Rallying is in Hollie McRae’s blood. More than two decades after Colin McRae stunned the world by clinching the 1995 World Rally Championship, his daughter Hollie is ready to make her mark. This weekend, she steps into the competitive arena for the first time at the Roger Albert Clark Rally at Kielder Forest. The weight of her last name looms large, but Hollie is embracing the challenge with fierce determination.
For years, motorsport was a quiet backdrop for Hollie. After the tragic loss of her father and brother in a devastating accident, she and her mother stepped back from the rally scene to heal. Rally cars were part of her childhood, but not her immediate ambitions. Instead, she took a different route, exploring life beyond the demands of racing and even launching McRae Media, a company dedicated to motorsport content.
But the call of the forest stages proved too strong to ignore. Supported by family and inspired by her late father’s legendary career, Hollie is now making the leap into competition behind the wheel. Her debut entry in a classic Mini at the Roger Albert Clark Rally is emotional
Hollie’s rallying journey feels authentic and grounded. It balances respect for the past with a clear commitment to the present. She recalls the years away from the sport during her youth, where the roar of rally engines was replaced by other pursuits. But now, inside the paddock and on the dirt, she’s fully engaged both behind the scenes and in the driver’s seat.
While the grand McRae legacy casts a long shadow, Hollie is determined not to be defined by it alone. She carries the spirit of Colin McRae and Jimmy McRae, yet charts her own course with humility, passion, and grit. Rallying is no easy business, it demands courage, skill, and nerve. This weekend, as she tackles Kielder Forest’s twisting trails, all eyes are on a young woman ready to stake her claim.
