The 2008 McRae Gathering — a two-day event held to celebrate the life of former world rally champ Colin McRae — has raised £53,000 which will be used to encourage young Scottish sportsmen and women.
The money was presented to Colin’s father, five-time British rally champ Jimmy, at Chester Racecourse, where McRae famously sealed the 1995 World Rally title with victory in the RAC Rally.
The amount raised by last year’s two-day sponsored drive by 1086 Subaru road cars from Lanark, where McRae was born and lived, to the Banbury base of Prodrive — which prepared the Subaru world rally team’s cars — stunned McRae snr.
“We knew Colin was popular and had touched a lot of people, but we had not idea it was at this kind of level,” he said. “It’s incredible how much has been raised for the Colin McRae Vision charity.
“I really can’t believe it, but we’re going to make sure it all gets put to good use. I can’t thank people enough for their generosity. I know Colin would have been amazed at this.”
And McRae, who is overseeing the final plans for the Colin McRae Forest Stages — the Perth-based final round of this year’s Hankook Scottish Rally Championship in October — admitted the family would now limit such celebrations of the world champ’s life.
“We can’t keep these things going,” McRae said. “At last year’s Colin McRae Forest Stages we ran a very special event with world champions coming and an incredible entry. But we can’t do that again and we shouldn’t try to.
“That was a special, a one-off. But while we won’t do anything on that scale this year, there will still be something special for the event in October.”
JM