Colin McRae in ASCAR!

Speedworx · 21 Aug 2002, 18:20 (Ref:363104)

WORLD RALLY HERO TO COMPETE AGAINST EUROPE’S TOP OVAL RACING STARS

Colin McRae, Britain’s first World Rally Champion, will contest a round of the ‘Days of Thunder’-style ASCAR Championship in 2003.

The 34-year-old Scot had hoped to compete in the series during the Rockingham 500 ASCAR event on September 13/14 – which also marks the return of CART to Britain – at the 1.5-mile banked oval but was foiled when the date clashed with a test for the Ford Rallye Sport team and also with family commitments.

The plan was to run McRae, who won the World Rally Championship in 1995 and currently lies second behind Marcus Gronholm in this year’s title battle, in a Ford Taurus next month after taking a rookie test during the week leading up to the September event.

McRae said he was disappointed to miss out on the chance to compete against some of Europe’s best racing drivers in the V8-powered, 500bhp American-style stock cars but intends to try again next year. “It would have been good to do it,” McRae said. “But the test in Italy is really important for us. I’m sure there’ll be some time next year when we can sort something out for me to have a crack at ASCAR.”

McRae has come close to racing on circuits in the past and professes to be interested in trading rally stages through forests and water splashes with the wheel-to-wheel, bumper-to-bumper combat of ASCAR racing where speeds can reach 175mph.

“Five-litre, V8 engines at 175mph would be really good fun,” he admitted.

Jason Plato, the British Touring Car champion, who currently lies in second place in the ASCAR series, also looks forward to competing against the World Rally star. “It’s fantastic to have Colin coming,” he said. “He will go very well. He’s world class and when you are that good in one series you are good in anything.

“He might find it a little scary. Then again, he’s loop the loop, so maybe not!”

Bob Berridge, head of ASCAR organisers Oval Racing Management, said: “We have a car prepared and ready for Colin. It’s a shame he isn’t able to take part at the Rockingham 500 event, but we look forward to seeing one of the best drivers in world motorsport competing against Europe’s best in oval racing next year.

“It just goes to show how ASCAR has captured the imagination of drivers and fans alike. After proving what a great series ASCAR is this year, and with the quality of drivers like Colin McRae lining up to take part in the series, ASCAR is certain to be bigger and better than ever in 2003.”

Fantastic, even it if is for 1 round.

MrTTraces · 21 Aug 2002, 18:33 (Ref:363117)

yeah it would be good to see him racing in it

Lee Janotta · 22 Aug 2002, 00:37 (Ref:363320)

Oh man! This is gonna be a hell of a crash!!!

StuiE · 22 Aug 2002, 10:34 (Ref:363532)

Could be good to watch though!

I guess that drive for Bathurst fell though, so he's doing this, and could have been doing ChampCars...Geez he's busy!

Muppet · 22 Aug 2002, 18:33 (Ref:363827)

When is "Colin McRae's ASCAR" coming out on PS2?

Joe Fan · 25 Aug 2002, 20:33 (Ref:365698)

Wow! That would be huge wouldn't it? I would love to see Colin McRae dip into ASCAR, then come to NASCAR later.

AndyF · 26 Aug 2002, 19:36 (Ref:366188)

Well there are no ditches for him to end up in!

Muppet · 27 Aug 2002, 17:12 (Ref:366777)

...just one huge concrete wall!

Crash Test · 30 Aug 2002, 11:41 (Ref:369001)

I was more worried about any nearby trees

Certainly will be interesting, and from previous rally drivers who have taken to concrete confines, I'd say he'll do nicely for himself

SJ Spode · 9 Sep 2002, 12:09 (Ref:376355)

According to www.wrc.com, Colin McRae's deal to race ASCAR at the CART meeting this weekend is back on.

Apparently McRae had an hour-long rookie test in the ASCAR two-seater before taking to the 1.5-mile oval in the car he will be racing next week.

Reigning BTCC champion Jason Plato had gone out earlier in the same car to set a benchmark time and the Scottish ace rose to the challenge by smashing it by 0.4 seconds. McRae's final time of 36.4 seconds is the fastest ever time recorded by a rookie at Rockingham!

S'going to be interesting.

Muppet · 9 Sep 2002, 17:21 (Ref:376634)

Only Saturday's race though.

Speedworx · 9 Sep 2002, 20:31 (Ref:376846)

Just Saturday?

Moncada69 · 11 Sep 2002, 13:00 (Ref:377956)

OK!

SJ Spode · 11 Sep 2002, 13:03 (Ref:377960)

Quote:

Originally posted by hakkiman
Just Saturday?

Yes it's a busy weekend for Mr McRae.

Friday pre-event testing for San Remo

Saturday ASCAR race then up to Scotland for Alister's 30th birthday.

Mon Preparations for San Remo rally, starting on Friday.

NME · 12 Sep 2002, 23:45 (Ref:379171)

Nicky Grist on the phone from GrandStand A, just after watching Colin's pratice runs:
"Thanks man, dont worry ... no need to ask for the 2-seater. I dont mind you're having all the fun down there. I am here in Abergavenny visiting relatives. See ya in San Remo."

Uufff !? ... have ya seen the size of those walls ... soft walls my ass!?

NME · 14 Sep 2002, 19:28 (Ref:380281)

www.ascar.co.uk
COLIN McRAE FINISHES A STORMING SIXTH ON HIS ASCAR DEBUT

KEVIN McGARRITY SCORES HIS SECOND WIN OF THE WEEKEND AT ROCKINGHAM

Colin McRae finished an entertaining sixth in his ASCAR race debut at Rockingham on Saturday behind double race-winner Kevin McGarrity.

McRae qualified eleventh of the grid for the 60 lap event, his first ever race on an oval. During qualifying the former World Rally Champion gave the 35,000 crowd at the 1.5-mile banked oval near Corby plenty to cheer about, scraping the wall out of Turn Four on two consecutive laps. "I was trying to find the limit of the car," McRae said. "I wanted to see how close I could go to the wall."

al humphries · 14 Sep 2002, 22:22 (Ref:380351)

Is there really a future for ASCAR?, where is the money comming from, it's not comming from the attendance at Rockingham that's for sure! I'de hate to lose it that's for sure but i do worry.

**garcon** · 15 Sep 2002, 13:53 (Ref:380581)

McRae said "I knew I was enjoying it cos my right knee was shaking and I couldn't stop it!"

Nice to see an old pro like him still being bitten by the petrolhead adrenaline bug...

Liz · 15 Sep 2002, 13:55 (Ref:380584)

Take that, Mr. "Too Dangerous" Schumacher!

Well done McRae, and now climb on that Superbike and show us what you've got!

**garcon** · 15 Sep 2002, 16:46 (Ref:380800)

Don't think his mum would let him - she persuaded him to take up rallying like his dad rather than bike racing, cos it was "too dangerous"!!!

Heebeegeetee · 15 Sep 2002, 18:18 (Ref:380852)

We really enjoyed Saturdays ASCAR race, better than the main event, we thought.
Thing was though, there were a lot of yellow flags. It semed that if so much as a sweet wrapper got on the track the pace car was out, and yet, with 5 laps to go, a body panel was lying on the racing line in turn 1, getting shredded each time a car passed over it, and yet no pace car. I mean, i'm glad there wasn't, with just the few laps left, but it did seem very strange.

Muppet · 16 Sep 2002, 17:58 (Ref:381735)

Strange stuff happens in NASCAR too.

ASCAR has only just started up. You're not going to get immediate massive support for anything. Give it time.

429CJ · 22 Sep 2002, 16:18 (Ref:385962)

Any reason for that he was driving a Pontiac GP, not Ford Taurus???

Down F0rce · 24 Sep 2002, 19:00 (Ref:387493)

if Colin dont get a ride in WRC next year (not likley) maybe he could come to ASCAR? that would draw crowds, for sure

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