Last updated 19:49, Thursday, 04 September 2008

WEST Cumbrian Subaru drivers joined more than a thousand others on a special drive in memory of rally ace Colin McRae.

TRIBUTE: Some of the Subarus at the Colin McRae tribute day

Twenty-six members of Cumbrian Scoobs – the county’s club for Subaru owners – drove down country in a 350-car convoy led by McRae’s father Jimmy.

En route to Banbury, Oxfordshire, home of the Subaru world rally team, they were joined by hundreds more drivers of the marque.

And the following day nearly 1,100 Subarus paraded round the Prodrive test facility in Warwickshire.

Among them all were Cumbrian Scoobs chairman Gus McKerrow and committee member John Thirlwall, both of Cockermouth.

The Cumbrian cars first drove up to Lanark, McRae’s home town, to join the convey led by Jimmy McRae, who was driving one of his son’s Imprezas.

All along the route Subarus from all over Europe joined the convoy and the public came out in droves to applaud , cheer and wave in appreciation of the life of McRae.

A new Guinness world record was set by spelling out McRae’s name in cars on the runway – 1,086 Imprezas to be exact.

A number of displays and charity fund-raising events took place at the Prodrive test track including an auction of motorsport memorabilia donated by every Formula 1 and WRC driver for the Colin McRae Jerviswood charity.

McRae, who for a time drove for the Dovenby-based Ford team, died in a helicopter crash earlier this year.

l At the Cumbrian Classic car show at Dalemain last month Cumbrian Scoobs raised nearly £500 for charity and won the best club stand award.