Biography
The Scottish Racer Colin Makray, who came from the Familous Rally Champions Family, in 1995 became the youngest Winner of the World Series, which led the team of Subaru World Rally Team to the long-awaited leadership in the Constructors Cup. His sports achievements were marked by the Honorary Order of the British Empire and are perpetuated by Codemasters in the COLIN MCRAE Video Game series.Childhood and youth
The biography of the future rider began on August 5, 1968 in Scotland, where he was born in the family of Jimmy Makrey, 5 times winning the Ralone British championship. Colin Style had an older brother named Alister, whose professional career is associated with Racing Series WRC, APRC and FIA World Rallycross Championship.
Embed from getty imagesAs a child, the boy was fond of the trial, but, dreaming to be like a famous Father, who managed powerful cars, wanted to get into a four-wheeled sport. At the age of 16, with the help of the local COLTNESS club, he received a racing license for a mini-cooper competition. Then he participated in Kamees single-stage races on his own Hillman Avenger, made for household use by Chrysler Europe.
Car racing
In 1986, at the wheel of Hatchback Talbot Sunbeam, Colin made his debut at the Championship of Scotland and demonstrated an outstanding speed and maneuvering ability. And soon after that, taking the National Championship crown on the modest car Vauxhall Nova, the young racer moved to Ford Sierra XR 4x4 and at the international stage in Sweden first took part in the World Rally Championships. Conquering positions in the middle of the peloton, on the 5th place finished the season.In 1991, despite a row of breakdowns and accidents, Makray signed a contract with David Richards and the SUBARU factory team, in parallel speaking in the UK championship and driving a BMW Prodrive car. But because of the deliberate collision with the pilot Matthew Nil on the Knockhill Racing Highway, the judges disqualified Colin, and he fully moved to the world championship.
Continuing collaboration with Subaru, Scotman played in the company with the famous Finn of Ari Vathann and his partners Hanna Mikkolova and Marcca Alain. Together with them McRea won the WRC stage in New Zealand and changed the car on Subaru Impreza 555.
In 1995, in a stubborn struggle, bypassing Carlos Sainz in the Race in the UK, Colin won the World Champion title on the rally, and then won in Acropolis, Catalonia, Australia and San Remo, in the final table twice lost Tommy Mykinen from the Mitsubishi Ralliart's team.
Despite this, the 3 seasons in a row Subaru won the Cup of Designers, and Makray won the 1st place in the championship race on the Canary Islands. In 1999, the Scottled Attention switched to the German manufacturers of the Ford Focus car, and he signed a 2-year-old multi-million dollar contract with them.
In 2002, after the triumphal victory, Safari Makray's Safari got into the Guinness Book of Records and subsequently performed on Skoda and Citroën cars. He participated in the annual transconental marathon in Dakar and 24-hour endurance races held near the French city of Le Mans.
Personal life
In the personal life, the macrea everything has happened as it should be successfully, since he, with an increase in 186 cm and a balanced weight, found a loving wife Alison, who gave birth to him two sons.
Judging by the published photos, the couple together came to the competition and in 1995 settled in Monaco, having faced with David Kulhard and his family.
Death
In addition to the professional pilot of racing cars, Colin had the experience of driving a helicopter, which in a sad coincidence was the cause of the death of a rider, his 5-year-old son Johnny and two more close friends. The tragedy occurred on September 15, 2007 near the family estate in Lanarka and gave rise to a book with 50 thousand condolences, memorial events and many newspaper articles.The funeral of 2 members of the famous racing family Makreyev who died from wounds at the crash site, took place on September 26 at the Daldowie Scottish Krematorium, and after 4 days a memorial service was held in the Church of St. Nicholas, located in the old part of the hometown, which was attended by about 15 thousand. Human.
Subsequently, sports amateurs learned about the facts from the life of the champion from the autobiographical book "The Real Mcrae: The Autobiogography of the People's Champion". The unique style of his driving was presented in the computer games of the same name of the COLIN MCRAE series.
Achievements
- 1988 - Rally Champion of Scotland
- 1991-1992 - the best English rally racing machine according to AutoSport magazine
- 1995 - World Rally Champion
- 1997 - the best English Ralone Ranker according to AutoSport magazine
- 1998 - Winner of the Champions Racing
Bibliography
- 2001 - "The Real Mcrae: The Autobiogography of the People's Champion"