Phil

Along with the rest of the motorsport world, Prodrive has been stunned by the sudden and tragic death of Colin McRae. Colin competed for the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team from 1991 to 1998, winning the World Rally Championship in 1995.

Staff at the company have created a book of condolence to express their personal thoughts about Colin, who had become a close personal friend of many of the team. With so many fans in the UK, the company has decided to open this book to anyone wanting to express their own thoughts. Once complete, it will be forwarded on to the McRae family.

David Richards, Prodrive chairman said: “Colin was an amazingly talented driver. He had a passion and commitment for the sport which I have rarely seen in anyone else. You knew that whenever he got behind the wheel of a car that he would extract every ounce of its performance. And it was this all or nothing approach to driving that won him so many fans.”

The book will reside in the company’s heritage centre, which includes the group A Subaru Impreza Colin drove to victory in the 1996 Catalyuna Rally. Fans are welcome to visit the Banbury headquarters to write their thoughts in the book and to view the heritage collection of cars at the same time. The book will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Chris L

Here's the text from the press release on the M-Sport site:

"Colin McRae, 1968 – 2007

Following the tragic accident on Saturday afternoon in which Colin McRae, his son Johnny, Ben Porcelli, and Graeme Duncan lost their lives, the McRae family have released the following statement:

Statement issued on behalf of Colin McRae’s family:

Speaking on behalf of the whole family, Colin’s father, Jim McRae, said: “It is with much sadness and regret that we have to make this statement. It is unbelievable that Colin and Johnny’s lives have been taken so prematurely and in such a tragic manner. Colin was a great son, a loving husband to Alison and a fantastic father to Johnny and his big sister Hollie. Johnny was a great wee guy, spending every spare minute with his dad, and even at this early stage it looked like he had the potential to carry on the family dynasty.

"Our thoughts are also very much with the families of Ben Porcelli and Graeme Duncan. Ben was a great buddy of Johnny’s and they had always spent a lot of time together both in and out of school. Graeme, who now resides in France, had been a close friend of Colin’s since their schooldays and was back in Lanark on holiday.

"We are thankful for the overwhelming number of messages of support we have received from all around the world. Colin was very much an inspiration and role model to motorsport fans the world over.

"As you can imagine this is a very difficult time for the family and we would ask that our privacy be respected and we be allowed to grieve in private.”

Malcolm Wilson, BP-Ford World Rally Team director:

"My heartfelt condolences go to Colin's wife, Alison, his daughter Hollie and the whole McRae family. I was privileged to have Colin in our team driving for Ford at a time when he was at the peak of his powers. He achieved one of his greatest victories with us when he won the legendary Safari Rally in Kenya in 1999 on only our third event with a brand new Focus WRC. It was a victory he went on to repeat in 2002. Since retiring as a full-time driver in the WRC, Colin has done much for the sport at grass roots level and his tragic death is a huge loss to British sport in general."

Colin McRae became the first Briton to win the FIA World Rally Championship in 1995. He joined Ford in 1999 and drove a Focus RS World Rally car with the team for four seasons. He won nine rallies with Ford and finished second in the world championship in 2001.

Colin had a close working relationship with many here at M Sport, and it is an enormous loss that is felt deeply throughout the Company."

PaulC72

After recieving the email about the prodrive book, I asked a little question about any weekend days to go and sign the book, here is the response.

Hi Paul

We will be opening up between 10am and 1pm this Sunday 23 September for people to sign the book and have also extended the weekday opening to 5.45pm. Hopefully this will help some of the fans from further away to get here.

We have also noted on our website that we do appreciate that it is difficult for many fans to get here during working hours so have suggested contacting Jackie Irwin at Prodrive on 01295 273355 if you would like to sign the book, but can not make these times

Kind regards
Michelle

I hope this is of use to someone who cannot make the normal times.

Paul.