Hollie McRae is keen to continue rallying after making her competition debut at last weekend’s International McRae Rally Challenge.
The 26-year-old, daughter of the late Colin McRae, co-drove for her gramps Jimmy McRae in a Ford Escort Mk2 at the two-day, 10-stage event at Scotland’s Knockhill Racing Circuit – and loved it.
While McRae’s usual job in rallying is social media and presenting, she is interested in giving competing another go.
“Absolutely,” she told DirtFish. “I’ve had the best time.
“I’ve said it a couple of times now: I knew I would enjoy this weekend because I love being in the passenger seat of a rally car, being next to gramps, sharing that experience was always going to be fantastic. But I didn’t really know if I’d actually enjoy the co-driving side of things and the responsibility, but it’s been incredible. I really, really enjoy it.
“I’ve not been as nervous as I thought I would be. I really enjoyed the rolling up to the start-line and giving it the countdown. So yeah, I would be more than willing to get involved in the future.”
The International McRae Rally Challenge – which celebrated 30 years since Colin’s 1995 World Rally Championship title and Alister’s British championship, as well as Jimmy’s 50th year in rallying – was the perfect toe in the water exercise, given it was a special family event.
“I think that is what sort of pushed me to saying yes to gramps’ offer to co-drive,” Hollie explained. “I thought ‘how often are you going to get an opportunity like that with all of the McRaes here, all of the people that were part of my dad’s story watching us, supporting us, cheering us on?’
“And the amount of spectators that are out is mental, so I couldn’t have chosen a better first rally.”
Asked what surprised her most about co-driving, she added: “There’s so much that goes into it and I think in some ways I’m quite lucky because Jimmy is obviously the star of the show so there’s quite a few people making sure that he is where he needs to be – it doesn’t just come down to me.
“So I can imagine that would get a bit challenging if I was left to my own devices with that.”
Hollie is keen to see her name on the side window of more rally cars in the future
Jimmy was suitably impressed with his granddaughter’s efforts.
“I’m very pleased with what she’s doing and she’s learning,” he told DirtFish. “All has been fine, there’ve been no problems. And even when it gets a bit exciting, getting behind somebody, she gets quite excited as well, which is good.
“I think it’s good that she would want to sit beside her old gramps!”
