ERC
ERC #ThrowbackThursday: Jimmy McRae’s charge on the Scottish
The FIA European Rally Championship’s trip down memory lane continues today with a look back to 1982 and a charging performance by Jimmy McRae on his home event, the Scottish Rally.
From the first special stage, McRae displayed sharp pace, controlled aggression and an intimate knowledge of Scotland’s demanding terrain — qualities that had already earned him a sterling reputation in the British Rally Championship, which he’d won the previous year.
Throughout the four-day event, McRae consistently posted top-five stage times, showcasing his mastery of his home stages at the wheel of his Rothmans Rally Team Opel Ascona 400.
By the end of the gruelling 49-stage contest, McRae and co-driver Ian Grindrod had delivered a commanding performance, finishing runner-up to the Audi Sport pairing of Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz.
This result not only underlined McRae’s skill in a Group 4 Ascona but also bolstered his standing in the 1982 ERC season — a season in which he finished second overall to Antonio “Tony” Fassina in the same machinery.
During his ERC career from 1976 to 1993, McRae secured 19 overall victories and 39 podium finishes. He also added a further four British titles – including in 1982 – to his CV for a total of five, which remains a record to this day.
While he’s still in the early stages of his career, McRae’s grandson Max recently completed his first campaign at Rally2 level having won twice in the Hankook-supplied FIA Junior ERC Championship.
Max McRae is an ERC regular with big potential
© ERC
