The world was thrown into shock back in 2007 when reputed rally driver Colin McRae died in a tragic helicopter accident, which also took the life of his son as well as two friends of his family. This not only affected the world of rally racing but also that of video games, as the famous driver lent his name to Codemasters' rally simulator series.

But, as time went by and the team started working on a brand-new iteration, Colin McRae: DiRT 2, it was only natural for a special event to commemorate the famous rally driver and honor his name once more through what the series did best, namely a great rally experience.

This special event, according to game design manager Robert Fulton, will be unlocked at the end of the game, and consists of three rally stages in which the player will be racing against two of Colin McRae's family members, Jimmy and Alister McRae, but also a few other famous racing drivers.

“At the end of the game, when the player has competed in world tours, when he has won the X Games of America, we think the fitting finale to the game is what we're calling the McRae Memorial Challenge,” Fulton said. “This is a special one-off three stage rally in which the player will compete against Colin's own family, Jimmy and Alister McRae, and a host of as yet unannounced motor sports superstars. We'll be revealing a list of their names closer to our release date.”

This will certainly make a lot of racing fans quite eager to try out DiRT 2, as the game will not only deliver one of the most realistic rally driving experiences, but it will also honor the man who brought great pride not for the game franchise but also for rally driving in general. Until September, when it will arrive on consoles, and December, when it will hit the PC, complete with DirectX 11 support, we must still wait.