midgel event but keeping up with his father Ciara would be impossible nevermind challenging that year's favorite the reigning British champion David calendars from Aberdeen back again behind the wheel of his four-wheel-drive Metro 6r4 calendars drove a metro that was so powerful it was eventually banned but that didn't stop calling having a go the speedy was able to get that little machine was just incredible something displaying more than a touch of natural ability colin mcrae son of British Open champion Jimmy was the most remarkable result of the day just a few rallies into the season - everybody's amazement Cullen was keeping up with the big players so Colin ninth in the Scottish you must be very pleased very very pleased never thought would be back here today in this possession I've been happy just to win my class never I saw that we create difficult even to enter the top twenty was the composition and one is the bestop I'm not going to say then : and Jem were able to sort our sierra cosworth it was capable of of winning and we wanted to do that now McRae junior had a fighting chance of beating Gillanders in his monster metro Yolanda's was determined in his attack on the championship lead he raced on to finish over a minute ahead of McRae Colin and his co-driver Derek were steadily catching the leader of the pack Colin wore an iconic driver he had that spot that made people take notice want to see him drying generate was over all those early days it was always this is young Colin Jimmy's son but it wasn't so long before it was this is this is Jimmy Colin's dad by the final rally of the 88 season Colin was poised to win the Scottish title you Olga Landers don't finish today you win the championship after birth and I agree when the championship after beaten and I think he would like to beat me as well that's a good fun you've been rallying for the same length of time as his age yeah I tell her that rubbish I've been competitive it for years i've rallied off and on twelve so you know we should keep this thing in perspective a thing the 20 year old was ready for a showdown but early in the rally Gillanders lost control of his mighty metro disaster for Galindez crashing on the first stage out of the rally and the championship with his rival gone : had won the Scottish championship but in a sign of things to come you draw flat-out anyway Colin McRae and co-driver Derek ringer and the champagne corks were popping knowing for you because you were never able to win the Scottish Championship is to actually is done a few things I've never done so it is all the movie but half a mile from the first stage of circle Anders failed or feel that capella drafted in my next meeting with Jimmy is at the sweet lamb rally complex and mid-wales eventually I'm going to emulate Colin McCrea by driving a world-class rally car but to get there I must first learn the basics and a Tobit Sunbeam which is exactly what Colin did basically this car is just a replica for Colin started birth when he was 18 year old it's just a nice little really basic starting point is fuel the car moving yep if you find the car's not 1/2 ton then stir a little just a weed job at hand buddy to bring the nose in yeah to the handbrake knowing that one yeah mr. beekeeping isolated all the day yeah that's impressive let me watch your back oh yeah I'm back on the throttle the wheel spent then keeps the cardamom into my baby okay throwing a rally car around a corner is like learning an intricate dance routine something that Cohen had down to a fine art everybody out of a hot dream done wish you were using a very take corner normally is persistent up here learning the second Tokyo budget country car watch a yearly golden bucket sweet lime I was ready for my attempt at cornering okay okay carry on let's go okay throw this light be a throttle basically see if you can do is a spender in the Korea right just pray pray pray throttle I said keep it going Kim throttle throttle throttle hirato you know I could see how Colin's experiences and motorbikes help them rallying is all about balancing the car and understanding how it reacts to the slightest of movements this is Veronica that's it that's it very good that was good keep it going keep it going that's it fortunately my career to wheels seems to stood me in good stead behind the laughter it going hey good see you taking over a lea this is a lover I can see this Oh baby I think I was probably the most fun I've had playing the wheel just being a hooligan sliding about in the mud Jimmy Makris it and actually tell you what to do it doesn't get much better than that it's probably better luck than I would be in and has push bake but riding a bike is a world away from my final challenge driving a World Rally spec subaru impreza there's gonna be more intimidating it's committee just bigger lighter faster I think as long as I take it steady and don't get carried away I should hopefully be alright keep on the road that's the most importantly I can totally understand why Cowan was hooked on rally right now you know I wish I wish I'd taken a ride it's just it's so much fun Colin was signed by Subaru in 1991 at the age of 23 he was at last a professional rally driver starting the 91 season with Pro Drive and Subaru was a major step forward in both : and my careers I don't think you bizarre surprise I mean it was a risk because Colin was relatively unproven in on stage he started out in the British Rally Championship which he won two years on the truck the spectacular driving style and beard him to the fans unfortunately his new employers are deep enough pockets to keep providing him with new cars there was a few ups and downs but you know generally we were quicker than everyone else the second year you know he won the championship I think he won every rally he was already starting to show that really the place for Colin was the world championship by the 93 season Subaru were ready to give the young superstar a shot on the world stage it was after all 17 years since any other British driver had won a World Rally it was that important to Colin that important to the whole sport despite huge investment the team were yet to win a single rally in the world championship there was a a real desperation for this car to win you know Subaru and it invested an awful lot of money in the car so there was a huge amount of pressure but in the car he'd won two British titles in column was totally at ease the crane is now right in the middle of that fantastic five car fight for the lead he proved he could fight that really turned him from a possible leader to the potential winner McRae is setting a storming pace over seven seconds faster than any of his opposition on this long twisting stage and he moves from fourth to first place Francois Delica closes to winning second Delacorte is driving right on the limit he could see he felt but this was his time but great white's back and as they start the last stage at that point everyone in the team was in pain that works and we were only leading by a handful of seconds their time as the results came in the final outcome was impossible to call it was a neo baton fingering leave another say to the world watching but Colin had done it from McRae a moment to savor success never last your son has just won his first World Championship rally it was there was something really very special it's Collins first when it was Subarus first win it was a start of a new era for Colin and for the team it really put us on the map having you waited awhile for this yeah the old team has working so hard for three years now he's glad and Gotha I'm sure that's going to come a lot easier by 1995 Subarus fortunes were changing we had a powerful new car the Impreza and had signed up double world champion Carlos Sainz to leave the team so Carlos was able to give us Colorado experience as a big big driver he was able to push the team but I don't think we'd have seen the best of Carlos if we hadn't had a young gun like Colin my ambition at the end of the day is to be world champion if we can continue next year as we have been at the moment then as a possibility to start with Colin just quietly looked up to him and slightly Anor but didn't last very long Colin was soon determined to knock him off his perch improve who was the fastest an internal sort of battle start to develop between Colin and cars and ahead of the meal it's a Subaru war Colin was one of the toughest Dimitar I have sometimes he was beating me sometimes I was flipping him color sights takes over the lead he's being caught hand over this by Colin McRae the young stop and Derek ringer on the place notes is driving an absolute storm with two rallies to go McCray was just a head of Science in the race for the drivers prize we were headed for the world title one of our drivers either Carlos Saints or Colin was gonna be a world champion but Subaru were worried that the fight might end in a crash in the penultimate rally of the season the pair were way ahead of the pack when they were ordered to stop racing each other I had to say look guys I don't need a battle from here on you're just gonna follow in the order you are now so it's team orders but when the order came Colin was in second place but fighting for the championship I should have to finish second there are other issues that come into this we're running a team for Subaru to win the manufacturers title and it would be foolish to fight inside a team it's the reality of being in a professional team I'm afraid next thing we know Colin is going flat out everywhere but Bray is inspired he is going for broke one thing you can be sure about Connors that he was never going to to be rough the three rings in in and over holding Tsuru team sensing the prey is pressing on regardless resort to desperate and dangerous tactics to slow him down McCray has other ideas in Spain : recorded a faster time than Carlos but his disobedience had jeopardized his chances of winning anything it's hard to remember what I said in the heat of the moment but I'm sure I was probably threatened that he wouldn't be at the final round of the championship in Britain if he disobeyed team orders and we just gift the championship to Carlos : on paper you've won this rally is that the situation yeah we've had to do Ken a minute late new silver sex so this was team categoric team orders yeah that's what it was Collin was forced to give the victory to signs meaning Lee went into the final rally of the season on equal points the situation that occurred in Catalonia probably gave us an extra edge on the last round of the championship you're in an enviable position Colin being the only Brit to be able to bring the World Championship back to your home country [ __ ] my cell phone if I said there's no pressure that has but I just have to deal with it the best I can and then go on and do the best job colin mcrae was sounding a loud warning to his rivals determined to become Britain's first ever world champion Colin McCrea drove like never before in front of this film crave a game he was posting faster times than Carlos Sainz he gained another 15 seconds I can I can no more at the moment I am driving as fast a second quite simply he was unbeatable Colin McRae on course for the world title wishing the empresa to the limit sometimes beyond it I don't think anybody really took in that Britain could be in with a chance of winning the World Rally Champion and then he delivered and it was it was the biggest moment for British rally the spectators waned before it it was just incredible to drive through that even the Sun came out as Colin McRae steered the Subaru safely home to victory section then when we passed the finish line you know the feeling of relief was just incredible then the triumphant return of Colin McRae it was to be the start of a very long party colin mcrae the end of an epic journey 1,500 miles which has taken him into the motorsport record books the first man in 13 years to retain the RAC title and britain's first world champion you had actually had to be driving flat-out on you know for all the faster than if I tell you some things I think there's Danny he'd done what no Briton had ever done before and no Scott had ever done before he was fiercely proud of that and he'd become the World Rally Champion soon I'm going to recreate Colin's famous victory by driving the legendary WRC Impreza and for my next lesson I'm at a disused aerodrome awaiting an old friend of Cohen's Ken Block and some entrance heading he started somehow so you gotta get advice to give me well the main thing is don't crash oh cars basically one of the big things of learning driver rally cars learning the weight transfer card overseer how you control it and get the maximum speed out of you it may look like a thrill raid but this car has been set up to handle just like a rally car weed on gravel using amazing dexterity ken was demonstrating how to keep the car perfectly balanced at all times still got buzz I do this to succeed in the empresa I needed to take note especially as there is just one obstacle left for Ken to tackle a bokken boomer so Chris how'd you like it that was amazing absolutely like nothing else had done honestly I was trying to pick up all these things I was trying to watch you is where I was actually we were going but literally it was just so aggressive and full-on I'm you know in this tire smoke coming in and all these all these assault on your set on your senses this cars a little more violent it makes your slides around is a little more dramatic than how you want to drive on the gravel though you know keeping things in a nice straight line and getting as much grip as possible always a faster technique if you can get that mastered in that car you should be very proud of yourself yes Isaac after his 1995 World title Cullen was at an all-time high he was about and away from the track he married the girl of his dreams yeah whoo Alison that was a long-term project it doesn't happen overnight every time I'm out of the weekend it was always there in the background asking me out he would obtain and to eventually given Cohen had it all he was the fastest rally driver of his generation but his inconsistency opened the door to an up-and-coming rival the new kid on the block was Tommi makinen who was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer and that was the car that began to set the standards for the next two or three years Tommy many many congratulations an absolutely superb right thank you thank you fairly sporadic very Fred I'm very happy the Fen beat Colin to the world title in 1996 97 98 and 99 it's unbelievable feeling but : the Subaru team didn't like coming second we had as good a car as anybody probably better in some events and circumstance just played against him no it was just a disaster there's no one's gonna ski but really when you fought so hard for so many years to lose it sort of see kids from the end of the penultimate event as it's a disaster the losses had put Colin's relationship with Subaru under serious strain I did try looking after him like my own son I tried sort of battling with him arguing with him shouting at him I tried coercing him I drove bribing I tried anything I still won the window even when child rejected I wonder how I have a good wage in you know finished up in the end the team couldn't stop they're frustrated star from seeking pastures new yeah it was quite a an atmosphere really some of sadness some of bitterness upset and I think it was good for both parties that the calling moved on after a string of near misses his new partnership with Ford could be just what he needs to take him back to the top Colin's new employers had high hopes for their latest car the focus they were looking for a very very high-profile driver for the 1999 season I had no problem convincing the Ford management that you know Colin McRae would be exactly what we were looking for Ford made Colin the highest-paid rally driver in history from a wage of 10 grand at Subaru in 1991 to a 3 million pound year contract with Ford in 1999 by far the biggest amount that was ever paid to a to a rally driver and of course the money taught but Colin had gone for a proven car he knew well - one with teething problems that was unfamiliar to order splash and without the firm hand of his old boss to keep him in check McCrea often pushed his new machine beyond its limits Malcolm was our team boss that's there's no doubt and and Colin respected that fact but I think Malcolm couldn't really control Colin if you give Colin a couple of inches or create a mile out of it straightaway a combination of extreme driving and mechanical failures made the Colin finished just three out of 14 rallies in 1999 I think the fact was that when Colin crashed it generally was end of rally but his uncompromising commitment to being the fastest was earning him more respect than ever before sometimes he just pushed that little bit too hard for the when because he was a went off you know in God loves I went on in the six Colin's approach you win or bust fastest stage time nothing is exactly what the fans want to see is what made Colin great by 2000 Colin had a legendary reputation but winning championships requires a more calculated approach his record could have been even better if he'd just taken just a slightly slower more cautious approach to things but away from the madness of rally driving Colin was growing up he and Allison had bought a farm in their home county of Lenexa and were starting a family and McRae's knew fine responsibilities was changing him as a driver too come 2001 he seemed to have finally bonded with his focus it started to come good you know that the partnership began to work as the season progressed the car and Colin got quicker and quicker but standing in his way was a young English star driving for his old team the battle for the drivers crown was between Colin and Richard burns I don't really give a damn who's behind me you know I want to I want to do the best I can I just want to win the championship it doesn't matter who I beat obviously rich is gonna be one of the most competitive people McCrea had a big point to prove against the Subaru driver and what was hailed as the Battle of Britain by the final rally of the season Cullen led by a single point all he needed to do was to drive faster than burns and the World Championship would be his it was very much that I can only debate situation you take my manger that day we just Morris celebrating really you just kind of set to drive around really trees sky road trees sky road bing bang bosch my word my word what an accident but that's colin mcrae that was it even there was absolutely you normally the first thing a driver does is push start button again but i had you the tape and you have we through accident we weren't going to be pushing this now button again then it wasn't the rally it was the championship once again after all the hopes and expectations Colin had pushed it too far it was hard to swallow really you know it must have made him check himself for the future to realize how stupid I was to throw that away yeah I made a mistake I cut a corner on just the back too much and there was a hole and then Sadin it flood the Carib say they desperately disappointing for you yeah but we were trying to win the championship and things like that can happen I'm just you know sorry for the whole team it was soon here but we haven't got it again all I will say is take a look at the look of my face it was Collins lost real chance at the championship two years later he left the WRC to seek pastures new I'm n merzouga Morocco where Colin came to prepare for his next big challenge I think a lot of people just when they talked about it con crave the think about the world Valley but really his his career was was very diverse and he took part in a number of different aspects of motorsport and the pie backer rally was was obviously one of the biggest ones that he was involved with unable to find the right offer from a WRC team Colin turned to engines racing finishing third in his class at LeMond before competing in the Dakar twice the Dakar Rally is the ultimate of fraud marathon the last time Colin entered it in 2005 it stretched from Barcelona through the deserts of North Africa before finishing in Senegal you it seemed that rather than enjoy a little time off Colin was intent on taking things up a gear hey you see him hey Warren last time I saw ya just a bit so what was it about the Dakar Rally that Colin claims so exciting you know he had seen from the past you know where well has ie Diwali Vartan and had that had come from Brian and come to Dhaka and was very successful you know it's fantastic challenges one of the the greatest challenge is motorsport to come and do well and Dhaka well they came our Childers to here to do some testing in 2004 and 2005 with a the Nessen Dakar car because you know you've got the the dunes very close and you've got wide open desert from the other side of us sort of the ideal place to me it seems that the thought of me trying to do the Tour de France you guys could imagine waiting for three weeks in a row and I'm a sprinter do short distance events to me that's what it seems like for a rally driver he's you stood in these very short very intense stages you wonder why you should you by you and want to do that because it's a pretty grueling event you know you're talking about 550 kilometres here's what a special stage so it's pretty hard work I was about to get a taste of the world's longest rally courtesy of Jimmy and he lined up a very special vehicle developed by Collins brother Alastair the McRae enduro this beast of a 4x4 is powerful enough to lug through the finest sand is able to run for 2,000 kilometers on a single tank can cool itself in the searing heat and her suspension that sucks up the toughest of terrains designed especially for the dark are the inderal is quite simply a beast of a car I'm sure I wanted love to the place to miss then yeah but the family with a late I've seen would be both Alistair and Colin driving lesson a dark out at some point obviously doing well if we could right let's go for it here I've no idea what the best way to serve experience what the Dakar Rally is or them just to get out there in the car is that Colin and the guys would have driven in and and just to see what the terrains like but you know this is quite an intimidating environment to do it in and I think a lot of the danger is just the element surprise things that come out of nowhere where's the cup holder I just know condition side okay let's do okay diesel Jimmy didn't start rallying until he was in his thirties and as a result he missed out on international competitions like the Dakar but I had a feeling the honey started a little younger he would have made a name for himself on the world stage sadly : never experienced the thrill of his brother allister's creation but at least Jimmy's been able to get his teeth into this 1.8 ton monster vehicle winning the dark car requires an equal mix of mana machine and the true test of that was looming on the horizon to me the djinns look like they're the ones that you know you can have some spectacular issues up there I think the dunes are the most difficult you need the most experience to get through and we're just going to head up there now so I've got very little experience and you've got none so let's go and have a look scream if you want to go faster look forward to this here we go just limited on this justice stars the Sahara Desert is an unforgiving place but it wasn't hard to see why Colin jumped to the chance to rally here in 2005 Cohen blew the competition away by the time he reached Africa he had built up an unbelievable lead of over five minutes and on my adventure Jimmy was also getting into the groove see that just killer I know where the mccrane family truly are a legendary dynasty of ralliers but the reason Cullen was so spectacular was because he pushed his car to the absolute limit a few stages from a 2005 finish he wiped out once again his flat-out stale so another dream and tatters the car dug in the sand and then flipped over back in the desert I hoped we wouldn't have a similar experience but then we got completely stuck where'd it all go wrong Jimmy you have got an break ornament you better get it it's not gonna do far so this happen in the race itself obviously you'd be doing a bit more urgency but with this big game over would you be able to do there's a few things in the vicinity fiver 40° hee hee how much effort can you bet my respect for Cullen was growing by the minute but then we found a magic button that made life a whole lot easier so it comes down to the card itself that's pretty cool nice thanks to the cars self lifting mechanism it was my turn at the wheel just give you a food flower throttle keep any given airforce Kia Jimmy is a very brave man I wanted to make my teacher proud and if there's one thing I've learned from : it's that in these situations it's best to drive as fast as possible Hey our day in the desert was over and what a day had been well it's been some day doesn't happy it's been really worth what's the trip to get here's to just see what it was all about this is real special Decker sand dunes hello.js with slate airborne moment little boutique I thought the committee's a dead one woman I thought was trying flying home I'm really starting to understand how versatile Colin was as a driver and his ability to turn his hand to anything you know with an engine you could get into it and he could he could do incredible things and you know it was one of these guys that you know if he was going to do something he wanted to do it properly and he was just one of the boys as well it was a team effort as far as he was concerned all the other thing people do become very specialized in what they do and they focus on that and that's that's all we do but Colin just seemed to have this ferocious appetite this determination and he would turn us on to anything no I mean I doesn't make you feel now in Margaret as well when people can tell you stories about Colin and about you know how he impacted in their lives makes you very proud it's a fantastic achievement and I'm sure he would have continued with the dark art I mean that today was fantastic and so thank you thank you very much for that and I probably won't pick up the offeree coming in cycling yeah anything you want Jimmy anything despite leaving the WRC Colin continued to follow his dreams and to push himself even further by 2006 he was back in Scotland planning a return to rallying but as a budding entrepreneur he designed a purpose-built rally car called the McRae r4 this concept vehicle was to be aimed at the semi-professional market after years of work he debuted the car in 2007 but the r4 project was to remain unfinished former world champion rally driver Colin McRae is feared dead along with three other people after a helicopter crash near his home in LAN except Colin McRae's five-year-old son and two family friends were also killed today the fatal accident inquiry ruled that the deaths would have been avoided if Colin McCrea had not taken unnecessary and unsafe risks by flying too low too fast it states for a private pilot such as mr. macclay lacking the necessary training experience or requirement to do so embarking upon such demanding low-level flying in such difficult terrain was imprudent unreasonable and contrary to the principle of good airmanship was really really sad I really felt you know I miss him I miss him a lot in a statement McRae's father Jimmy said he was an inspiration and role model to motorsport fans the world over come to pay tribute fans and friends of Colin McRae champion rally driver and sporting hero it was a very long night just remembering all those great scenes of Colin and this rally car and great memories together it's an absolutely you know massive loss to motorsport and always friends and family the circumstances of the crash are well documented but I wanted Jimmy to know that his son will always have a place in motorsport history it's not to express the fact his life has happened so many people and the legacy that's left behind you know that the generation that he inspired that are still rallying now but also generation just seen him as this this icon and true legend of the sport to be honest I don't think Colin just realized you know what what they be following it hard you know younger generation drivers over here today they've all played the games and it's maybe a way that people have you started in the sport which is really I know enough the term legend gets used I think too much these days but I think it applies absolutely wholeheartedly and for calling such makes me proud you know that it has left that legacy five years after Colin's untimely death I'm going to recreate his most inspiring victory by driving the same rally stage that he clinched the 1995 world title on it does bring it home just how how short life is and then the way that he lived his life you tried to enjoy every moment of it I made the most of it and you know it's the one thing that comes across every person you meet your new column they say the same thing you just had this passion for life and you know it was infectious as a top cyclist I'm used to endless training but I'm not sure if anything can prepare me for the challenge that awaits taking control a genuine WRC Subaru Impreza in the hands of a professional this finely tuned four-wheel drive beast is capable of breakneck speeds no matter what terrain you throw at it the stakes couldn't be higher but fortunately I'll have Collins co-driver from 1995 by my side Derek ringer yeah yeah okay yeah good to meet you the Sunday after day is that this is the iconic WRC car to see the deliveries this is calm kratom uses this is what it means on they're pretty intimidated and quite scared but really looking forward to it what should I expect in terms our step up from from the Sunbeam to this this monster here well it's every billet going from a Shetland pony to a thoroughbred race horse let's do it that way very excited but a little nervous so I keep on there keep it our break keep it off his roof and they're just not down with the car but hopefully have a lot of fun it's just a massive honor to be out there and to get this opportunity to drive alongside Eric and to drive in the seat that Colin is to drive in and be the best I can to do him proud and to do the Jimmy parade okay Chris just about ready to go up Burton notes here it's quite slippery in places today but then we've got some fast corners like here we've got five I was finally ready for the drive of my life Paris on I just hoped I could make Jimmy pride and then where's the button why one just smack their little bear tips are that very quickly very good as I attempted to tame the Impreza I suddenly understood something : once said effing date flat-out he's got to be pipe saying the finishing run then the roster center the race goes Rico's because the chocolate well it's a kind of mixed emotions coming to the end of this this whole journey that's all experience of you know meeting Colin's teammates as his crew his family his friends certainly they're still Grennan you can see me through the windscreen with it with the teeth that is perfectly the smile teeth and the tongue sticking out I've had such a great time it's been fantastic and you know sad that it's over but but also sad that Colin's not here to be part of it or you know his legend lives on still to come tonight on BBC HD the first of our new series the genius of invention that's coming up next

Channel: MSzwed

Views: 765,279

Keywords: Racing, Racing Legends, Legends, Racing Legends: Colin Mcrae, Colin, Mcrae, Colin McRae (Deceased Person), Chris Hoy, Hoy, Jimmy Mcrae, Racinglegends colinmcrae, racinglegendscolinmcrae, racing legends - colin mcrae, racing legends colin mcrae, colin mcrae biography, colin mcrae life, Rally, Rallying (Media Genre), Drift, Race, Lancer, Interview, Dirt, Colin McRae: Dirt (Video Game), Turbo, Ford, Auto, Crash, Interviews, Drifting, Motorsport, Onboard, Cars

Id: T9DC8CWSgb8

Length: 58min 44sec (3524 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 29 2013

Reddit Comments

[u/AvonBarks]

Watched this when it first aired, pretty good documentary. He was a proper driver, all or nothing even in his final moments sadly. R.i.p Colin