Colin mcrae - Helicoptor Crash
16 September 2007, 01:09 AM
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16 September 2007, 01:14 AM
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16 September 2007, 01:14 AM
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they are on about his son was on broad now along with jimmy two great men i hope its all a dream. he is my hero and look up at him.
RIP
thoughts go out to his family
RIP
thoughts go out to his family
16 September 2007, 01:37 AM
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Man, I'm totally gutted, as I'm sure is the case for lots of people on here, this is the guy who brought alive rallying for me and made me a life long fan of Subaru. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
I can't believe Helicopters have claimed the lives of two of the greatest Scottish motorsport heros in recent years, with Hizzy passing just a few years ago.
RIP Colin, thankyou for the memories and you'll never be forgotten
I can't believe Helicopters have claimed the lives of two of the greatest Scottish motorsport heros in recent years, with Hizzy passing just a few years ago.
RIP Colin, thankyou for the memories and you'll never be forgotten
16 September 2007, 02:11 AM
#280
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Peace be with you.
Just got in from night out, saw news and came here.
IF its Colin it's a sad day for the whole motorsport world.
My thoughts are with his family and close friends.
My wife and i went to oz in '05, Colin took a P.O.S. skoda and apart from a cocked up gearbox change he put it on the podium.
As soon as it's confirmed can we see an online book of condolence? I can't think of a better host than here.
================================================== ==========
Colin arrives at pearly gates.
St Peter : Ah, Mr McRae? here, take your pick.
Colin steps forward to see every car he's ever crashed, repaired and waiting.
Colin: Hm? how about a co-driver?
Up steps Beef.
Colin: And some competition?
Burns taps him on shoulder..............
As quoted on Colin McRae - The official site of Colin Mcrae and home of the R4 performance car
"give me 300 bhp, a winding road – and no brakes, and then you’ve got my attention!"
IF its Colin it's a sad day for the whole motorsport world.
My thoughts are with his family and close friends.
My wife and i went to oz in '05, Colin took a P.O.S. skoda and apart from a cocked up gearbox change he put it on the podium.
As soon as it's confirmed can we see an online book of condolence? I can't think of a better host than here.
================================================== ==========
Colin arrives at pearly gates.
St Peter : Ah, Mr McRae? here, take your pick.
Colin steps forward to see every car he's ever crashed, repaired and waiting.
Colin: Hm? how about a co-driver?
Up steps Beef.
Colin: And some competition?
Burns taps him on shoulder..............
As quoted on Colin McRae - The official site of Colin Mcrae and home of the R4 performance car
"give me 300 bhp, a winding road – and no brakes, and then you’ve got my attention!"
16 September 2007, 02:36 AM
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A few of us from Scottishscoobies.com, part of the SIDC, are heading up his house to leave a small tribute consisting of some Blue and Yellow flowers, a SWRT T-Shirt tied together with a St Andrews cross.
I met Colin a few times in the course of my work, i was his DHL delivery driver and even had a dump in his toilet. The guy was my idol, hero and the inspiration for me to dedicate my life to all things Subaru.
From the early days in a Nova on the Galloway Hills rally to sitting freezing my nuts off in Keilder just to catch a millisecond of him flying past sideways and who can forget his X games exploits
Meeting at Lanark Market on the Hyndford Rd at 1300 and leaving at 1330.
It will be a sombre trip from the market to his house with revs being kept under 2000rpm all the way
All welcome and remember the guy was a fellow Subaru owner, he still owned L555BAT and the 22b with the 000 plaque, as well as a man with ***** of steel.
RIP mate, you will be sorely missed
I met Colin a few times in the course of my work, i was his DHL delivery driver and even had a dump in his toilet. The guy was my idol, hero and the inspiration for me to dedicate my life to all things Subaru.
From the early days in a Nova on the Galloway Hills rally to sitting freezing my nuts off in Keilder just to catch a millisecond of him flying past sideways and who can forget his X games exploits
Meeting at Lanark Market on the Hyndford Rd at 1300 and leaving at 1330.
It will be a sombre trip from the market to his house with revs being kept under 2000rpm all the way
All welcome and remember the guy was a fellow Subaru owner, he still owned L555BAT and the 22b with the 000 plaque, as well as a man with ***** of steel.
RIP mate, you will be sorely missed
16 September 2007, 02:42 AM
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Remember Colin was Scottish first and British a distant second. His words not mine
No fear
16 September 2007, 02:53 AM
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From what will be Sundays Telegraph.
The statue of William Wallace gazes down on the town of Lanark from the steeple of St Nicholas's Church, but Colin Steele McRae, who was feared dead last night in a helicopter crash in his home county of Lanarkshire, was the Braveheart of modern times.
McRae wasn't just a rally driver, he wasn't just a world champion. He stirred the emotions as few sportsmen have ever done. He was a chancer, but then that was precisely what made him an irresistible hero.
He was the youngest world rally champion when he won the title in 1995, at the age of 27, and the only frustration for him and his followers was that he never became champion again. But therein lay the allure of the man. It wasn't championships or even rally wins that made him the icon he was. It was that spectacular, seat of the pants, and, yes, risk-taking style that set him apart from the rest.
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At his peak he was acknowledged as the fastest man in rallying, and he brought a buzz and sense of expectation to his home event, the RAC Rally, now Rally GB, comparable to Mansell-mania on the track.
McRae was born to compete. His father, Jimmy, was five-times British rally champion. Colin's younger brother, Alister, also became an international class rally driver.
But the real star of the family was Colin. He never missed an opportunity to try his hand on his dad's motorbikes, and as a young teenager explored the limits of a mini around the old mineshafts near his home in Lanark.
He had his first rally in 1985, at the wheel of an Avenger, borrowed from a friend, and although he flew off into a peat bog, he managed to continue and went all the way to the pinnacle of his sport.
He paid £850 for his own first rally car, a Sunbeam. He entered the British Championship in 1989 and had his first experience of world championship competition, driving a Ford Sierra, the same year. He also made his debut on the RAC Rally.
His frequent excursions earned him the nickname 'McCrash', but he reasoned that he could harness his natural speed once he'd found the limit of his, and his car's, capabilities.
He was signed up by Subaru and became the youngest British champion in 1991. He kept the title in 1992 and the following year became a full-time world championship driver. His first win came in New Zealand that same year, and also in 1993 he became the first British driver since Roger Clark, in 1976 to win the RAC Rally.
In 1995 he won an intense and sometimes controversial duel with his Subaru team-mate, Spain's Carlos Sainz, to become champion, clinching the title on home ground.
He went close again, both with Subaru and Ford, but was thwarted by a combination of unreliable machinery and his own fallibility.
In 2000, that fabled bravado almost cost him his life. He went off the road in Corsica and was suspended, upside down, in a ravine. According to his physio, he was within 15 minutes of death.
McRae admitted that was his greatest escape, but his appetite for the challenge was undiminished. The following year the championship was again within his grasp, but McRae couldn't resist the prospect of finishing the job with a flourish, and instead crashed out at Rally GB. His demise effectively handed the title to his English rival, Richard Burns.
McRae often taunted Burns, insisting he took the cautious, boring approach. McRae was ever the cavalier. When he had a few beers, McRae would ring Burns and tell him the Englishman knew he loved him really.
McRae wasn't always known for his humour, and often he could be awkward and uncooperative in public. But those close to him saw that other side, the lad from Lanark who just wanted to have fun. He still believed he could cut it at the top, but admitted that, at the age of 39, it had to be next year or never.
He was preparing for another Dakar rally in the new year, yet he would have loved one last chance in the World Championship. His hordes of fans would have loved that, too. Instead, they have the memories.
By nature a man in a hurry, he considered his helicopter a convenient means of transport. But he insisted he only ever took risks in competition, never with family and friends. Therein lies a cruel irony.
Bit lost for my own words.
The statue of William Wallace gazes down on the town of Lanark from the steeple of St Nicholas's Church, but Colin Steele McRae, who was feared dead last night in a helicopter crash in his home county of Lanarkshire, was the Braveheart of modern times.
McRae wasn't just a rally driver, he wasn't just a world champion. He stirred the emotions as few sportsmen have ever done. He was a chancer, but then that was precisely what made him an irresistible hero.
He was the youngest world rally champion when he won the title in 1995, at the age of 27, and the only frustration for him and his followers was that he never became champion again. But therein lay the allure of the man. It wasn't championships or even rally wins that made him the icon he was. It was that spectacular, seat of the pants, and, yes, risk-taking style that set him apart from the rest.
advertisement
At his peak he was acknowledged as the fastest man in rallying, and he brought a buzz and sense of expectation to his home event, the RAC Rally, now Rally GB, comparable to Mansell-mania on the track.
McRae was born to compete. His father, Jimmy, was five-times British rally champion. Colin's younger brother, Alister, also became an international class rally driver.
But the real star of the family was Colin. He never missed an opportunity to try his hand on his dad's motorbikes, and as a young teenager explored the limits of a mini around the old mineshafts near his home in Lanark.
He had his first rally in 1985, at the wheel of an Avenger, borrowed from a friend, and although he flew off into a peat bog, he managed to continue and went all the way to the pinnacle of his sport.
He paid £850 for his own first rally car, a Sunbeam. He entered the British Championship in 1989 and had his first experience of world championship competition, driving a Ford Sierra, the same year. He also made his debut on the RAC Rally.
His frequent excursions earned him the nickname 'McCrash', but he reasoned that he could harness his natural speed once he'd found the limit of his, and his car's, capabilities.
He was signed up by Subaru and became the youngest British champion in 1991. He kept the title in 1992 and the following year became a full-time world championship driver. His first win came in New Zealand that same year, and also in 1993 he became the first British driver since Roger Clark, in 1976 to win the RAC Rally.
In 1995 he won an intense and sometimes controversial duel with his Subaru team-mate, Spain's Carlos Sainz, to become champion, clinching the title on home ground.
He went close again, both with Subaru and Ford, but was thwarted by a combination of unreliable machinery and his own fallibility.
In 2000, that fabled bravado almost cost him his life. He went off the road in Corsica and was suspended, upside down, in a ravine. According to his physio, he was within 15 minutes of death.
McRae admitted that was his greatest escape, but his appetite for the challenge was undiminished. The following year the championship was again within his grasp, but McRae couldn't resist the prospect of finishing the job with a flourish, and instead crashed out at Rally GB. His demise effectively handed the title to his English rival, Richard Burns.
McRae often taunted Burns, insisting he took the cautious, boring approach. McRae was ever the cavalier. When he had a few beers, McRae would ring Burns and tell him the Englishman knew he loved him really.
McRae wasn't always known for his humour, and often he could be awkward and uncooperative in public. But those close to him saw that other side, the lad from Lanark who just wanted to have fun. He still believed he could cut it at the top, but admitted that, at the age of 39, it had to be next year or never.
He was preparing for another Dakar rally in the new year, yet he would have loved one last chance in the World Championship. His hordes of fans would have loved that, too. Instead, they have the memories.
By nature a man in a hurry, he considered his helicopter a convenient means of transport. But he insisted he only ever took risks in competition, never with family and friends. Therein lies a cruel irony.
Bit lost for my own words.
Last edited by Fuzz; 16 September 2007 at 02:57 AM.
16 September 2007, 02:59 AM
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Alistair moved to Austrailia about 2 months ago. Jimmy is apparently somewhere abroad on holiday.
A few of us went up to his house tonight about midnight and were stopped by 2 cops in a Transit van at the foot of his mile long driveway
. Thier exact words were that 4 people had died when the aircraft expolded in impact and that the Squirrel chopper was registered to Colin McRae. The AAIB (Air Accident Investigation Bearau) are on thier way from London and official confirmation will be released at 9am on Sunday.
Unofficially it is our worst fears that it is Colin, his 5 yo son and 2 unknown others but nothing officially will be realesed until 9am when all the family have been contacted and informed.
A few of us went up to his house tonight about midnight and were stopped by 2 cops in a Transit van at the foot of his mile long driveway
. Thier exact words were that 4 people had died when the aircraft expolded in impact and that the Squirrel chopper was registered to Colin McRae. The AAIB (Air Accident Investigation Bearau) are on thier way from London and official confirmation will be released at 9am on Sunday.
Unofficially it is our worst fears that it is Colin, his 5 yo son and 2 unknown others but nothing officially will be realesed until 9am when all the family have been contacted and informed.
16 September 2007, 03:27 AM
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Hold on a minute. This can't be right. I've had a few pints so I'll put this whole thread down to a complete mis-read, and I'll look again in the morning.
Mr McRae Snr got me hooked onto rallying when Sierra Cosworths were the real deal. His son, Colin, brought it up another level for me, and got me into the deepest, darkest areas of the Welsh stages in the early '90s. He's also the primary reason that I set my sights on owning a Scooby. If it wasn't for Col, I'd be driving a Micra.
Please, please, don't let this rumour be true. I don't have many heroes, but Colin is one of them.
I don't believe in any God, but tonight I'll pray that he and his son are alive and as near as possible to being well.
Sincere thoughts to those close to them.
Kev
Mr McRae Snr got me hooked onto rallying when Sierra Cosworths were the real deal. His son, Colin, brought it up another level for me, and got me into the deepest, darkest areas of the Welsh stages in the early '90s. He's also the primary reason that I set my sights on owning a Scooby. If it wasn't for Col, I'd be driving a Micra.
Please, please, don't let this rumour be true. I don't have many heroes, but Colin is one of them.
I don't believe in any God, but tonight I'll pray that he and his son are alive and as near as possible to being well.
Sincere thoughts to those close to them.
Kev
Last edited by cefski; 16 September 2007 at 03:39 AM. Reason: none
16 September 2007, 03:38 AM
#288
BANNED
Hold on a minute. This can't be right. I've had a few pints so I'll put this whole thread down to a complete mis-read, and I'll look again in the morning. Then again...
Mr McRae Snr got me hooked onto rallying when Sierra Cosworths were the real deal. His son, Colin, brought it up another level for me, and got me into the deepest, darkest areas of the Welsh stages in the early '90s. He's also the primary reason that I set my sights on owning a Scooby. If it wasn't for Col, I'd be driving a Micra.
Please, please, don't let this rumour be true. I don't have many heroes, but Colin is one of them.
I don't believe in any God, but tonight I'll pray that he and his son are alive and as near as possible to being well.
Sincere thoughts to those close to them.
Kev
Mr McRae Snr got me hooked onto rallying when Sierra Cosworths were the real deal. His son, Colin, brought it up another level for me, and got me into the deepest, darkest areas of the Welsh stages in the early '90s. He's also the primary reason that I set my sights on owning a Scooby. If it wasn't for Col, I'd be driving a Micra.
Please, please, don't let this rumour be true. I don't have many heroes, but Colin is one of them.
I don't believe in any God, but tonight I'll pray that he and his son are alive and as near as possible to being well.
Sincere thoughts to those close to them.
Kev
16 September 2007, 03:52 AM
#290
BANNED
reading all your posts tonight on scoobynet. can i just say how proud i am to be part of a fantastic community. you all have a huge heart and you all should be proud of your selfs. big up all of you. xx
16 September 2007, 04:19 AM
#292
Scooby Regular
I have never owned an Impreza, I don't particularly like them
But I bought my Legacy Turbo solely because of Colin McRae's antics in the Rothmans cars
:
16 September 2007, 05:52 AM
#294
Rally ace Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash
GARETH ROSE AND JEREMY WATSON
SCOTTISH rally champion Colin McRae has been killed in a helicopter crash close to his Lanarkshire home.
The Twin Squirrel helicopter registered to the former world champion rally driver came down shortly after 4pm yesterday about 200 yards from his 17th-century mansion.
Police sources said the blue helicopter used by the 39-year-old multi-millionaire had exploded in a "fireball".
Eyewitness David Lowry, who lives nearby, said he watched as the helicopter plunged into a valley.
As many as four people are thought to have died in the crash. Jean-Eric Freudiger, McRae's agent, confirmed McRae had been piloting the helicopter.
Locals said they feared McRae had been travelling with another adult and two children. A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman confirmed there were no survivors. Officers were trying to establish who was on board and where the helicopter was travelling to and from.
"The damage has been so bad that we don't know how many people were on board. It might be one, it might be more," she said. "We just don't know at the moment."
She added that it could be some time before official identifications can be made.
Weather conditions at the time were deteriorating with strengthening winds and light rain. Members of the Department of Transport's Air Accidents Investigation Branch were travelling to the scene at Jerviswood, one mile north of Lanark last night.
The Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that its own helicopter had been sent to the scene along with three ambulance crews. Strathclyde Fire Brigade also had units in attendance.
David Lowry, 48, who owns New Steadings Farm, just across the Mouse Water from McRae's home, saw the helicopter crash.
He said: "I was speaking to one of my friends on the farm. The helicopter came overhead and then dropped into the valley. After it disappeared I saw smoke rising from the trees and phoned the emergency services. I could not see what happened when it went down. It did not seem to be in any trouble. It was about half a mile from me and the helicopter seemed to be flying normally.
"It was navy blue in colour and I am led to believe it belongs to Colin McRae. It is up so often my cattle don't even flinch when it is overhead."
He added: "I know him well enough to say hello to, although I don't know him personally. If it turns out to be him it will have an unbelievable effect on the local community."
He added: "Colin is a very popular person around here. We only moved here seven years ago, but they are a Lanark family born and bred."
As darkness fell last night, police had erected an incident tent in the woods at the scene of the crash. Officers threw a 600-yard cordon around the house. Friends and relatives of the McRae family were gathering at the home of a neighbour, 300 yards from the McRae home.
McRae, born in Lanark in 1968, was the son of five-time British Rally Champion, Jimmy McRae. He was the first Briton to be named world champion when he won the event in the mid-1990s and was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his outstanding achievements.
He also produced popular and lucrative rally computer games, including Colin McRae Dirt.
McRae bought a home in Monaco in 1995, partly through his friendship with fellow Scot and Formula One driver David Coulthard. However, as his young family grew up, he spent more time back at his home in Lanarkshire, accepting the higher tax liability of living in Scotland. McRae and his wife Alison had two children, Hollie, nine, and five-year-old Johnny.
His brother, Alister, believed to be in Australia at the moment, is also a professional rally driver and has enjoyed some success, including winning the British Rally Championship in 1995.
In addition to the Lanark and Monaco properties, McRae had a home overlooking Lake Geneva and an apartment in Majorca.
He freely admitted enjoying risk-taking, celebrating his first major rallying win, which came in New Zealand, with a bungee-jump over a ravine.
In addition, he drove a Lamborghini and a series of high-powered motorcycles.
This article: Scotsman.com News - Entertainment - Rally ace Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash
GARETH ROSE AND JEREMY WATSON
SCOTTISH rally champion Colin McRae has been killed in a helicopter crash close to his Lanarkshire home.
The Twin Squirrel helicopter registered to the former world champion rally driver came down shortly after 4pm yesterday about 200 yards from his 17th-century mansion.
Police sources said the blue helicopter used by the 39-year-old multi-millionaire had exploded in a "fireball".
Eyewitness David Lowry, who lives nearby, said he watched as the helicopter plunged into a valley.
As many as four people are thought to have died in the crash. Jean-Eric Freudiger, McRae's agent, confirmed McRae had been piloting the helicopter.
Locals said they feared McRae had been travelling with another adult and two children. A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman confirmed there were no survivors. Officers were trying to establish who was on board and where the helicopter was travelling to and from.
"The damage has been so bad that we don't know how many people were on board. It might be one, it might be more," she said. "We just don't know at the moment."
She added that it could be some time before official identifications can be made.
Weather conditions at the time were deteriorating with strengthening winds and light rain. Members of the Department of Transport's Air Accidents Investigation Branch were travelling to the scene at Jerviswood, one mile north of Lanark last night.
The Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that its own helicopter had been sent to the scene along with three ambulance crews. Strathclyde Fire Brigade also had units in attendance.
David Lowry, 48, who owns New Steadings Farm, just across the Mouse Water from McRae's home, saw the helicopter crash.
He said: "I was speaking to one of my friends on the farm. The helicopter came overhead and then dropped into the valley. After it disappeared I saw smoke rising from the trees and phoned the emergency services. I could not see what happened when it went down. It did not seem to be in any trouble. It was about half a mile from me and the helicopter seemed to be flying normally.
"It was navy blue in colour and I am led to believe it belongs to Colin McRae. It is up so often my cattle don't even flinch when it is overhead."
He added: "I know him well enough to say hello to, although I don't know him personally. If it turns out to be him it will have an unbelievable effect on the local community."
He added: "Colin is a very popular person around here. We only moved here seven years ago, but they are a Lanark family born and bred."
As darkness fell last night, police had erected an incident tent in the woods at the scene of the crash. Officers threw a 600-yard cordon around the house. Friends and relatives of the McRae family were gathering at the home of a neighbour, 300 yards from the McRae home.
McRae, born in Lanark in 1968, was the son of five-time British Rally Champion, Jimmy McRae. He was the first Briton to be named world champion when he won the event in the mid-1990s and was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his outstanding achievements.
He also produced popular and lucrative rally computer games, including Colin McRae Dirt.
McRae bought a home in Monaco in 1995, partly through his friendship with fellow Scot and Formula One driver David Coulthard. However, as his young family grew up, he spent more time back at his home in Lanarkshire, accepting the higher tax liability of living in Scotland. McRae and his wife Alison had two children, Hollie, nine, and five-year-old Johnny.
His brother, Alister, believed to be in Australia at the moment, is also a professional rally driver and has enjoyed some success, including winning the British Rally Championship in 1995.
In addition to the Lanark and Monaco properties, McRae had a home overlooking Lake Geneva and an apartment in Majorca.
He freely admitted enjoying risk-taking, celebrating his first major rallying win, which came in New Zealand, with a bungee-jump over a ravine.
In addition, he drove a Lamborghini and a series of high-powered motorcycles.
This article: Scotsman.com News - Entertainment - Rally ace Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash
16 September 2007, 07:07 AM
#298
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condolences to the familys effected by this tradgity
we do seem to lose the heros of motorsport far to young looks like another very sad day for all sports fans especially rally fans....
R.I.P. all those involved
we do seem to lose the heros of motorsport far to young looks like another very sad day for all sports fans especially rally fans....
R.I.P. all those involved
16 September 2007, 07:07 AM
#299
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Jimmy McRae was my hero for many years whether it was out on the stages or watching him guest various saloon cars around Ingliston.
Then Colin took his place taking it up to that world class level. The greatest British Rallly driver of his generation.
There are now two people in sport who have died that have moved me in ways I cannot put into words. One of them was Ayrton Senna, the other is now Colin.
Colin's impact, like Senna's, was far greater than behind the wheel, although that is where we saw them ply their trade. I think it is this that, for me, made them so special and so close to my own heart.
I had some driver coaching earlier this year with Don Palmer and like all good coaches he asked me who I would like to role model, who I would like to emulate. Whilst the other coachees hesitated, I immediatly knew that there could only be one answer, Colin.
Of course I have less talent than he had in his little fingernail and yet he will always be there with me when I am driving, his Subaru howling throught the snowy Kielder darkness.
Rest in peace my friend.
Then Colin took his place taking it up to that world class level. The greatest British Rallly driver of his generation.
There are now two people in sport who have died that have moved me in ways I cannot put into words. One of them was Ayrton Senna, the other is now Colin.
Colin's impact, like Senna's, was far greater than behind the wheel, although that is where we saw them ply their trade. I think it is this that, for me, made them so special and so close to my own heart.
I had some driver coaching earlier this year with Don Palmer and like all good coaches he asked me who I would like to role model, who I would like to emulate. Whilst the other coachees hesitated, I immediatly knew that there could only be one answer, Colin.
Of course I have less talent than he had in his little fingernail and yet he will always be there with me when I am driving, his Subaru howling throught the snowy Kielder darkness.
Rest in peace my friend.
