12 replies to this topic

[Seedy]

2003 ASCAR FORD Colin McRae photos required….

In September 2017 it will be the 10th anniversary since Colin McRae left us.

At Race Retro in late February I hope to put on a model car display of some of the cars he drove. It’s a lot more varied than you may think. Currently the display has 97 models already prepared and ready.

BUT one I would like to do if possible is an ASCAR Ford? What sort of Ford was it??

He tested this car in 2003 and raced it on Saturday 13th September. He qualified 11th and finished 6th. Unfortunately, he could not race it on the Sunday, returning home for brother Alistair’s birthday.

There are a couple of photos on the web of Colin standing by the car and in the car. But none that show the whole car.

Does anyone have some overall photos of the car so I can see the full livery?

Many thanks
Chris

[Glengavel]

Haven't got a photo but this article says it was a Pontiac Grand Prix

 

http://news.bbc.co.u...ort/2246869.stm

[bsc]

It would have a been a Ford Taurus (or rather, a Ford Taurus shell, as all of the cars were identical under the surface).

[chunder27]

They were I think ARCA cars, rather unsuited to the awful oval at Rockingham. Not sure who Col ran with, maybe Mallock who ran a team as did a few big teams initially til they realised it was a waste of their time.

 

I think the initial cars were quicker in the first year but kept blowing up or something and get damaged too easy as they were running on far bigger tracks than they were built for so they bought these things in, they only run on shorter tracks I think or the model they bought did.

 

Was a nice idea ASCAR, but we Europeans juts aren't interested in oval racing to the degree that Americans are, and ASCAR tried all this kind of stuff to try and get us interested/.

 

You think the stuff they do at the Classic is new, ASCAR were doing massive bands and I mean massive current top 3 bands at the time to get crowds in and they did come, but the series just couldn't sustain the interest and the track is now pretty much a corporate events venue like Bedford, damn shame.

All they had to do was make it a mile or mile and a bit and it would have been so much better for racing CART and these. But then i guess the infield wouldn't be able to be used to half kill BSB riders with either! lol  Nice

[Seedy]

I think the report says that Jason Plato was in a Pontiac, perhaps Mcrae was in Platos old car a Ford Taurus?

 

Perhaps also Colin as a Ford employee would not be allowed in a non Ford product?

 

The photo with the articleshows the only photo I have seen and this also says Ford Racing across the bonnet.

 

I have emailed Rockingham to see if they have any information. As yet not even a reply.

 

Keep looking for those photos!!

 

Thanks

Chris

[Tim Murray]

Is there perhaps some confusion about the year here? The BBC article linked to by Glengavel is dated 2002, and there doesn't appear to have been an ASCAR race on the equivalent weekend in 2003. TSL (the timing people) have results on their site for ASCAR races at Rockingham in 2003 on 11th May, 8th June, 27th July, 24th August and 28th September. Plus McRae was a works Ford driver in 2002, but not in 2003.

Anyway, if it is 2002, there were two ASCAR races on the supporting bill for the Rockingham 500 CART race. McRae had to miss the first of these due to rally testing commitments in Italy but drove in the second, qualifying 11th and finishing 6th (these numbers agree with what Seedy wrote in the OP). He might well have finished higher but for a puncture which necessitated an extra pit stop.

The car he drove had a Ford Taurus bodyshell and was run by Bintcliffe Sport Racing. It was the car usually raced that year by Darren Manning, but was available for McRae at Rockingham as Manning was making his CART debut in the main race. It was team-mate Jason Plato, not McRae, who was using the Pontiac bodyshell for the first time.

(source: Autosport but there are no photos other than the one already mentioned showing him standing beside the car).

PS: I'm confused by the various references, including Autosport, saying he left Rockingham to attend brother Alister's birthday celebrations, as every source I can find (including Autosport) lists Alister's birthday as 20th December.

[Seedy]

Tim

 

Yes agreed about the date.

 

I had found something on the web that said the race was in 2003.

 

But it states clearly in the McRae Just Colin book, in the pages of results, that it was indeed 2002. The result agrees too.

 

As a high profile driver coming into a race like that, I would have thought there would have been more photos taken? But clearly not.

 

I might have to present the model in just plain blue....

 

Thanks

Chris

[Tim Murray]

Assuming that its livery would probably have stayed much the same when McRae drove it, I've had a look through all the 2002 ASCAR race reports in Autosport hoping for a decent photo of the Manning car in the other races, but found nothing useful. Google Images are no help either.

[Seedy]

Hurrah …if only I had looked in the right place 2002 and not 2003!!!

Clearly the headline photo was just a set up as Ford Racing does not appear on the bonnet at all in this photo.







Anymore photos would still be very helpful.

Thanks
Chris

[Rob Ryder]

Can't remember the source so apologies...
Rob

[Seedy]

Rob

 

You are a star.

 

Thank you very much these photos should be enough for me to give this model serious effort!!

 

Many thanks

Cheers

Chris

[chunder27]

Seriously!!

 

Even if you love Col, this car looks like a cut and shut!!  Front half blue back half orange!!

[dbltop]

While it says Ford on the bodywork, it is definitely a Pontiac front end. The car behind him in the first photo is a Ford.