Colin McRae and son killed in helicopter crash

It is a sad day for the entire world of motorsport. British newspaper The Times is reporting a helicopter owned by WRC superstar Colin McRae crashed today, leaving no survivors. McRae's five year old son is believed to have been on board, along with an unnamed adult male and child. The helicopter went down just ~1/2mi (~0.8km) from McRae's home in Jarviswood, Lanarkshire, Scotland. McRae's wife, Alison, and 9-year-old daughter, Hollie, were not on board.

McRae's career began in trials biking at age 7. He was competing by age 12 and by age 14 he had won junior and intermediate championships in the sport. In 1985 at the age of 17, he switched two wheels for four and raced in his first rally on the Kames Stages in Scotland, where he finished 14th. He would go on to earn consecutive British rally championships in 1991 and 1992, and his crowning achievement as a driver came when he won the 1995 World Rally Championship. He also helped Subaru to three manufacturer's titles in the 1990s, and Citroen to one in 2003. Appearances at Le Mans and Dakar marked the period after his exit from rally racing. Since 2004, McRae had been developing his own car, the McRae R4, which he was to campaign in rally races beginning this fall.

A man of great skill and many talents, McRae will be sorely missed, and mourned, by fans and friends the world over.

You can send your condolences to the family by clicking here.