Rallying: Rally ho for dad McRae

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Nov 2, 2003 | by EXCLUSIVE By DERICK ALLSOP

COLIN McRAE will come up against an unlikely rival in this week's Rally GB - his 60-year-old dad Jimmy.

Five-times British champion Jimmy is coming out of international retirement for a final fling in the event he knew as the 'RAC'.

Jimmy, who last competed in the British round of the World Championship six years ago, lines up for Thursday's start in Cardiff at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza.

He said: "I've thought for a while I'd like just one more go at it and when the offer came my way I jumped at it.

"I've seen a couple of other old stagers, Ari Vatenen and Markku Alen, do Rally Finland, so I thought, why not? I've been keeping my hand in with a few national rallies and I've always been around the rally scene, so I know what to expect.

"I'm going along for the fun. Hopefully I can make the top 20, but I don't think Colin has anything to worry about from me. I won't be matching his times."

Colin, three times a winner of Rally GB, has no doubts that his dad will be up to the gruelling challenge.

The 1995 world champion said: "It's great to see him back and I'm sure he'll be fine. I can't pass on any tips to him because he gave them to me in the first place!"

It will, however, be a bitter-sweet weekend for the Lanark family, because Jimmy's younger son Alister has been ruled out of the rally. His deal to drive a Subaru WRC car fell through and the FIA refused him permission to switch to a different category entry.

McRae senior said: "It's a real sickener for Alister and all the family. We'd planned to make it the three of us, one last time.

"But it just seems that the McRaes are cursed at the moment. Everything we try somehow goes wrong."

Colin, 35, is making his last appearance for Citroen's factory team and admits he has given up hope of finding the budget for a drive in next year's World Championship.

Instead he is likely to tackle rally raids such as the Dakar Classic and ASCAR Days of Thunder races at Rockingham Motor Speedway, while he seeks a WRC return in 2005.

Jimmy said: "Colin will probably take a year out from the World Rally Championship and do a few of the other things he wants to do.

"But I certainly don't think this will be the last time you'll see him in his home rally. If I can do it at 60, I'm sure Colin's got a few more years in him yet."

1 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) 63 pts, 2 Carlos Sainz (Citroen) 63, 3 Petter Solberg (Subaru) 62, 4 Richard Burns (Peugeot) 58, 5 Markko Martin (Ford) 49, 6 Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) 46, 7 Colin McRae (Citroen) 40.