Rallying Has Something Special About It: Colin McRae

Rallying has something special about it. An X-factor that is hard to put into words. For many millions of fans around the world that follow rallying in its various forms, it is the most exciting sport on earth. Rally is what they get up for in the morning, what they think about at work and what they dream about at night. Its an individual-team sport unlike any other. And that's what rally is like for me.

My first clear memory of rallying is of Rally Great Britain, November 2001. Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae, Tommi Makinen and Richard Burns were all fighting a four way battle for the driver’s championship. Makinen retired early in the rally and Sainz fell out of contention after losing time from a nasty puncture. This left two British drivers fighting for the title of World Rally Champion. McRae in a Focus and Burns in a Impreza. Both were at home and both were flat out. The exhilaration watching this battle gave me is unlike anything I have ever experienced.

After an abysmal start to the season Colin had achieved a hat-trick of wins that thrust him into title contention. It was Colin who was the underdog in my eyes, even though Richard Burns was yet to win his first world title. What made Colin the underdog is the same characteristic that makes him so exciting to watch on the stages. He has unquestionable talent, but his talent was fuelled with reckless abandon. When Colin saw an opportunity to win, no matter how slim the chances, he’d put his right foot to floor. This mentality made him famous and was been personified by a single line: “If in doubt, flat out”.

This is one of my favourite Colin moments. After a big drivers side impact in Corsica 2002, 
Colin was in the car for the next rally in Catalunya. The gear leaver was moved  to the left 
of the car so he could grip the wheel with his good hand.

To the shock of  Nicky Grist in 1997,
Colin had forgotten to mention he'd
activated the anti-gravity machine in
his Subaru at the start of the stage
 in Western Australia

I cannot remember why I was so fanatical about Colin as a driver. As a fellow countryman who left Scotland as a young boy it may have been national pride that filled my heart when watching him. And although I believe that to be a small part of why I identified with him, Colin also had a personal drive that is rare to see in any person. From afar it seemed at times he was notoriously difficult to get on within a professional environment. There are many moments in his career that show this: the lead up to his 1995 world championship title and his split from co-driver Nicky Grist to name only two. However these personality clashes always seemed to stem from frustration and his strong desire to win. I always got the feeling Colin could never make a rally car go as fast as he wanted it to go. The car was his limitation, that’s what I believe made him so exciting to watch. Colin was very ambitious.

I don’t believe this fan adopted slogan“If in doubt, flat out” was ever meant to be interpreted so literally. I like to imagine a 5 right blind crest, where Colin takes a wide line in 6^th gear knowing full well he is ignoring the instruction of his own notes. Its this blind faith he had that all four wheels would touch the ground on the other side that I identified with more. The Colin McRae philosophy has been pertinent in my life because Colin’s Ideology describes a balance between risk and reward. That if you do not seek, you will not find. If you do not attack you cannot win. Without ever consciously practising this, “If in doubt, flat out” was embedded within me and it began to motivate me in every venture I undertook.

This clear memory I have of November 2001 is only 15 seconds long. It is this short amount of time that I can see has forged my motivation for an education, the beginning of a career and a lifelong partnership. A love of rally sport that my emotions follow like a roller-coaster in a theme park; celebrating the highs and morning the lows. In short, this 15 seconds of television I saw as a boy has directly influenced the person I am today. Of course, I didn't know this at the time!

Video courtesy of 97chicane on YouTube

Colin's crash marked the end of his championship hopes. It would also be remembered as the last time he would come close to winning it. Richard Burns and Robert Reid were crowned the 2001 World Rally Champions. When I watched this ‘live’ in 2001 I couldn't help but feel if he hadn't been so stupid he could have won. He would have won. But with hindsight I see it had to be this way.

Colin became a world rally champion in 1995 because of his disregard for team orders and his liberal application of the Colin Philosophy. Conversely, had Colin eased off the gas and coasted around that corner he would have likely won in 2001. But Colin couldn't take his foot of the pedal when there was a second to be saved. I don’t think he knew how. And I don’t think he’d have been in the same position he was to win in either 1995 or 2001 had he known. Colin truly drove to what he believed.

"If you start thinking about accepting second, then you might as well go home. I am here to win. Nothing else will do."

When Colin crashed that focus I remember I was so mad at him. I didn't see his win in 1995 and I was so invested in his campaign that I felt it was a personal betrayal when he threw it off the road. But the passion I felt that afternoon is what has cemented my own passion for rally, for every driver and every championship around the world. Besides, I think Nicky Grist would have given him an earful enough for us both!

I followed Colin to the end of his rally career, fiercely flying the saltire for every event he competed in, especially when he came to New Zealand. Colin McRae is the reason I am so passionate about rally and why I am so driven to pursue milestones seemingly out of my reach. He's why I look forward to every rally.

I might just see the next Colin McRae.