The death of former WRC driver's champion Colin McRae due to a helicopter accident in the vicinity of Lanark, Scotland was confirmed on Saturday, September 15th. The 39 year-old was believed to be at the controls of the machine registered to him at the time of the crash. He made a huge contribution to SUBARU and its WRC activities, and his death is deeply felt sad, said Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) managing director Richard Taylor in the following statement:

"All of us at the Subaru World Rally Team are shocked and upset by the tragic news of Colin McRae's death, which was announced on Sunday. Colin was Subaru's first World Champion and a man who almost single-handedly brought the sport of rallying to the attention of millions around the world. He was an inspiration to motorsport fans and remained a close friend to many of us in the team. At this terribly sad time our thoughts are with Alison and the rest of Colin's family."

In addition, overseeing the coordination of Subaru's motorsport activities, Subaru Tecnica International (STI) President Ichiro Kudo, had the following comment:

"Mr Colin McRae brought Subaru's WRC activities to the attention of the wider world. He demonstrated a unique power and was a key mover in making SUBARU a winner in the WRC. He is an irreplaceable companion. His achievements and contribution to our success, including giving us our first WRC victory, and then helping us seal the Manufacturer's crown three years in a row, make him an invaluable treasure in the history of our company, both up to now and for the future. I have heard that the sport of rally gained enormous popularity in the United States due to his participation there in recent years. I mourn the death of Mr Colin McRae as he is summoned up to heaven, and pray for him sincerely."

	Colin McRae. 1968 - 2007

Colin McRae (Scotland, Great Britain) MBE
Born in 1968, died at 39 years of age
WRC rallies: 146 / 1995 WRC Driver's World Champion
WRC wins: 25 (including 16 victories for SUBARU)

McRae began his rallying career in 1986. His first WRC exposure was on the 1987 Swedish Rally. 1991 saw McRae join Subaru for the British Rally Championship. He was twice British champion, in 1991 and 1992, soon graduating to 'works' status for the factory team. McRae won his first WRC rally in 1993, in the Subaru Legacy on Rally New Zealand. He then helped Subaru to three consecutive WRC Manufacturers' Champion, including WRC Drivers' Champion in 1995, secured after the Rally of Great Britain, with team-mate and double world champion Carlos Sainz finishing second. He later also won the 1998 Race of Champions. After several years of varying success, McRae switched to the Ford team in 1999 and this 4 years' participation with Ford added 9 wins to his WRC career. In 2003, McRae signed for Citroën. The season ended with him seventh in the driver's championship. McRae also drove a Skoda Fabia WRC in the Millennium Stadium, on the Cardiff superspecial stage of the 2005 Rally GB. McRae returned for one-off drives in the 2005 Rally GB and Rally Australia, finishing seventh and failing to finish due to a mechanical problem respectively. McRae's final rally was the 2006 Rally Turkey, which ended with mechanical failure. McRae replaced Sébastien Loeb who had been injured in a cycling accident prior to the race. In 2006, McRae competed for Subaru USA in the live televised American rally in Los Angeles as part of the X-Games.