McRae to make UK racing debut in a Radical

Rising rallying star Max McRae will make his UK circuit racing debut this weekend at Brands Hatch when he contests the Radical Cup UK finale in an SR3. 

McRae topped the European Junior Rally Championship on the recent Rali Ceredigion, his second win of the year having been victorious at the season-opening Rally Hungary in his Peugeot 208 Rally4.

The son of British Rally champion Alister and nephew of 1995 World Rally champion Colin, McRae started competing in Australia, but joined the ERC last year as well as contesting occasional UK events such as the Grampian and Jim Clark rallies.

Although he has never raced in the UK, he is no stranger to circuits after winning the Arise Racing prize for a fully-funded drive in the Western Australia Formula 1000 Series, aged just 14, with part of his assessment involving driving a Radical.

“I’m part of the Wera Academy and they have an arrangement with Radical UK on seeking a new driver,” he said. “So I’ve been invited to race the car at Brands Hatch and will test it for the first time the day before.

“I did race Radicals in Australia though for two years with an SR3, but I’ve never been to Brands Hatch. 

“I have no real concerns over who I’ll be racing against or racing a newer spec SR3. I last raced one in Australia in 2021, but worked with the team on development.”

McRae at Rockingham

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Although his father has no racing history, Max is still the third generation of McRae to race, following grandfather Jimmy, who competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 1990, while uncle Colin raced TVR Tuscans, made one-off outings in the BTCC and Rockingham Days of Thunder and finished third in class at the 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours, sharing a Ferrari with Darren Turner and Rickard Rydell.

“If the opportunity to race comes my way I would love to do more, but rallying is my current priority and if I race it’s for fun,” added Max. 

“This weekend I just want to do a good job for Wera and Radical, but it would be cool if I actually won a race.”