WRC - Rally Australia 1997: McRae magic
Colin McRae needed to win the 1997 Rally Australia. And he needed as many people between himself and Tommi Makinen as possible. If roles were reversed; if Makinen won, the Finn would be champion for the second year in succession.
These two drivers were firmly at the top of their game. They had each enjoyed a season as champion over the last two years and the cards for 1997 were firmly stacked in favour of Makinen. This season-long war came to a head in Bunnings on the final day of that year’s Rally Australia. Having suffered a broken starter motor earlier in the event - and pinged his Mitsubishi off one of Western Australia’s tougher gum trees in the fourth stage, Makinen was down the order. He’d dropped two minutes to McRae, who was busy tussling with a resurgent Carlos Sainz. When the engine on Sainz’s Escort WRC went pop on the final day, McRae was left out front to sweep the road. On the kind of roads where roadsweepers are eaten for breakfast by men of Makinen’s calibre.
In the four Bunnings stages on the final day, Makinen slashed into McRae’s advantage. Fourteen seconds on the first; three on the next; 21 in Bunnings West - that left him with 13 seconds in hand for a final stage of a shade over 30km. It was impossible to call. These two drivers were the absolute masters at the final-stage fight. And, once again between them, it was all or nothing.
McRae was first through the stage, stopping the clocks on 16m51s after a jaw-dropping descent through the jumps. Now, the wait. The agonising wait. Makinen was three cars further back, which meant nine minutes before the Mitsubishi was due at the finish. And, don’t forget, these were the pre-split time days - nobody knew what was coming. The tension was unbelievable as the teams crowded around radios, desperate for the trademark ice-cool voice of Seppo Harjanne to advise the listening world of their time.
Makinen was fastest again, but only by seven seconds. Relief - shortly to be joined by champagne - was plastered across the McRae face. He’d done it. He’d kept the fight alive for one more round - and he’d done it with one of the most stirring and action-packed drives, particularly through that last stage, in the history of the sport.
World Rally Championship - News - Rally Australia 1997: McRae magic
These two drivers were firmly at the top of their game. They had each enjoyed a season as champion over the last two years and the cards for 1997 were firmly stacked in favour of Makinen. This season-long war came to a head in Bunnings on the final day of that year’s Rally Australia. Having suffered a broken starter motor earlier in the event - and pinged his Mitsubishi off one of Western Australia’s tougher gum trees in the fourth stage, Makinen was down the order. He’d dropped two minutes to McRae, who was busy tussling with a resurgent Carlos Sainz. When the engine on Sainz’s Escort WRC went pop on the final day, McRae was left out front to sweep the road. On the kind of roads where roadsweepers are eaten for breakfast by men of Makinen’s calibre.
In the four Bunnings stages on the final day, Makinen slashed into McRae’s advantage. Fourteen seconds on the first; three on the next; 21 in Bunnings West - that left him with 13 seconds in hand for a final stage of a shade over 30km. It was impossible to call. These two drivers were the absolute masters at the final-stage fight. And, once again between them, it was all or nothing.
McRae was first through the stage, stopping the clocks on 16m51s after a jaw-dropping descent through the jumps. Now, the wait. The agonising wait. Makinen was three cars further back, which meant nine minutes before the Mitsubishi was due at the finish. And, don’t forget, these were the pre-split time days - nobody knew what was coming. The tension was unbelievable as the teams crowded around radios, desperate for the trademark ice-cool voice of Seppo Harjanne to advise the listening world of their time.
Makinen was fastest again, but only by seven seconds. Relief - shortly to be joined by champagne - was plastered across the McRae face. He’d done it. He’d kept the fight alive for one more round - and he’d done it with one of the most stirring and action-packed drives, particularly through that last stage, in the history of the sport.
World Rally Championship - News - Rally Australia 1997: McRae magic
