Colin McRae Racing Legends


Colin McRae

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I'm Sir Chris Hoy, Olympic cycling champion,

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and lifelong fan of rally driving.

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Now I'm going to retrace the steps of one of my all time sporting heroes,

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'90s rally legend, Colin McRae.

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Colin McRae is straight-up a god. That guy's amazing!

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'With the help of his friends and family...'

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It's spectacular.

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'..I'm on a mission to uncover what made him such a revered driver.

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'By attempting to drive like Colin...'

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Aye, you're doing all right.

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'..I'll discover

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'a man who lived life to the limit. And drove to the limit, too.'

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Like all geniuses he had his flaws.

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But he was respected around the world.

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Colin was definitely one of my biggest inspirations.

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'Now I'm going to experience the Colin McRae story...from the driver's seat.'

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Right now, I wish I'd taken up rallying. It's so much fun.

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As a professional cyclist, I've been crowned world champion

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11 times, and Olympic champion on six occasions...

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But that doesn't stop me looking for the next big thrill.

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This is my purpose-built track car.

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'A toy that helps me feed my love of speed.'

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I think all young boys want to be racing drivers at some point.

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I suppose there are similarities between cycling and track driving.

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If you don't think ahead, then things happen too quickly.

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COMMENTATOR: Two laps to go here. Kucynsky of Poland

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has the head of the race at the moment.

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I love cycling and I love cars, too.

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I don't suppose you have to be one or the other, you can be both.

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COMMENTATOR: Here comes Hoy going over the top.

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Awang trying to hold him off.

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Chris Hoy accelerating away here.

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There's a crash at the back but Hoy takes the gold medal.

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An emphatic victory, wasn't it?

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'Of course, when it comes to driving, I'm just an amateur,

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'but that hasn't stopped me wondering what life might have

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'been like had I chosen a different route...like Colin McRae.'

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It wasn't just about the winning. He was the best driver of his time and the world champion,

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but it was the way he did it that was so special.

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Sadly, Colin died when a helicopter he was piloting crashed in 2007.

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The tragedy also claimed the life of his son and two other people.

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But for legions of fans,

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his success as a rally driver is still an inspiration.

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Colin was just a born winner.

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It was all about being the fastest, the best and the quickest.

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COMMENTATOR: Amazingly. McRae turned a one-minute-14-second deficit

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into a 36-second win.

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When he was behind a wheel, there was nothing else like it.

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He was in his own world.

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His legacy WILL live on,

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because he was an all-action hero.

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How will you attack tomorrow?

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Just attack again, 100%.

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He was flat-out all the time.

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COMMENTATOR: A runaway victory for Colin McRae and co-driver Derek Ringer.

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He was the people's champion.

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CROWD CHEERS

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He will live on in our memories for ever.

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COMMENTATOR: Colin McRae, 1995 World Rally Champion.

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CROWD CHEERS

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'Now I'm going to retrace the steps of Britain's first World Rally Champion,

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'and with the help of his friends and family,

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'attempt to drive just like Colin.'

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I'm massively looking forward to the next few days.

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It's such a tragic story, as well,

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that I'm sure it will be quite difficult at times, too.

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I don't expect to be any good at rally driving at all.

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I think I'll really enjoy it,

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but I'm under no illusions I'm any kind of Colin McRae II.

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Before I meet those who knew him best,

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I want to understand what made Colin McRae legendary,

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so I'm getting the low-down from a man who knows what it takes to drive a rally car.

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Meet American rally driver Ken Block.

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Block is a superstar, famous for his trademark urban rally driving, which

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has become an internet phenomenon.

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In terms of driving style, Ken is as close as it gets to McRae,

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so with the help of archive footage I wanted

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to grill him on what made Colin tick.

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The pure appreciation of having fun with the car was something

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that we shared quite genuinely.

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we loved to just play with these cars.

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It was so aggressive at that time.

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Colin was definitely one of my biggest inspirations,

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because of the way he drove those cars in those days.

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This is when I first got interested in rally,

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just when he'd won the world title.

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Switching on TV, you watch this

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and can't fail to be excited by the style

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in which he approached the rally stages.

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Full commitment, absolutely flat-out,

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it is spectacular.

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'Bravery seems to be a key ingredient in a rally driver's make-up

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'and Colin's mantra, "If in doubt, flat-out" often gave him the upper hand.

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'But this approach also earned him the nickname "Colin McCrash".'

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This is Finland. I think he crashed three different times in this rally.

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There's another one, same rally.

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'Colin was also the first rally driver to gain notoriety in the USA,

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'helped by his spectacular performance in America's first-ever televised rally.'

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Colin came over the first year we had the X Games rally competition.

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It was a very exciting time.

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Our team-mate was one of the biggest legends in the sport, Colin McRae.

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-COMMENTATOR:

-One thing for sure, McRae cannot afford a slip-up...

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Colin made just a tiny mistake,

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right at the end of the last stage.

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-COMMENTATOR:

-And he rolls it over!

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The most amazing thing for us is you can see him

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down-shift from second to first

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as he's rolling the car.

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The guy just had so much experience and, hey,

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if it does land back on its wheels, he wanted to be ready.

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Landed on its wheels and he took off.

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-COMMENTATOR:

-He's going after it, can he do it?

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And he lost a second or two.

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-COMMENTATOR:

-He doesn't do it, he takes the silver!

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I just did the transition too much on the jump,

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it hooked in on the front and over we went.

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Dude, Colin McRae is straight-up a god!

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This guy come out here,

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throws the car. I don't even know if he lost time!

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The guy's amazing!

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Here we go.

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'Another thing Colin is famous for is his computer game.'

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Good recovery.

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'The legend's franchise sold over 10 million copies worldwide,

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'making him a household name.'

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Your reactions are quite good, that's good.

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'I just hoped my driving would be better in a few days' time,

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'when I would be doing this for real.'

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I'm not good at talking and driving at the same time.

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And we have a decent crash.

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My first meeting with the McRae family is at Colin's farm in Lanarkshire.

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The house he and his wife Alison made their family home.

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-Hello.

-Alison. Pleased to meet you. How are you?

-I'm good, thank you.

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To be here today, meet his family and see where it all started,

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it's a great privilege.

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-I heard it's always like this in Lanarkshire.

-It's always like this.

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'My guide for the next few days would be Colin's dad, Jimmy,

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'who, as a five-time British Rally Champion,

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'can take some of the credit for his son's glittering career.'

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I'm very excited to meet Jimmy.

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A legend in his own right.

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People talk about him as Colin's dad,

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but I think they forget that Colin actually used to be Jimmy's son.

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He was five-times British Rally Champion,

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a real icon in the sport.

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'To my amazement, Colin's treasured car collection is still housed here.'

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It's like an aircraft hanger.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Wow.

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-Bigger than your usual family garage then.

-Yeah, just a bit.

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It's quite a machine to look at.

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Definitely, yeah.

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Every car we uncovered revealed another part of this fascinating story.

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The auto-test Mini he drove, aged 14.

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The Talbot Sunbeam he learnt to rally in.

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This was built for...the Scottish Championship, it was then.

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And his first professional car.

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You're slightly bigger than Derek.

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The Legacy was the start of his World Championship career.

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That was the stepping stone into the world championship.

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'But there was one car that Jimmy had a special connection with.'

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This looks pretty special.

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This is the Sierra Cosworth.

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Ah, yes.

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This was originally my car.

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Won the Scottish Rally with this one, the one-and-only time.

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"One careful family owner"(!)

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'Rallied by Jimmy, Colin and his brother Alister,

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'this family heirloom played a part in all their careers.'

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How did he handle that?

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-That's when he beat me, so...

-Pretty well, then.

-..he did all right.

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"He did all right"!

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The thing about this car,

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-it's road-legal, so I can take that out just now.

-Is that an offer?

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-That's an offer, yeah.

-What a treat!

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'Jimmy was going to take me back to where it all started for Colin.

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'We were going to find out exactly how his son became a rally legend.'

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I know a shortcut here.

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We'll head up this gravel road a bit.

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-It's pretty good.

-Nice one.

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'And I had feeling it might be a bumpy ride.

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'Colin's driving ability was obviously in his DNA.

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'but I know from personal experience that it takes hard work to

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get to the top of your game.

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'His story starts on two wheels.

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'By the age of 13, Colin showed promise on a motorbike

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'and had befriended Scottish junior champion Robbie Allan.'

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Could you see in Colin straight away this competitive instinct?

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Was there something about him?

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The basics of the balance and the throttle control of a motorbike,

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he had straight away.

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What he then was able to do was adapt the skills he had.

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He very quickly got to the stage where

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he was Scottish champion in his age group.

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That was within months.

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Straight away, that's shown the sort of determination

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and the competitive edge he had.

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'Within a year Colin, had taken the Scottish Junior Scrambles crown

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'making a name for himself as one of the best young talents in the country.'

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When I was doing BMX as a kid,

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I always looked up to the older guys, or guys that had beaten me,

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and think, "What was it they did that was different?"

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Did Colin look to guys like yourself?

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The bottom line is, he was better than everybody else in his own age group,

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so he had to look at where the next target was,

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the next challenge.

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If the challenge was somebody older, more experienced,

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that's where you go.

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It's great to see so many kids out enjoying the facility here.

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There could be a Colin McRae of the future out there just now.

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A future world champion, in motocross or anything, it doesn't matter.

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-Even cycling.

-You never know!

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THEY LAUGH

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But, to his mother's relief, Colin didn't want to be

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a motorcyclist. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps

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and become a professional rally driver.

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Colin, you're 19 now and doing your first Lombard RAC rally.

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Uh-huh.

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How old were you when you first rallied?

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Just about four weeks after

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my 17th birthday.

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-He didn't waste much time, Tony.

-What's it like, Margaret, being surrounded by this lot?

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My biggest problem is Colin,

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because I don't think he knows his limitations yet.

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He hasn't found his yet.

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He has a few rough edges to be filed off.

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In 1988, Colin entered the Scottish Rally Championship

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in a humble Vauxhall Nova,

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one of the slowest cars in the ten-stage competition that year.

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COMMENTATOR: Jimmy McRae set out for what he hoped would be his winning drive

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in his major home event.

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But keeping up with his father's Sierra would be impossible,

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never mind challenging that year's favourite.

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COMMENTATOR: Reigning British champion, David Gillanders,

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from Aberdeen, back behind the wheel

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of his four-wheel drive Metro 6R4.

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Gillanders drove a Metro

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that was so powerful it was eventually banned.

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But that didn't stop Colin having a go.

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Five...four...three...two...one...

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Go!

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The speed he was able to get out of that little machine

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was just incredible sometimes.

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COMMENTATOR: Displaying more than a touch of natural ability,

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Colin McRae, son of British Open champion Jimmy,

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was the most remarkable result of the day.

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Just a few rallies into the season, to everybody's amazement,

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Colin was keeping up with the big players.

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So, Colin, ninth in the Scottish, you must be very pleased?

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Very, very pleased.

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I never thought I would be back here today in this position.

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I would have been happy just to win my class.

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I thought it would be quite difficult even to

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get into the top 20 with the competition we had.

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What one's the best, though?

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I'm not going to say!

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Then Colin and Jim were able to source a Sierra Cosworth.

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It was capable of winning and we wanted to do that.

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Now McRae junior had a fighting chance of beating

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Gillanders in his monster Metro.

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COMMENTATOR: Gillanders was determined in his attack

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on the Championship lead.

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He raced on to finish over a minute ahead of McRae.

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Colin and his co-driver Derek were steadily catching the leader of the pack.

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Colin was an iconic driver.

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He had that spark that made people want to see him drive.

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Two right plus over crest.

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All those early days, it was, "This is young Colin, Jimmy's son."

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But it wasn't so long before it was,

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"This is Jimmy, Colin's dad."

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By the final rally of the '88 season, Colin was poised to win

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the Scottish title.

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If you or Gillanders don't finish today, you win the Championship?

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If we both retire, we win the championship.

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I have to beat him and I think he's like to beat me, as well.

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It'll be good fun.

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You've been rallying for the same length of time as his age!

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That's a lot of rubbish.

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I've been competitive for about four years.

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I've rallied off and on for about 12,

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so we keep this in perspective.

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The 20-year-old was ready for a showdown.

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But early in the rally, Gillanders lost control of his mighty Metro.

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COMMENTATOR: Disaster for Gillanders, crashing on the first stage.

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Out of the rally and the Championship.

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With his rival gone, Colin had won the Scottish Championship

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but in a sign of things to come, he drove flat-out anyway.

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COMMENTATOR: The laurels, then, for Colin McRae and co-driver Derek Ringer,

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and the champagne corks were popping.

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It must be annoying for you, cos you were never able to win the Scottish Championship.

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It's true - he's done a few things I've never done.

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A good omen, maybe.

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About half a mile from the end of the first stage, we saw Gillanders

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piled off in the ditch.

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I could hardly drive to the end for laughing.

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HE LAUGHS

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My next meeting with Jimmy is at the Sweet Lamb rally

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complex in Mid Wales.

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Eventually, I'm going to emulate Colin McRae by driving a world-class rally car.

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But to get there, I must first learn the basics in a Talbot Sunbeam...

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which is exactly what Colin did.

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Basically, this car is a replica of what

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Colin started with when he was 18 years old.

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It's a nice little car.

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The basic starting point is, feel the car moving.

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If you find the car's not wanting to turn in,

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just a wee jab of the handbrake...

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-To bring the nose in?

-Yup.

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To the handbrake, round that one.

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You can just about keep it in a slide all the time.

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That's impressive.

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Let the clutch back out and back on the throttle.

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The wheel spin then keeps the car

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-in momentum on the sideways.

-OK.

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Throwing a rally car round a corner is like learning an intricate

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dance routine - something that Colin had down to a fine art.

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Everybody's heard of a handbrake turn which

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we use on a very tight corner.

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Normally a hairpin, which is just up here.

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Down into second. First gear,

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turn, clutch in, handbrake on.

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Clutch out, back on power.

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You're raring to go, then?

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'Back at Sweet Lamb, I was ready for my attempt at cornering.'

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Carry on, let's go.

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Very good. You OK?

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You control the slide with your throttle.

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See if you can do a spin round the cone there.

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Break. Throttle.

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Keep it going... throttle, throttle, throttle.

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Throttle. There you are.

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Aye, you're doing all right.

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'I could see how Colin's experiences on motorbikes helped him.

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'Rallying is all about balancing the car,

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'and understanding how it reacts to the slightest of movements.'

0:18:570:19:00

-This is fun, isn't it?

-Aye!

0:19:000:19:03

That's it. That was good.

0:19:050:19:07

Keep it going. That's it.

0:19:070:19:09

'Fortunately, my career on two wheels seems to have stood me in good stead.'

0:19:090:19:13

JIMMY LAUGHS

0:19:130:19:15

You have the hang of the handbrake all right now.

0:19:150:19:18

I can see you taking up rallying!

0:19:180:19:20

This is a lot of fun.

0:19:200:19:21

I could do this all day.

0:19:210:19:23

I think that was probably the most fun I've had behind the wheel.

0:19:260:19:29

Being a hooligan, sliding about in the mud.

0:19:290:19:32

Jimmy McRae next to you, telling you what to do.

0:19:320:19:35

It doesn't get much better.

0:19:350:19:36

He's probably better at that than I would be on his pushbike.

0:19:360:19:42

'But riding a bike is a world away from my final challenge -

0:19:430:19:47

'driving a World Rally-spec Subaru Impreza.'

0:19:470:19:51

It'll be more intimidating, bigger, louder, faster.

0:19:510:19:55

But as long as I take it steady,

0:19:550:19:56

I should be all right and keep it on the road.

0:19:560:19:58

That's the most important thing.

0:19:580:20:00

I can totally understand why Colin was hooked on rallying.

0:20:000:20:03

Right now, I wish I'd taken up rallying.

0:20:030:20:06

It's so much fun.

0:20:060:20:07

'Colin was signed by Subaru in 1991.

0:20:070:20:11

'At the age of 23, he was at last professional rally driver.'

0:20:110:20:16

Starting the '91 season

0:20:160:20:18

with pro driving, Subaru,

0:20:180:20:20

was a major step forward in both Colin's and my careers.

0:20:200:20:23

I don't think it was a surprise. It was a risk.

0:20:230:20:26

Cos Colin was relatively unproven at that stage.

0:20:260:20:29

He started out in the British Rally Championship,

0:20:310:20:34

which he won two years on the trot.

0:20:340:20:36

His spectacular driving style endeared him to the fans

0:20:390:20:43

and fortunately, his new employers had deep enough pockets to keep

0:20:430:20:46

providing him with new cars.

0:20:460:20:48

There were a few ups and downs,

0:20:510:20:53

but generally, we were quicker than everyone else.

0:20:530:20:55

The second year he won the Championship, I think

0:20:550:20:58

he won every rally.

0:20:580:20:59

He started to show the place for Colin was the World Championship.

0:20:590:21:02

By the '93 season, Subaru were ready to give their young superstar

0:21:020:21:07

a shot on the world stage.

0:21:070:21:09

It was, after all,

0:21:090:21:11

17 years since any other British driver

0:21:110:21:14

had won a world rally.

0:21:140:21:15

It was that important to Colin, that important to the whole sport.

0:21:150:21:19

Despite huge investment,

0:21:210:21:23

the team were yet to win a single rally in the World Championship.

0:21:230:21:28

There was a real desperation

0:21:280:21:30

for this car to win.

0:21:300:21:31

Subaru had invested a lot of money in the car,

0:21:310:21:34

so there was a huge amount of pressure.

0:21:340:21:36

But in the car he'd won two British titles in, Colin was totally at ease.

0:21:370:21:42

COMMENTATOR: McRae is now right in the middle of that fantastic

0:21:420:21:45

five-car fight for the lead.

0:21:450:21:47

He proved he could fight.

0:21:470:21:48

That turned him from a possible leader

0:21:480:21:51

to the potential winner.

0:21:510:21:54

COMMENTATOR: McRae is setting a storming pace.

0:21:540:21:57

Over seven seconds faster than any

0:21:570:21:58

of his opposition on this long, twisting stage.

0:21:580:22:00

He moves from fourth to first place.

0:22:000:22:03

Francois Delecour closes to within seconds.

0:22:030:22:05

Delecour is driving right on the limit.

0:22:050:22:09

You could see he felt that this was his time.

0:22:090:22:12

COMMENTATOR: McRae fights back as they start the last stage.

0:22:120:22:16

At that point, everyone in the team was on tenterhooks.

0:22:160:22:19

We were only leading by a handful of seconds.

0:22:190:22:22

Derek, can we have your time, please?

0:22:220:22:25

As the results came in, the final outcome was impossible to call.

0:22:250:22:31

It was a nail-biting thing, watching on the other side of the world.

0:22:310:22:36

But Colin had done it.

0:22:360:22:37

COMMENTATOR: For McRae, a moment to savour.

0:22:370:22:40

Success at last.

0:22:400:22:41

Your son has just won his first

0:22:420:22:44

World Championship rally.

0:22:440:22:46

It was something very, very special.

0:22:460:22:48

It was Colin's first win. It was Subaru's first win.

0:22:480:22:51

It was the start of a new era for Colin and for the team -

0:22:510:22:54

it really put us on the map.

0:22:540:22:56

Colin, you've waited a while for this.

0:22:560:22:59

Yeah, the whole team has.

0:22:590:23:02

We've been working so hard for three years now.

0:23:020:23:05

Just glad we've got it. I'm sure the rest will come a lot easier.

0:23:050:23:08

By 1995, Subaru's fortunes were changing.

0:23:090:23:12

They had a powerful new car, the Impreza,

0:23:120:23:16

and had signed up double-world champion Carlos Sainz to lead the team.

0:23:160:23:21

Carlos was able to give us quite a lot of experience as a big driver.

0:23:210:23:25

He was able to push the team.

0:23:250:23:28

But I don't think we'd have seen the best of Carlos

0:23:280:23:31

if we hadn't had a young gun like Colin.

0:23:310:23:35

My ambition is to be world champion.

0:23:350:23:38

If we can continue next year as we have been

0:23:380:23:41

at the moment, there's a possibility.

0:23:410:23:43

To start with, Colin just quietly

0:23:430:23:46

looked up to him, slightly in awe.

0:23:460:23:48

But it didn't last for very long.

0:23:480:23:50

Colin was soon determined to knock him off his perch

0:23:500:23:54

and prove who was the fastest.

0:23:540:23:55

An internal battle started to develop

0:23:550:23:59

between Colin and Carlos.

0:23:590:24:01

COMMENTATOR: At the head of the field, it's a Subaru war.

0:24:020:24:05

Colin was one of the toughest team-mates I have.

0:24:050:24:10

Sometimes he beat me, sometimes I beat him.

0:24:110:24:16

COMMENTATOR: Carlos Sainz takes over the lead but he's been caught by Colin McRae.

0:24:160:24:21

The young Scot, with Derek Ringer on the pacenotes,

0:24:240:24:26

is driving an absolute stormer.

0:24:260:24:29

With two rallies to go McRae was just ahead of Sainz in the race

0:24:310:24:34

for the drivers' prize.

0:24:340:24:36

We were headed for the world title.

0:24:370:24:40

One of our drivers, Carlos Sainz or Colin, would be world champion.

0:24:400:24:44

But Subaru were worried that the fight might end in a crash.

0:24:440:24:49

In the penultimate rally of the season, the pair were way ahead of the pack

0:24:490:24:53

when they were ordered to stop racing each other.

0:24:530:24:56

I had to say, "Look, guys, I don't need a battle.

0:24:560:24:58

"From here on, you'll follow the order you're in now,

0:24:580:25:01

"so it's team orders."

0:25:010:25:03

But when the order came, Colin was in second place.

0:25:030:25:08

We're fighting for the Championship, why should I have to finish second?

0:25:100:25:15

There are other issues. We're running a team for Subaru

0:25:150:25:18

to win the manufacturers' title.

0:25:180:25:20

It would be foolish to fight inside the team.

0:25:200:25:22

It's the reality of being in a professional team.

0:25:220:25:27

Next thing we know, Colin is going flat-out everywhere.

0:25:270:25:30

COMMENTATOR: McRae is inspired. He is going for broke.

0:25:360:25:40

You can be sure Colin was never going to give up.

0:25:400:25:44

COMMENTATOR: McRae reels him in and overhauls him.

0:25:470:25:50

-COMMENTATOR:

-The Subaru team, sensing McRae is pressing on regardless,

0:25:500:25:54

resort to desperate and dangerous tactics to slow him down.

0:25:540:26:00

McRae has other ideas.

0:26:000:26:04

In Spain, Colin recorded a faster time than Carlos

0:26:040:26:08

but his disobedience had jeopardised his chances of winning anything.

0:26:080:26:15

It's hard to remember what I said in the heat of the moment,

0:26:150:26:18

but I'm sure I threatened he wouldn't be at the final round

0:26:180:26:21

of the Championship in Britain if he disobeyed team orders

0:26:210:26:24

and we'd just gift the Championship to Carlos.

0:26:240:26:26

Colin, on paper, you've won this rally.

0:26:290:26:31

Is that the situation.

0:26:310:26:32

Yeah. We've had to book in a minute late now.

0:26:320:26:35

So we're second.

0:26:350:26:37

So this was categorical team orders?

0:26:370:26:40

Yeah, that's what it was.

0:26:400:26:42

Colin was forced to give the victory to Sainz,

0:26:420:26:45

meaning they went to the final rally of the season on equal points.

0:26:450:26:49

The situation that occurred in Catalunya

0:26:490:26:52

probably gave us an extra edge

0:26:520:26:55

on the last round of the Championship.

0:26:550:26:58

You're in an enviable position, Colin,

0:26:580:27:01

being the only Brit

0:27:010:27:03

to be able to bring the World Championship back

0:27:030:27:05

to your home country.

0:27:050:27:06

I'd be kidding myself if I said there's no pressure.

0:27:060:27:09

I just have to deal with it the best I can,

0:27:090:27:12

get on with it and do the best job I can.

0:27:120:27:14

COMMENTATOR: Colin McRae was sounding a loud warning

0:27:170:27:19

to his rivals.

0:27:190:27:21

Determined to become Britain's first-ever World Champion,

0:27:210:27:24

Colin McRae drove like never before in front of his home crowd.

0:27:240:27:29

COMMENTATOR: Again, he was posting faster times than Carlos Sainz.

0:27:290:27:32

He gained another 15 seconds.

0:27:320:27:34

I can no more at the moment. I'm driving as fast as I can.

0:27:340:27:39

Quite simply, he was unbeatable.

0:27:390:27:44

COMMENTATOR: Colin McRae on course for the world title,

0:27:440:27:47

pushing the Impreza to the limit, sometimes beyond it.

0:27:470:27:50

I don't think anybody really took in

0:27:530:27:56

that Britain had a chance to win the World Rally Championship, then he delivered.

0:27:560:27:59

It was the biggest moment for British rallying.

0:27:590:28:03

The spectators lined up for it.

0:28:050:28:07

It was just incredible to drive through that.

0:28:070:28:10

-COMMENTATOR:

-Even the sun came out as Colin McRae steered the Subaru

0:28:100:28:13

safely home to victory.

0:28:130:28:14

Then when we passed the finish line,

0:28:160:28:17

the feeling of relief was incredible.

0:28:170:28:21

Spot on!

0:28:260:28:28

-COMMENTATOR:

-Then the triumphant return of Colin McRae.

0:28:290:28:32

It was to be the start of a very long party.

0:28:320:28:36

CROWD CHANT

0:28:410:28:44

-COMMENTATOR:

-For Colin McRae, the end of an epic journey,

0:28:440:28:46

1,500 miles, which has taken him into the motor-sport record books.

0:28:460:28:50

The first man in 13 years to retain the RAC title,

0:28:500:28:52

and Britain's first world champion.

0:28:520:28:55

You had to be driving flat-out, did you not?

0:28:550:28:57

Probably faster than flat-out sometimes. You'd need to ask Derek.

0:28:570:29:02

He'd done what no Briton had ever done before.

0:29:020:29:04

And no Scot had ever done before.

0:29:040:29:06

He was fiercely proud of that.

0:29:060:29:08

And he's become the World Rally Champion.

0:29:080:29:10

Soon, I'm going to recreate Colin's famous victory by driving

0:29:150:29:20

the legendary WRC Impreza.

0:29:200:29:22

'For my next lesson,

0:29:310:29:32

'I'm at a disused aerodrome awaiting an old friend of Colin's...

0:29:320:29:35

'Ken Block.'

0:29:350:29:37

How are you doing, mate?

0:29:370:29:38

That's some entrance!

0:29:400:29:42

Had to get you started somehow.

0:29:420:29:44

I'll be driving Colin's Subaru Impreza.

0:29:450:29:48

Have you any advice you can give me?

0:29:480:29:50

The main thing is don't crash Colin's cars!

0:29:500:29:54

Right.

0:29:540:29:56

Basically,

0:29:560:29:57

one of the big things of learning to drive a rally car

0:29:570:30:00

is learning the weight transfer,

0:30:000:30:02

how you put the car into over-steer, how you control it,

0:30:020:30:05

and get the maximum speed out of it.

0:30:050:30:07

You want to get down the stages

0:30:070:30:09

quick as humanly possible.

0:30:090:30:11

Like this.

0:30:110:30:12

It may look like a thrill ride, but this rally car has been set up

0:30:180:30:22

to handle just like a rally car would on gravel.

0:30:220:30:24

Using amazing dexterity,

0:30:410:30:42

Ken was demonstrating how to keep the car perfectly balanced at all times.

0:30:420:30:46

-Do you still get a buzz out of doing this?

-Oh, yes!

0:30:570:31:00

To succeed in the Imprezza, I needed to take note.

0:31:110:31:14

Especially as there was just one obstacle left for Ken to tackle.

0:31:140:31:18

A Vulcan bomber.

0:31:210:31:22

So, Chris. How did you like it?

0:31:480:31:51

That was amazing. Absolutely...

0:31:510:31:53

Like nothing else I have done,

0:31:530:31:55

honestly. I was trying to watch you as well as we were going,

0:31:550:32:00

but literally, it was just so aggressive and full-on,

0:32:000:32:03

there's tyre smoke coming in, it's an assault on your senses.

0:32:030:32:08

This car is a bit more violent, it slides around,

0:32:080:32:11

it's a little more dramatic than you would like to drive on the gravel,

0:32:110:32:14

keeping things in a nice straight line

0:32:140:32:16

and getting as much grip as possible, always a faster technique.

0:32:160:32:20

If you can get that mastered in that car,

0:32:200:32:23

-you should be very proud of yourself.

-Yes!

0:32:230:32:26

After his 1995 world title, Colin was at an all-time high.

0:32:300:32:35

Where's the bar?

0:32:350:32:37

And away from the track, he married the girl of his dreams.

0:32:370:32:41

Wooing Alison, that was a long-term project, it didn't happen overnight.

0:32:410:32:46

Every time I went out at the weekend he was always there,

0:32:460:32:49

in the background, asking me out.

0:32:490:32:52

-He wore her down and she eventually gave in.

-Colin had it all.

0:32:520:32:57

He was the fastest rally driver of his generation.

0:32:570:33:00

But his inconsistency opened the door to an up and coming rival.

0:33:000:33:02

The new kid on the block was Tommi Makinen,

0:33:020:33:05

who was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer. That was the car that began to set

0:33:050:33:10

the standards for the next two or three years.

0:33:100:33:13

Tommi - many, many congratulations, an absolutely superb drive.

0:33:130:33:17

Thank you. Feeling very great, I am very happy.

0:33:170:33:20

The Finn beat Colin to the world title in 1996,

0:33:200:33:25

'97, '98, and '99.

0:33:250:33:30

It's an unbelievable feeling.

0:33:310:33:34

But Colin and the Subaru team didn't like coming second.

0:33:340:33:37

We had as good a car as anybody, probably better at some events,

0:33:370:33:41

and circumstance just played against him.

0:33:410:33:44

It was just a disaster, there's no words can describe it.

0:33:440:33:47

When you've fought so hard for so many years, to lose it

0:33:470:33:51

three Ks from the end of the penultimate event, it's a disaster.

0:33:510:33:55

The losses had put Colin's relationship with Subaru under serious strain.

0:33:550:33:59

I did try looking after him like my own son, I tried battling with him,

0:34:010:34:04

arguing with him, shouting at him, coercing him, bribing,

0:34:040:34:09

I tried anything.

0:34:090:34:10

I still want to win rallies and championships,

0:34:100:34:13

I don't want to have a good wage

0:34:130:34:15

and finish third and fourth, I want to win.

0:34:150:34:17

In the end, the team couldn't stop their frustrated star from seeking pastures new.

0:34:190:34:23

Yeah, there was quite an atmosphere, really.

0:34:240:34:27

Some of sadness, some of bitterness, upset.

0:34:270:34:31

I think it was good for both parties that Colin moved on.

0:34:310:34:36

'After a string of near-misses, his new partnership with Ford

0:34:360:34:39

'could be just what he needs to take him back to the top.'

0:34:390:34:42

Colin's new employers had high hopes for their latest car, the Focus.

0:34:420:34:47

They were looking for a very, very high-profile driver for the 1999 season.

0:34:470:34:52

I had no problem convincing

0:34:520:34:53

the Ford management that Colin McRae would be exactly

0:34:530:34:58

what we were looking for.

0:34:580:34:59

Ford made Colin the highest-paid rally driver in history.

0:35:010:35:05

'From a wage of ten grand at Subaru in 1991

0:35:060:35:09

'to a £3 million a year contract with Ford in 1999.'

0:35:090:35:14

It was by far the biggest amount

0:35:140:35:16

ever paid to a rally driver and of course, the money talked.

0:35:160:35:20

But Colin had gone from a proven car he knew well

0:35:200:35:24

to one with teething problems that was unfamiliar.

0:35:240:35:27

'..heading towards a splash...'

0:35:270:35:31

And without the firm hand of his old boss to keeping in check,

0:35:310:35:34

McRae often pushed his new machine beyond its limits.

0:35:340:35:38

Malcolm was our team boss, there's no doubt,

0:35:390:35:42

and Colin respected that fact,

0:35:420:35:44

but I think Malcolm couldn't really control Colin.

0:35:440:35:48

If you give Colin a couple of inches he will create a mile

0:35:480:35:51

out of it straight away.

0:35:510:35:52

A combination of extreme driving and mechanical failures meant that

0:35:580:36:02

Colin finished just three out of 14 rallies in 1999.

0:36:020:36:06

I think the fact was that when Colin crashed,

0:36:070:36:10

it generally was end of rally.

0:36:100:36:12

But his uncompromising commitment to being the fastest

0:36:150:36:18

was earning him more respect than ever before.

0:36:180:36:21

Sometimes he just pushed a little bit too hard for the win,

0:36:210:36:26

because he was a winner, and God loves a winner.

0:36:260:36:29

Colin's approach - win or bust, fastest stage time or nothing -

0:36:330:36:37

is exactly what the fans want to see.

0:36:370:36:40

It's what made Colin great.

0:36:400:36:41

By 2000, Colin had a legendary reputation,

0:36:410:36:45

but winning championships requires a more calculated approach.

0:36:450:36:49

His record could have been even better if he had just taken

0:36:490:36:52

just a slightly more cautious approach to things.

0:36:520:36:56

But away from the madness of rally driving, Colin was growing up.

0:36:590:37:03

He and Alison had bought a farm in their home county of Lanarkshire

0:37:030:37:07

and were starting a family.

0:37:070:37:09

And McRae's new-found responsibility was changing him as a driver, too.

0:37:090:37:14

Come 2001, he seemed to have finally bonded with his Focus.

0:37:140:37:19

It started to come good. The partnership began to work.

0:37:230:37:28

As the season progressed, the car and Colin got quicker and quicker.

0:37:280:37:32

But standing in his way was a young English star, driving for his old team.

0:37:320:37:36

The battle for the drivers' crown was between Colin and Richard Burns.

0:37:380:37:44

I don't really give a damn who is behind me,

0:37:440:37:47

I want to do the best I can.

0:37:470:37:48

I just want to win the championship, it doesn't matter who I beat.

0:37:480:37:51

Obviously Richard is going to be one of the most competitive people.

0:37:510:37:54

McRae had a big point to prove against the Subaru driver

0:37:560:38:00

in what was hailed as the "Battle of Britain".

0:38:000:38:02

By the final rally of the season, Colin led by a single point.

0:38:090:38:12

All he needed to do was to drive faster than Burns

0:38:130:38:16

and the world championship would be his.

0:38:160:38:20

'It was very much a '95 situation.

0:38:200:38:23

'There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to win.'

0:38:240:38:28

'That day was more or less just celebrating,'

0:38:280:38:31

Colin just had to drive round, really.

0:38:310:38:34

'Tree, sky, road, tree, sky, road,'

0:38:510:38:54

bing, bang, bosh.

0:38:540:38:57

My word. What an accident. But that's Colin McRae.

0:38:570:39:01

That was it.

0:39:010:39:02

Normally the first thing a driver does is push the start button again

0:39:030:39:07

but I knew at the time, I knew halfway through the accident,

0:39:070:39:10

we wouldn't be pushing the start button again,

0:39:100:39:12

and it wasn't the rally, it was the championship.

0:39:120:39:15

Once again, after all the hopes and expectations,

0:39:150:39:20

Colin had pushed it too far.

0:39:200:39:23

It was hard to swallow, it must have made him

0:39:230:39:26

check himself for the future, to realise how stupid I was to throw that away.

0:39:260:39:31

I made a mistake, I cut a corner just a bit too much and there was a hole

0:39:310:39:35

on the inside and it flipped the car upside down.

0:39:350:39:38

Desperately disappointing for you.

0:39:380:39:40

It is, we were trying to win the championship,

0:39:400:39:43

things like that can happen.

0:39:430:39:45

Sorry for the whole team, it was so near but we haven't got it again.

0:39:450:39:48

All I will say is, take a look at the look on my face.

0:39:500:39:54

It was Colin's last real chance at the championship.

0:39:540:39:58

Two years later he left the WRC to seek pastures new.

0:39:580:40:01

'I am in Merzouga, Morocco,

0:40:110:40:13

'where Colin came to prepare for his next big challenge.'

0:40:130:40:17

I think a lot of people, when they talk about Colin McRae

0:40:170:40:20

they think about the world rally but really, his career was very diverse,

0:40:200:40:24

he took part in a number of aspects of motorsport

0:40:240:40:27

and the Paris-Dakar rally was one of the biggest ones he was involved in.

0:40:270:40:32

'Unable to find the right offer from a WRC team,

0:40:320:40:35

'Colin turned to endurance racing,

0:40:350:40:37

'finishing third in his class at Le Mons before competing in the Dakar twice.'

0:40:370:40:42

The Dakar rally is the ultimate off-road marathon.

0:40:440:40:47

The last time Colin entered it in 2005,

0:40:470:40:50

it stretched from Barcelona,

0:40:500:40:52

through the deserts of North Africa, before finishing in Senegal.

0:40:520:40:55

'It seemed that rather than enjoy a little time off,

0:41:020:41:05

'Colin was intent on taking things up a gear.'

0:41:050:41:08

-How are you?

-Great.

0:41:080:41:10

What was it about the Dakar rally that Colin found so exciting?

0:41:120:41:15

He had seen from the past, his idol Ari Vatanen had come from rallying

0:41:150:41:21

and come to Dakar and was very successful.

0:41:210:41:25

It's a fantastic challenge, one of the greatest

0:41:250:41:29

challenges in motor sport, to come and do well in Dakar.

0:41:290:41:33

He came actually to here to do some testing in 2004 and 2005,

0:41:330:41:38

with the Nissan Dakar car, because you have the dunes very close,

0:41:380:41:44

and you have wide-open desert to the other side, so it was an ideal place.

0:41:440:41:49

To me it seems, the thought of me trying to do the Tour de France,

0:41:490:41:52

I couldn't imagine riding for three weeks in a row, I'm a sprinter, I do short-distance events,

0:41:520:41:56

to me that's what it seems like for rally driver, used to doing these short, intense stages.

0:41:560:42:00

You wonder why you would want to do that. Because it's a pretty gruelling event.

0:42:000:42:06

You're talking about 550 kilometres here on a special stage.

0:42:060:42:10

It's pretty hard work.

0:42:100:42:12

I was about to get a taste of the world's longest rally,

0:42:120:42:16

courtesy of Jimmy. And he lined up a very special vehicle.

0:42:160:42:21

Developed by Colin's brother Alister, the McRae Enduro.

0:42:210:42:25

This beast of a 4x4 is powerful enough to lug through the finest sand,

0:42:270:42:32

is able to run for 2,000 kilometres on a single tank,

0:42:320:42:36

can cool itself in the searing heat,

0:42:360:42:39

and has suspension that soaks up the toughest of terrains.

0:42:390:42:42

Designed especially for the Dakar,

0:42:440:42:46

the Enduro is quite simply a beast of a car.

0:42:460:42:50

I'm sure Colin would have loved to have raced in this.

0:42:530:42:55

What the family would have liked to have seen would be both Alister and Colin driving this

0:42:550:43:01

at Dakar at some point, obviously doing well if we could.

0:43:010:43:04

Let's go for it, eh.

0:43:040:43:06

I've no idea what the best way to experience what the Dakar rally is

0:43:060:43:10

other than to get out there in the cars that Colin and the guys would have driven in,

0:43:100:43:15

just to see what the terrain is like.

0:43:150:43:17

But this is quite an intimidating environment to do it in!

0:43:170:43:20

A lot of the danger is the element of surprise, things that come out of nowhere.

0:43:200:43:24

Where's the cup holder?

0:43:240:43:27

There's no air-conditioning either!

0:43:270:43:30

-Let's do it.

-OK!

0:43:300:43:32

Not bad for a diesel.

0:43:420:43:44

Jimmy didn't start rallying until he was in his 30s,

0:43:540:43:57

and as a result, he missed out on international competitions like the Dakar.

0:43:570:44:02

But I had a feeling that had he started a little younger,

0:44:020:44:04

he would have made a name for himself on the world stage.

0:44:040:44:08

It's like a big playground, isn't it?

0:44:200:44:22

Sadly, Colin never experienced the thrill of his brother Alister's creation.

0:44:230:44:28

But at least Jimmy's been able to get his teeth into this 1.8 ton monster vehicle.

0:44:280:44:33

Winning the Dakar requires an equal mix of man and machine

0:44:470:44:51

and the true test of that was looming on the horizon.

0:44:510:44:55

To me, the dunes look like they are the ones you could have some spectacular issues out there.

0:44:570:45:01

I think the dunes are the most difficult.

0:45:010:45:03

You need the most experience to get through.

0:45:060:45:10

And we're heading up there now so I've got very little experience

0:45:100:45:13

and you've got none! Let's go and have a look.

0:45:130:45:16

Scream if you want to go faster.

0:45:220:45:23

I'm looking forward to this.

0:45:310:45:33

Here we go.

0:45:350:45:36

It's looming out of the horizon. All of a sudden it just starts.

0:45:460:45:50

The Sahara desert is an unforgiving place,

0:45:500:45:52

but it wasn't hard to see why Colin jumped at the chance to rally here.

0:45:520:45:56

In 2005, Colin blew the competition away.

0:46:080:46:12

By the time he reached Africa, he had built up an unbelievable lead of over five minutes.

0:46:120:46:17

And on my adventure Jimmy was also getting into the groove.

0:46:190:46:23

I couldn't even see that. It just came out of nowhere.

0:46:270:46:31

The McRae family truly are a legendary dynasty of rallyers.

0:46:310:46:36

But the reason Colin was so spectacular was

0:46:360:46:38

because he pushed his car to the absolute limit.

0:46:380:46:41

A few stages from the 2005 finish, he wiped out.

0:46:420:46:47

Once again, his flat-out style saw another dream in tatters.

0:46:500:46:55

The car dug in the sand and then flipped over.

0:46:550:46:59

Back in the desert, I hoped we wouldn't have a similar experience.

0:47:030:47:07

But then we got completely stuck.

0:47:100:47:13

Where did it all go wrong, Jimmy?

0:47:130:47:15

You have got handbrake on, haven't you?

0:47:150:47:19

It's not going to move far!

0:47:190:47:21

So if this happened in the race itself,

0:47:220:47:24

obviously you would be doing it with a bit more urgency, but would this be game over...?

0:47:240:47:30

35 or 40 degrees of heat.

0:47:300:47:32

How much effort can you put in to it?

0:47:320:47:34

My respect for Colin was growing by the minute.

0:47:370:47:40

But then we found a magic button that made life a whole lot easier.

0:47:420:47:47

So it comes out from the car itself.

0:47:490:47:53

That's pretty cool.

0:47:530:47:55

Oh, nice.

0:47:550:47:56

Thanks to the car's self-lifting mechanism,

0:47:560:47:58

it was my turn at the wheel.

0:47:580:48:00

Keep your foot flat on the throttle.

0:48:000:48:02

Keep it there, first gear.

0:48:030:48:07

Jimmy is a very brave man.

0:48:070:48:09

I wanted to make my teacher proud.

0:48:200:48:22

And if there's one thing I've learned from Colin,

0:48:220:48:25

it's that in these situations, it's best to drive as fast as possible.

0:48:250:48:29

I saw you grabbing the side there, Jimmy! I saw you!

0:48:290:48:32

Wha-hay!

0:48:510:48:52

That was fun!

0:48:540:48:55

Our day in the desert was over. And what a day it had been.

0:49:010:49:05

-It's been some day.

-It has, and a half.

0:49:090:49:12

It's been really worth the trip to get here to just see what it

0:49:120:49:16

was all about.

0:49:160:49:18

This is real special Dakar sand dunes.

0:49:180:49:21

I apologise for the slight airborne moment we took.

0:49:210:49:24

I thought the airborne moment, we were flying home from there!

0:49:240:49:29

I'm really starting to understand how versatile Colin

0:49:290:49:31

was as a driver and his ability to turn his hand to anything

0:49:310:49:34

with an engine, he could get into it and he could do incredible things.

0:49:340:49:39

And it was one of these guys, if he was going to do something,

0:49:390:49:43

he wanted to do it properly. And he was one of the boys. as well.

0:49:430:49:48

It was a team effort, as far as he was concerned.

0:49:480:49:51

People do become specialised in what they do and focus on that

0:49:510:49:53

and that's all they do, but Colin just seemed to have this

0:49:530:49:56

ferocious appetite, determination, and he'd turn his hand to anything.

0:49:560:49:59

How does it make you feel, and Margaret, when people tell you

0:49:590:50:03

stories about Colin and about how he impacted on their lives?

0:50:030:50:07

It makes you very proud. It's a fantastic achievement.

0:50:070:50:11

I'm sure he would have continued with the Dakar.

0:50:110:50:15

Today was fantastic. Thank you very much for that.

0:50:150:50:19

I probably won't take up the offer of coming cycling with you.

0:50:190:50:23

Any time you want, Jimmy. Any time!

0:50:230:50:25

Despite leaving the WRC, Colin continued to follow his dreams

0:50:270:50:31

and to push himself even further.

0:50:310:50:34

By 2006, he was back in Scotland planning a return to rallying

0:50:350:50:39

but as a budding entrepreneur.

0:50:390:50:41

He designed a purpose-built rally car called the McRae R4.

0:50:440:50:47

This concept vehicle was to be aimed at the semi-professional market.

0:50:490:50:54

After years of work, he debuted car in 2007.

0:50:550:50:58

But, the R4 Project was to remain unfinished.

0:51:010:51:05

'Former world champion rally driver Colin McRae is feared dead, along with

0:51:060:51:10

'three other people, after a helicopter crash near his home in Lanarkshire.'

0:51:100:51:14

'Colin McRae's five-year-old son and two family friends were also killed.'

0:51:140:51:18

'Today, the fatal accident enquiry ruled that the deaths would

0:51:200:51:23

'have been avoided if Colin McRae had not taken unnecessary

0:51:230:51:28

'and unsafe risks by flying too low, too fast.'

0:51:280:51:31

'It states... For a private pilot such as Mr McRae lacking

0:51:330:51:37

'the necessary training, experience or requirement to do so,

0:51:370:51:41

'embarking upon such demanding,

0:51:410:51:43

'low-level flying in such difficult terrain was imprudent,

0:51:430:51:48

'unreasonable and contrary to the principle of good airmanship.'

0:51:480:51:52

It was really really sad. I really miss him. I miss him a lot.

0:51:550:52:00

'In a statement, McRae's father Jimmy said he was an inspiration

0:52:030:52:07

'and role model to motorsport fans the world over.'

0:52:070:52:10

'Coming to pay tribute, fans and friends of Colin McRae,

0:52:110:52:15

'the champion rally driver and sporting hero.'

0:52:150:52:17

It was a very long night remembering all those great

0:52:220:52:25

scenes of Colin in his rally car and great memories together.

0:52:250:52:30

It is a massive loss to motorsport and all his friends and family.

0:52:340:52:38

The circumstances of the crash are well documented.

0:52:440:52:47

But I wanted Jimmy to know his son will always have

0:52:500:52:54

a place in motorsport history.

0:52:540:52:56

It's hard to express the effect his life has had on so many people

0:52:560:52:59

and the legacy that is left behind.

0:52:590:53:01

The generation he inspired that are still rallying now,

0:53:010:53:04

but the generation seeing him as this icon and true legend of the sport.

0:53:040:53:09

To be honest,

0:53:090:53:10

I don't think Colin realised what type of following he had.

0:53:100:53:14

Younger generation drivers that are here today have played the game

0:53:140:53:17

and it's a way people start in the sport, it's really an honour.

0:53:170:53:23

The term "legend" gets used too much these days that it applies

0:53:250:53:29

absolutely wholeheartedly for Colin.

0:53:290:53:32

He certainly makes me proud that he has left the legacy.

0:53:320:53:36

Five years after Colin's untimely death,

0:53:440:53:46

I am going to recreate his most inspiring victory...

0:53:460:53:50

..by driving the same rally stage he clinched the 1995 world title on.

0:53:510:53:56

It brings it home just how short life is

0:53:570:54:00

and the way he lived his life, he tried to enjoy every moment of it

0:54:000:54:04

and make the most of it, and it's the one thing that comes

0:54:040:54:07

across every person you meet who knew Colin, he had this passion for life.

0:54:070:54:12

And it was infectious.

0:54:130:54:15

As a top cyclist, I am used to endless training.

0:54:150:54:18

But I am not sure if anything can prepare me

0:54:180:54:20

for the challenge that awaits.

0:54:200:54:22

Taking control of a genuine WRC Subaru Impreza.

0:54:220:54:25

In the hands of a professional, this finely tuned four-wheel-drive beast

0:54:330:54:36

is capable of breakneck speeds no matter what terrain you throw at it.

0:54:360:54:40

The stakes couldn't be higher.

0:54:450:54:46

But fortunately, I will have Colin's co-driver from 1995 by my side.

0:54:480:54:53

-Derek Ringer. Good to meet you.

-Good to meet you. This is your car today.

0:54:530:54:58

This is it, the iconic WRC car. This is what it means.

0:54:580:55:03

I am pretty intimidated and quite scared but looking forward to it.

0:55:030:55:08

What should I expect in terms of a step up from the Sunbeam

0:55:080:55:12

to this monster?

0:55:120:55:13

Well, it would be like going from a Shetland pony to

0:55:130:55:16

a thoroughbred racehorse.

0:55:160:55:18

Let's put it that way.

0:55:180:55:19

Excited but nervous.

0:55:220:55:24

I want to keep it on, upright, off its roof,

0:55:260:55:28

and not damage the car but hopefully have a lot of fun.

0:55:280:55:32

It's a massive honour to be out there

0:55:390:55:41

and to get this opportunity to drive alongside Derek

0:55:410:55:44

and to drive in the seat Colin used to drive in, and do the best

0:55:440:55:47

I can to do him proud and do Jimmy proud.

0:55:470:55:51

OK, Chris. We're ready to go. I've got the notes here.

0:55:510:55:54

It's quite slippy in places today but we've got some fast corners.

0:55:550:56:00

I was finally ready for the drive of my life.

0:56:000:56:04

I just hoped I could make Jimmy proud.

0:56:040:56:08

Where's the button?

0:56:080:56:09

Five, four, three, two, one.

0:56:120:56:16

170.

0:56:190:56:22

It snagged a little bit.

0:56:260:56:28

He's come to terms with that pretty quickly. Very good.

0:56:310:56:35

As I attempted to tame the Impreza,

0:56:350:56:38

I suddenly understood something Colin once said.

0:56:380:56:41

If in doubt, flat out.

0:56:430:56:45

He's going to be piped in by the bagpiper.

0:57:020:57:06

Colin McRae, the RAC Network Q winner, once again.

0:57:060:57:12

Bang on time, the champion, the cross of St Andrew

0:57:120:57:17

waving at Chester racecourse. Up onto the ramp he comes.

0:57:170:57:22

1,445 miles later, he comes back the champion, the winner of the Network Q...

0:57:220:57:29

Colin McRae.

0:57:290:57:32

It's mixed emotions coming to the end of his journey and experience

0:57:440:57:47

of meeting Colin's teammates and his crew, his family and friends.

0:57:470:57:53

Still grinning.

0:57:530:57:55

You can see me through the windscreen with the teeth poking through the smile.

0:57:550:57:58

And the tongue sticking out trying to concentrate.

0:57:580:58:01

I've had such a great time, it's been fantastic and I am sad

0:58:010:58:04

it's over, but also sad Colin isn't here to be part of the whole.

0:58:040:58:08

His legend lives on.

0:58:080:58:10

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