RallySport Magazine April 2017

COLUMN: MOLLY TAYLOR
MOLLY
TAYLOR
At last the ARC season has kicked
off and it was great to get back
into competition at the Eureka
Rally in Ballarat.
There is always that unknown
factor heading into a new year, where
everyone is keen to get the first round
underway and see where the pace is at.
What was really exciting was to see
just how close the competition is.
The championship is really gaining
momentum and, combined with the
great TV and online coverage we have
now, we are in for an exciting year!
For us, unfortunately it was definitely
not the start we were hoping for. On
Saturday morning we broke the front
differential, which cost us quite a lot of
time.
The boys did a fantastic
job replacing the gearbox
at the lunchtime service,
and we did what we
could to recover in the
afternoon.
Day two started off a
little rocky again, firstly
from my end where I
missed a few junctions in
the dust and gave us an
initial set back.
We bounced back with
two second fastest times
coming into lunch, and I
must say it was nice to be
able to show some of our
potential in the new car!
The hot temperatures, narrow forest
stages and low wind gave us an added
challenge in keeping the engine cool
enough.
In the end, we had too big a gap to
fight with the top three for the Heat
Two podium, but in any case it was
exciting to watch that battle unfold
ahead of us.
So, in the end, some points up on the
scoreboard and a lot of learning taken
on board.
For sure, there is some frustration
that things didn’t go perfectly – but that
rarely happens in rallying! In any case,
our times, considering the challenges
we faced, shows us that the potential is
there.
I was actually at a Subaru Parts &
After Sales conference recently and
we were discussing the success of the
team last year and the start of the new
season.
What really stands out to me now is
that the real strength of our team is not
when everything goes well, but rather
when things don’t go to plan.
It’s easy for everyone to be motivated
and happy when we win. However, the
guys and girls at Les Walkden Rallying
and Subaru have put in a huge effort,
both in the lead up to Ballarat and now,
looking ahead to the Forest Rally.
We are doing everything to make
sure we put our best foot forward
once again. We definitely haven’t lost
sight of what the goal is and are just as
motivated as ever!
The Forest Rally is one of my favourite
rallies on the calendar, and I am
counting the days to get back behind
the wheel and give it another crack.
- Molly
It wasn’t the best start to
the ARC for Molly Taylor and
Bill Hayes, but they secured
valuable ARC points.
Photos: Warren Kirby, Subaru
6 | RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE - APRIL 2017