McRAE’S CROWNING GLORY
Colin McRae’s crowning glory – Photo: Suttons
This weekend marks 25 years since the great Colin McRae won his sole World Rally Championship in the iconic yellow and blue Subaru Impreza WRX and in the latest edition of Auto Action the highly competitive, yet controversial 1995 WRC season is reviewed.
By HEATH McALPINE
The yellow and blue Subaru Impreza WRXs of the mid-1990s are worshipped around the world and are synonymous with the sport of rallying.
As is the man most synonymous with them, 1995 World Rally Champion and sporting icon, Colin McRae.
The Scot transcended the sport. His popularity extended to places where rallying struggled for popularity in a convoluted market. This was highlighted when McRae guest drove at the X Games in 2006 against the likes of action stars Travis Pastrana and Ken Block.
McRae’s ‘if in doubt, go flat out’ philosophy still resonates in rallying to this day, inspiring many of the current generation of WRC stars who grew up watching his all-out attacking style and playing the video games bearing his name.
McRae’s early WRC career saw him show impressive pace, but that raw speed was punctuated by large accidents, resulting in the label ‘McCrash’ bestowed upon him by the media.
McRae started his career at Prodrive in 1991, delivering the first of back-to-back British Rally Championships, which were mixed in 1992 with WRC events highlighted by a tenacious eighth place in a significantly damaged car in Finland.
Subaru switched to the smaller Impreza WRX Group A for ’94, and despite a solitary win for the team with McRae in New Zealand, it kicked off a new era for Prodrive and Subaru.
In addition to the Impreza, the stakes rose further for the team as it signed double-World Rally Champion, Carlos Sainz, alongside McRae, sparking a decade-long rivalry between the duo.
While Toyota took the manufacturer’s title, season 1994 sent a warning shot to Subaru’s rivals as Sainz finished second in the title, taking victory in Greece. Two wins came the way of McRae, in New Zealand as well as Great Britain, yet it was Toyota’s Didier Auriol took the crown. The scene was set for 1995 in what was expected to be a battle of the ages, and even 25 years later, it didn’t disappoint.
Eight rallies made up the schedule amid the second year of the FIA’s event rotation program, which saw the Safari Rally, Acropolis, Argentina, Finland and San Remo omitted. Sweden, Australia and Spain returned to a compact calendar, with a driver’s top seven points finishes counting towards the end of year total.
Reigning champions Toyota appeared to be on the decline, but it appeared the Celica GT-Four’s success was waning due to the FIA’s decision to reduce the restrictor size from 38mm to 34mm. The change would have significant ramifications with the FIA later in the season.
Reigning driver’s champion Auriol and Finn Juha Kankkunen hoped to deliver Toyota a hat-trick of manufacturer’s titles, and just maybe a fifth driver’s crown in six years.
Sainz and McRae continued with Subaru as confidence grew within the Prodrive camp. McRae was personally buoyed after dominating the season-ending Rally Great Britain to round out 1994, and publicly voiced his title ambitions for ’95 on the podium.
Together, Sainz and McRae cemented Subaru as the most ominous threat to Toyota’s dominance.
It was all change at Ford, with Belgian team RAS Sport taking over the running of its program.
Two-time WRC champion Miki Biasion was gone with fiery Frenchman Francois Delecour in his place. Providing back up in the second Ford Escort RS Cosworth was Belgian Bruno Thiry.
This left another relative Japanese newcomer, Mitsubishi. Led by rallying great Andrew Cowan, Ralliart entrusted Finn Tommi Makinen and Swede Kenneth Eriksson to spearhead its attack using the marque’s Lancer Evolution.
To read the full story, pick up Auto Action 1799 out now online and in newsagencies.
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