IN THE BLOOD
drag it across the mud-caked windscreen by hand. “Broken wipers are a problem in rallying but, as I discovered, an even bigger one in rallycross with other cars in such close proximity.”
Some of the clips in Mcrae’s video library last a mere five seconds. But they were gold to the enthusiasts who waited on sodden hillocks to film him roar past. He misses those sodden hillocks. “Scotland is green for a reason. It gets a lot of rain. I pine for the Scottish scenery and places like Craigvinean in Perthshire, one of the best stages in all rallying.
“Australia’s a great country but the long straight roads are very depressing for a guy like me.” It would be interesting, I say, if he liked to relax with a sedate pastime like chess or even Airfix car construction.
“No chance! I’d just get frustrated. The favourite thing I do now is getting on my motorbike. My wife says I’m happiest when I’m involved with speed. It needs a heck of a lot of concentration but to me that’s relaxing. You’ll never catch me just sitting in front of the TV.”
Bikes are where is all began for Alister, and stir happy memories of trying to keep up with Colin. “We were very
ALISTER MCRAE competitive as brothers, but in a good way. And bikes, while we waited until we were 17 and allowed to drive, were the most fun because we’d be side by side on these brilliant Lanarkshire tracks.”
Colin’s triumphs will be commemorated at the Rallylegend event in San Marino in October, when Alister will be joined by former champions and his brother’s co-drivers Derek Ringer and Nicky Grist.
Meanwhile, Alister hopes to resume his nascent rallycross career when the championship moves to Germany and then South Africa.
Mere mortals can suddenly develop phobias in their mature years – doesn’t this happen to speed kings and skid demons?
“I think as you get older in rallying you maybe lose the ability to push to the limit but, using all your experience, you can keep doing well at it and I still love jumping in the car,” said Mcrae.
“I don’t think about the risks – it’s actually a pretty safe sport – or what might or could go wrong. You’ve got to enjoy your life.”
Now Alister is seeing Max, 13, show all the sparkly-eyed zeal for rallying that he possessed at the same age. “He races go-karts in Australia right now but is all the time telling me he wants to rally. I have to say it’s easier competing yourself than being a parent watching your boy do it. Goodness knows what my mother was like when Dad, Colin and I were all going in the same event. But, when we were back in Scotland in the summer, Dad fixed it for Max to have a hurl round Knockhill. He loved it, of course, and for three generations of Mcraes that was a very special day.”
“Dad [Jimmy Mcrae] is 74 next month and he’s still rallying. He did the Ulster Rally recently and then nipped over to Flanders in Belgium for an event. I can’t stop if he’s still doing it!”