McRae: 'It's nice to have the record'

Safari Rally winner Colin McRae says it's good to become the most successful World Rally driver of all time, but the fact that he's back in the fight for the World Championship is more important

Jul 15, 2002, 10:03 AM

McRae racked up a record-breaking 25th World Rally win in Kenya but he has also moved to within striking distance of championship leader Marcus Gronholm. McRae is seven points behind the Peugeot driver as the championship moves to the ninth round of the 14-round series, Rally Finland in August.

"It's good to get another victory and it's nice to have the record," said McRae, "but I'm more happy with the fact that I've now won two events this year and have closed the gap on Marcus."

Gronholm was the early-season pacesetter, but following his exclusion from Rally Argentina in May, the 2000 champion's title attack has wobbled, picking up just six points in the last three events. In the same period, McRae has scored 24.

"A couple of events ago he was so far ahead that he could have wrapped up the championship on the next event in Finland," said McRae. "Championships are what it is all about and this win has helped us."