In a classic case of keeping it in the family, young Australian rally star Molly Taylor will be doing demonstration laps at Rally Australia – in the classic Aussie muscle car her father used to rally.
Molly – who is contesting the World Rally Championship Academy development series in Europe this year – will star on the super special stage of the world rally championship event in Coffs Harbour in a 1970 XY GT Falcon.
If you were into rallying in the Nineties, you would remember it. The big black BP Corse Plus Ford spitting stones, full lock and full noise, barely audible over the screams and shouts of delighted spectators. At the wheel was Mark Taylor, a driver having as much fun as the people watching.
Having tested the Falcon last week, Molly now understands why the car in which her father took equal first in the Aussie Car Class of the 1993 Australian Rally Championship holds such a special place in his heart.
“It’s the first time I have driven a six-litre, V8 rear-wheel-drive car. It’s the polar opposite to what I usually drive – they’re both Fords, but mine is a front-wheel-drive, 1.6-litre Fiesta R2, so a totally different experience. And I love it! I can’t wait to get out on the super special for the next three nights.”
Mark Taylor bought the car in 1990, just after it won the South Australian Rally Championship. He kept the full-spec 351 Cleveland GT engine, but swapped drum brakes for four-wheel discs and added Proflex suspension, a Phase Three GTHO close-ratio gearbox and power steering – which made it much easier to drive than the Bathurst monsters it was based on.
After many years of fun, her father sold the car to help Molly achieve her rallying dreams, but it hasn’t gone far from the family – it’s now owned by one of Molly’s long-time supporters, Dave Thompson of Trenching Systems Australia.
“Dave has always said it’s mine to drive if I want to, so when the opportunity arose to do some demonstration laps at my ‘home’ WRC event, I jumped at it.
“I flew into Sydney from England on Saturday morning, turned on my mobile and found a message saying we are going to Wakefield Park race track. Yes, I wanted to drive it, but a few hours’ sleep might have been nice!
“Still, as soon as I fired it up, I forgot about the jetlag. There was a track full of Nissans and Subarus and Evos doing real laps and here’s me going sideways most of the way. I certainly hope there’s enough space to do that on the super special because I’m aiming to keep it sideways as much as possible. That’s the way dad always did it – and that’s the way it’s meant to be driven. I think the spectators will love it.”
Rally Australia is the 10th round of the 13-event world rally championship. It’s being run in forestry areas of the Coffs Coast, kicking off Thursday afternoon (September 8) and finishing on Sunday, September 11.
Molly’s runs through the tarmac super special stage (Coffs Harbour Jetty – Jordan Esplanade) will be from 5.30pm Thursday, 5pm on Friday and 4pm on Saturday.
Molly returns to WRC Academy action over the weekend of September 29-October 2, at round 11 of the WRC series, Rallye de France Alsace.
More information on Molly Taylor is available on her website: www.mollytaylor.com.au