DiRT's McRae dead at 39
By
Tom Magrino
Cover driver of Codemasters' off-road racer perishes with son and two others in tragic helicopter crash.
Colin McRae, titular cover athlete of Codemasters' long-running World Rally Championship series Colin McRae Rally, was involved in a fatal helicopter crash on Sunday. The 39-year-old rally car driver was killed, along with his 6-year-old son and two family friends, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed in a wooded area near his home in Lanark, Scotland. An investigation as to the cause of the wreck is ongoing.
McRae entered the World Rally Championship circuit in 1987, and gained notoriety after winning his first of 25 championships in 1993. McRae won the World Rally Championship world title in 1995, and finished runner-up in 1996, 1997, and 2001. He officially retired from rally racing in 2004, though he subsequently competed in several other races including the X Games and 24 hours of Le Mans. In 1996, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, a major honor in the UK.
Having attained superstar status in the rally racing circuit, McRae was tapped by Codemasters for the first Colin McRae Rally, which debuted in the UK in 1998 for the PC and original PlayStation, and made its way to North America in 2000. Since then, Codemasters' Colin McRae Rally has seen five sequels, most recently this year's DiRT on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
Responding to the tragedy, Codemasters said, "For over ten years, Colin was part of the Codemasters family and it was a privilege to have a man recognised as a true legend on the team. He always took a keen interest in the game experience, wanting to make sure it was without equal in its portrayal of the sport."
By
Tom Magrino
Tom Magrino has covered the games industry since 2006. He's been compared to Steve Martin by Ozzy Osbourne and Daniel Craig by Tim Schafer. His voice, heard largely on GameSpot's podcast, recalls that of Kermit the Frog. It ain't easy bein' Magreen.
486 comments
may he rest in pice i fell so sad he maed good games and was a good rally driver that all i have to say R.I.P McRae
When i got my first playstation the original colin mcrae rally was my first game, that game kept me busy for 2 months solid, he was a great rally driver, and a great person. I own all of his games and treasure them most, you will be missed colin. Rest in Peace...
The next game they make should be called 'Colin McRae Helicopter Simulator', only without the crashing... RIP and all that
see you around colin, codemasters make more rally games, for the traditionalists i want a full wrc season
A great man has been lost in the world of rally, and it feels like one of my close family has died, even though I never knew the man, or met him, like many other people. The groundbreaking series of Colin McRae Rally has ground to a permanent halt,(unless they make a commemoration version). thoughts go out to his family, R.I.P Colin McRae, you will be missed dearly.
RIP mcrae i m still feel gutted by his death until today.when i reinstall the dirt game,i cry my hearts out loud in the entire installation process.that was the 1st time in my entire life ever that i cry out loud 4 sumone unknown 2 me.i still can feel the pain inside me even if he wasnt part of my family.
I think they should make a game completely in Collin's memory where everything you do is in his memory. and a game where you live the events of his career, to show how great he was. R.I.P. Collin, ur still my hero.
R.I.P. Colin. I hope Codemasters will continue to make CMR games in tribute to this great rally driver...
bom homem..uma grande perda para o mundo automobilistico...realmente o melhor piloto de rally de todos os tempos... RIP Colin
Man... I have to ask why he was driving a helicopter in the first place. This sucks for the world of rally racing. RIP homie!
all thoes years he drive's and he past away in a helicopter crash hope they bring out a new edition even thought i have dirt but i would get this on also R.I.P great driver
R.I.P. Colin McRae. I've enjoyed playing the CMR games, and enjoy DiRT as well. You will be missed.
@HolteEnder4Life - I've been considering getting this game, I would totally buy it if they put out a commemorative edition as a tribute to Colin. That would be fantastic.
I hope they do some sort of commemorative edition of DiRT or a new game in memory of him.
It's sad, but I guess when you fly your own helicopter it comes with the territory. @Iun: I agree, ironic. -I wonder what happened up there?
Man I hope in future copys of Dirt they put in some sort of remeberance to him and his son.
Bad stuff, i really feel for his son... very ironic that colin spent his whole life driving to die from a helicopter....
Sad news for the gaming and sporting industries. At such a young age such a great sportsman has been iconized while at the same time immortalized. Rest In Peace.
God Bless Colin McRae! Rest in peace. My prayers are to you, your son, your friends and your family.
Wow!!! Been playing the Colin McRae Rally games since PlayStation 1 days, and they were always fun. In the actual sport, McRae was indeed ONE with his vehicle when he drove that Ford Focus, and it was easy to see why he was recognized as one of the most professional and skillful rally drivers in the world. God Bless you and your contributions to the rally racing world, the video gaming world, and the many fans (myself included) you've acquired through the years Colin. My condolences go out to the bereaved families of all the victims, and I pray those families will find some comfort in this tragic time. Colin...you will be missed - RIP DoctorG
God bless Colin and his son and friends. I remember the Subaru days when he was unstoppable and an awesome driver.. BBC showed some of his best driving and its one to turn the stomach because he goes so fast and just like the Dirt intro video, he drove on roads along cliff edges like it were his driveway...but at an awesome pace! I can't believe it. RIP mate.
Truly one of the pioneers of the sport, he will always be remembered for making it interesting for U.S.A., and while he will be remembered more for his games than his racing, you can't argue that he was a great person on and off the track. RIP 1968-2007
there goes one of the best racers...ever..........rip............................................
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