Turns out that Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy was a huge fan of Colin McRae, who lost his life just over a decade ago in a helicopter accident. To many, including Hoy it seems, McRae’s on-the-limit driving style and utter commitment behind the wheel still remains as fresh a memory as if he were still competing today. With 146 rallies, 25 wins and 42 podiums to his name, McRae remains the youngest British person to win the World Rally Championship Drivers’ title and his consistent strong results enabled the Subaru World Rally Team to take three constructor’s titles between 1995 and 1997.
To honor McRae’s legacy another British icon, Olympic track cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, will be driving McRae’s 1996 Subaru Impreza in this year’s Wales Rally GB. Painted in the famous blue and yellow livery, this is the car in which McRae won Rally Spain. Hoy cannot wait to get behind the wheel: “This is a childhood dream come true and I’m now massively looking forward to it. Colin was an inspiration to me, as well as I’m sure to countless others, so I’m truly honored to be playing a small role in keeping the McRae legacy alive today.”
Hoy, who has previously competed in the British GT championship and at Le Mans, will be driving the Impreza at the Dayinsure Oulton Park Stage, which is the opener for the 2019 Wales Rally GB. There will be many more attractions to entertain the crowds too, including a selection of historic rally cars raced by greats like Roger Clark, Richard Burns and McRae, while stunt drivers and a special family zone will provide interactive attractions for fans of all ages.
Wales Rally GB is one of only two events (Finland is the other one) to have retained its FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) status since the championship was established in 1973 and it has been run 74 times since its inception in 1932. The 75th running will take place from 3-6 October and tickets for the Oulton Park opener and the remaining 21 special stages can be purchased online.
Images courtesy of Wales Rally GB
