Rally legend Colin McRae has been voted as the all-time greatest motorsport hero by readers of weekly newspaper Motorsport News.
Posted: December 16, 2009 12:21 PM
McRae, who won the World Rally Championship for Subaru in 1995, topped the poll ahead of
Formula One aces Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark.
Scottish charger McRae, from Lanark, won the hearts of rally fans with his attacking driving
style during the 1990s. He drove for the Subaru, Ford, Citroën and Skoda factory teams and won
25 world championship events in his career. He was killed in a helicopter accident in September
2007.
McRae’s father, Jim, told Motorsport News that he was honoured that Colin had topped the poll:
“I don’t think he realised how many followers he had. Colin was very respected and had big
support. It really is great news and takes your breath away when you realise the names who were
behind him in the poll.”
Motorsport News organised a similar poll ten years ago, and that time McRae finished fourth
behind Senna, Clark and Nigel Mansell.
This year’s top 100 features some surprise names from across all disciplines of motorsport.
George Polley, a hot rod racer from Cambridgeshire, is 13th on the list, ahead of Formula One
champions Lewis Hamilton (25th) and Jenson Button (43rd).
Yorkshire-based potato farmer Steve Bannister, a club rally competitor for more than 30 years,
finished 56th, eclipsing former F1 world champion Kimi Räikkönen (72nd), who has recently
switched to the World Rally Championship with Citroën.
Irish drivers who made the top 100 include Bertie Fisher , Billy Coleman and
Frank Meagher
The run-down of the top 100 motorsport heroes, as voted by readers of Motorsport News, is
featured in the current issue, dated December 16/23 2009
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