RallySport Magazine August 2016

QUINN’S WRC CAR PLANS FALL SHORT
By PETER WHITTEN
Plans for Coffs Harbour’s Nathan Quinn to drive a factory-supported
World Rally Car in November’s Rally
Australia have hit a dead-end.
The local favourite drove a Mini World Rally Car in the
2013 WRC qualifier, finishing in the top 10, and was hoping
to repeat the performance.
“We’ve been conversing for a few months to drive a
factory car here, and it was surprisingly close,” Quinn said.
“Unfortunately, just before Rally Finland, the plans fell
through.”
Quinn is now targeting a drive in the WRC2 category
at Rally Australia, but admits that his team have lost a
lot of planning time because of their World Rally Car
negotiations.
“I expect we will have to find a large budget, but we are
hopeful that a team may choose not to run Rally Australia,
and that we come across a deal similar to that which
allowed us to drive the Mini in 2013,” Quinn told RallySport
Magazine.
MOLLY’S DEBUT SUBARU WIN
Molly Taylor and Bill Hayes
recorded their debut win for the
new Subaru team in the Southern
Safari Tasmania on August 6.
Their Group N production class
WRX STI NR4 swept to victory in
the 98.86 kilometre round of the
Eastern Autobody Tasmanian Rally
Series.
Molly’s win is believed to be
the first by a female driver in
the history of the Tasmanian
championship.
The team was a consistent
second across the first eight stages,
then pounced on stage nine –
ending with best times across the
last three stages.
It was a tight tussle across the
day with Launceston brothers
Marcus and Scott Walkem in their
Mitsubishi Evo X.
But patience paid off for the
Subaru pair, who finished with an
overall margin of just 29.6 seconds
over the Walkems.
The local knowledge and
expertise of the Les Walkden Rally
Team also helped the Subaru duo.
Team Principal, Les Walkden, also
proved his ability, with an eighthplace
finish in his Mitsubishi Pajero,
in the off-road class.
“We didn’t have a great start,
with a puncture in the first loop of
stages,” Taylor reported.
“From there the challenge was on
and we really enjoyed battling with
the Walkem brothers.
“Our first win for our car is a
great moment for the whole team,
so a huge thanks to them!
“Also to the organisers for
putting on such a well run event on
fantastic roads.”
The winning crew were presented
with the Ken Roddam Memorial
Trophy after their victory.
Photos: Geoff Ridder
AUGUST 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 9