McRae tribute convoy to cross UK

More than 1,200 cars are expected to join the procession

Hundreds of rally cars have joined a 300-mile convoy from Lanark to Banbury in tribute to driving star Colin McRae.

The former World Rally champion died along with his son, Johnny, and two family friends in a helicopter crash near his home in September last year.

About 700 Subaru cars took part in Saturday's event, with 500 more set to join them in a parade on Sunday.

Organisers predict the McRae Gathering, which has already raised £25,000, would stretch up to 20 miles.

Grant Hendry, one of the co-ordinators, said that while all the places in the convoy were filled, fans were welcome to come along and lend their support.

Memorial service

He said: "It would be great to see people cheering us along in what I'm sure will be a memorable sight.

"When the idea of the convoy to commemorate the life of Colin was born, we never dreamt 1,300 Subarus would be taking part.

"We even have Subarus joining us from all over Europe, from Poland and the Ukraine, to France and Spain, while some fans are flying in especially from Australia and Argentina to be part of this memorable occasion."

McRae, from Lanark, won the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1995 and had 25 WRC wins in his racing career.

Almost 10,000 people turned out on the streets of Lanark for a memorial service held a fortnight after McRae was killed along with son Johnny, the boy's friend Ben Porcelli, six, and Graeme Duncan, 37.

Colin McRae's father Jimmy was among those to take part

All the money raised through the McRae Gathering will be donated to a charitable foundation set up by the McRae family to raise funds for up and coming drivers.

The procession began at Lanark town centre on Saturday at 1000 BST, with the cars travelling down the M74 and M6 to the home of the Subaru World Rally team in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

On Sunday, a 20-mile convoy will be led up the M40 by McRae's 1996 Impreza 555 rally car.

The cars will then gather at Prodrive's test track in Warwickshire and spell out "Colin McRae" in a sign nearly half-a-mile long, which organisers claimed would be seen by passengers landing at Birmingham airport.