Five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae marked his fiftieth anniversary of being in the sport, with a return to the series at the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally earlier in August.
He competed toe-to toe with grandson Max in the Probite British Rally Championship [BRC], who continued his season with the M-Sport squad behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta Rally2.
McRae is the most successful driver in the history of the championship, having secured the title in 1981, 82’, 84’, 87’ and finally in 1988. The only driver to come close to beating that 35-year record, is Irishman Keith Cronin whose tally stands at four.
In celebration of his half century behind the wheel of a rally car, McRae tackled the fourth round of this year’s Probite British Rally Championship in a Ford Escort MKI, similar to the very car he claimed “got him noticed” back in the 70’s and the eighty-year-old was co-driven by M-Sport’s Gail Whyte, a fellow Coltness Car Club member.
One of the most highly regarded drivers in the sport, McRae’s early career flourished, with works drives for Vauxhall and Ford. At the pinnacle of his career, he spent his time in an Opel Manta 400 with teammates such as Ari Vatanen and Walter Rohrl, before progressing into the iconic MG Metro 6R4. His final BRC title came in 1988 behind the wheel of a Ford Sierra Cosworth.
His world-class legacy remained with sons Colin and Alister, with Colin going on to win the 1995 World Rally Championship and Alister clinching the British Rally Championship title in a Nissan Sunny in the same year. The family tradition continues with Alister’s son Max, who is dovetailing his BRC commitments with a Junior FIA European Rally Championship campaign.
Jimmy’s granddaughter, Colin’s daughter Hollie is also responsible for presenting the on-the-ground ITV4 coverage for the BRC highlights package after every round.
Perhaps predictably, Jimmy is never far away when Max is competing, offering words of encouragement from the sidelines but this time, Jimmy will get behind the wheel to mark a sensational achievement of 50 years in the sport.
Rarely a year goes by where he hasn’t piloted a rally car in some form, whether at Goodwood Festival of Speed or a European show event but in his first competitive gravel outing since 2019, McRae feels honoured to see Jimmy contesting the event.
“I was lucky enough to compete in probably the best ever era of the British Championship and the sport in general, but it’s really nice to come back in my fiftieth year. It’s a little surreal to think my name may be on the points tables after all these years,” said McRae.
