(Fri 25 Aug 08)

If you're travelling along the M74, M6, M42 or M40 this weekend you might find yourself surrounded by an immense number of Subarus - but treat them gently because their owners have a good reason to be there.

What you'll be watching is part of the McRae Gathering, a convoy designed to celebrate the life of the late World Rally Champion Colin McRae and raise money for charity. The convoy will leave McRae's home town of Lanark on Saturday at 10am, with his father Jim (a celebrated rally driver himself) at its head.

There's a lunch stop at Charnock Richard services on the M6 at 1pm, and at 4:20pm the Subarus - more than 700 of them by now - will reach the headquarters of Subaru WRC team Prodrive at Banbury. On Sunday, an estimated 1300 Subarus will drive in a convoy over 20 miles long to the Prodrive test track in Warwickshire and spell out the name "Colin McRae" over a distance of nearly half a mile before embarking on what will surely be the world's largest-ever Subaru parade.

No more entries are being accepted for the parade, but Subaru and McRae fans are being encouraged to show their support along the route and add to the £25,000 that has already been raised for the McRae family's nominated charities.

"It would be great to see people cheering us along," says co-organiser Grant Hendry. "When the idea of the convoy to commemorate the life of Colin was born, we never dreamt 1300 Subarus would be taking part. We even have Subarus joining us from all over Europe, from Poland and the Ukraine to France and Spain, while some fans are flying in especially from Australia and Argentina to be part of this memorable occasion."

For more information, visit www.mcrae-gathering.co.uk.

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