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Molly & Seb working towards a major
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Bio
DOB: June 5,
1988
Birthplace: Beecroft, Sydney, Australia
Current Home: Cumbria, UK
Who started you: My Mum and Dad
Biggest influence: Neal Bates
Women you admire: Michelle Mouton &
Fabrizia Pons
Fathers Thoughts: He is very proud
Your encouragement: Rallying is a great
sport. Get involved and enjoy!
Hobbies/Interests: Keeping fit,
horse-riding, waterskiing, cooking
Biggest Motorsport influence: Neal Bates. He
has been my mentor right from the
beginning
An interest in rallying
was inevitable, given mum Coral’s involvement
as four-time Australian Rally Champion co-driver to
Neal Bates in the factory Toyota team. However, it
wasn’t until she worked at her father
Mark’s rally school in the holidays that Molly
tried driving a rally car.
While still at school, a
friend offered her a car to compete in some local
motorkhanas. She finished ninth outright and first
in class in her first event. The bug had bitten, so
Molly decided to move home to Sydney to finish
school and get seriously into
motorsport.
As soon as she gained her
rally licence she started competing in a Holden
Gemini. In 2006 she was selected in the
Women’s Driver Development Program run by the
Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) and
noted as a standout performer. She also made the
difficult decision to sell her beloved horse,
Banjo, to pay for a more powerful car to help
advance her career.
Her first outing in the
new car was the Rallye Des Femmes in Canberra,
which she won by five full minutes. She went on to
take the 2WD and 2-Litre titles in the 2006 NSW
Rally Championship and was recognised as the NSW
Young Achiever of the Year by CAMS, an award that
covers all forms of motorsport.
In 2007, Molly made her
debut in the Australian Rally Championship and won
the F16 class. She repeated the feat the following
year, as well as flying to the UK to contest a
round of the British Rally Championship.
In 2009 Molly moved to the
UK (she has dual citizenship) to compete in the
Suzuki Swift Sport Cup, a one-make sub-series of
the British Rally Championship.
She won three of the six
events and looked certain to take the title in the
last round when a mechanical problem ended her
rally, and her title chances. She was consoled by
becoming the British Ladies Rally
Champion.
In 2010, Molly again contested the British
series, this time in a Citroën C2 as part of
the Citroën Racing Trophy, finishing third
outright after three podiums across the season. She
also began working at M-Sport, the team behind the
Ford World Rally team, working with the customer
sales team for the Ford Fiesta S2000.
Late in 2010 Molly's dream opportunity presented
itself. With mum Coral in the co-driver’s
seat, Molly competed in the Pirelli Star Driver
Shootout against 15 other young rally drivers from
around the world. She won one of six highly
contested, fully funded scholarships to compete in
the 2011 World Rally Championship as part of the
FIA World Rally Championship Academy.
The specially tailored training program and
one-make rally sub-series, replaced the former
Junior World Rally Championship format, aimed at
developing young drivers and providing them with a
passage through to the elite levels of the sport.
All the drivers competed in equal Ford Fiesta R2s
prepared by M-Sport.
Molly competed across Europe in six WRC rounds
in 2011, including Rally de Portugal, Rally
d'Italia Sardegna, Rally Finland, Rally
Deutschland, Rallye de France and Wales Rally GB,
whilst also finding time for other selected
European events. Molly finished 2011 on a career
high, with a stage win for the final round in the
championship at Wales Rally GB.
Molly is currently in negotiations to compete in
Europe with a European based team Fast Australian
Molly Taylor and Cumbrian co-driver Jemma
Bellingham made it a second Swift Sport Cup win
in
Snippets
United Business will reveal the 2013 sports
programme for Molly Taylor in October
* * *
Australian rally driver Molly Taylor has set her
sights on a solid result when she returns to World
Rally Championship competition in England later
this month.
* * *
Molly Taylor and Seb Marshall will tackle the
fast special stages of the great race of
Jyvaskyla
News
Molly & Seb working
towards a major international program in
2013
Molly and Seb are working to secure a major
programme of international rallies in 2013. Italian
Sports Management company, United Business has been
impressed following their four event program
completed this year, including two rounds of the
WRC in Finland and Great Britain.
In Neste Rally Finland, Molly and Seb were
leading the R3 class when an electrical problem
halted their event with only two stages remaining.
In Wales Rally GB they set competitive stage times,
and posted a stage win against two very quick
French driver's also driving Citroen DS3 R3T's.
They lost three minutes due to a puncture and
finished the event in 3rd place.
Pier Liberali from United Business said:
“We are very pleased with Molly and Seb’s
season, we were sure of their potential and we
liked the maturity they showed in their gradual
growth and improving performance. We are already
working on the next season, considering the various
proposals received. I can say that in 2013 Molly
and Seb will certainly be at the start of a
prestigious international programme to build on the
experience gathered this year and I think next year
will be a very important season for them. I have
reasonable confidence that it will be the season of
the true confirmation of Molly Taylor at
international level.
Source: Press
release
United
Business will reveal the 2013 sports programme for
Molly Taylor in October
The brilliant 2012 sports season of Molly Taylor
and Seb Marshall has just ended, with yet another
strong performance at Wales Rally GB on board the
Citroen DS3 R3T with the United Business livery. At
the finish in Cardiff, after a race which saw them
win stages, occupy the leadership and stand out in
their class battling with fast and more experienced
drivers, the crew received two important awards:
Molly won the Richard Burns Trophy and Seb was
awarded the Michael Park Trophy as the best British
non-priority drivers.
Molly Taylor said: "I cannot believe the 2012
season is already over, it passed so quickly ...
Earlier this year I did not know what we would able
to do, then came the opportunity to work with
United Business and I was offered the DS3 R3
followed by BP Racing; I had a serious programme,
with tests, international events, a dream come
true, for me it was a big step forward and a steep
learning curve, I am pleased with the progress we
made. Pier Liberali of United Business, the company
that takes care of my sports management, was
present at Wales Rally GB and we started our
planning for 2013. This year, Vittorio Caneva and
Fabrizia Pons have been invaluable to me, their
advice and lessons helped me a lot, I hope that
they will be able to follow me again in 2013, their
friendship and teachings are very important to
me".
Seb Marshall said: "It has been a short but very
rewarding year, doing some of my favourite rallyes.
Both Molly and I very much liked working with
United Business, they are very professional and
determined, BP Racing is which took care of our car
is made of great people, with full technical
knowledge, enthusiastic and indefatigable. Molly
drove brilliantly, while maintaining an incredible
desire to succeed. Now we look to 2013, hoping for
another exciting year of rallying".
United Business have almost completed planning
the 2013 season for Molly Taylor and Seb Marshall,
only a few details are missing but for now, as in
United Business style, there are no anticipations,
the 2013 sports programme will be announced by the
end of October, the aim being to capitalize on the
experience gained in 2012 and continue the growth
process of this Australian girl, who this year has
impressed all the insiders, for the determination
and speed shown.
Just wait for the end of October to know the
programme that United Business has prepared for
Molly Taylor and Seb Marshall.
Source: Press
release
Molly
Taylor Plans for International Rally Program in
2013
Australian rally driver Molly Taylor has started
making plans for her international driving future,
after a successful season with the Italian-based
United Business/BP Racing team.
Molly and British co-driver Seb Marshall have
done four events with the team, including two
rounds of the World Rally Championship. All have
been run in a Citroën DS3 R3T.
Last week, in Wales Rally GB, the young
Sydneysider finished third in class, with her team
boss – United Business chief, Pier Liberali
– declaring her ‘fast and strong’
and indicating he is keen to continue their
association.
"We are very pleased with Molly and Seb's
season. We were sure of their potential and we
liked the maturity they showed in their gradual
growth and improving performance, culminating with
two major awards at Wales Rally GB,” Pier
says.
“I can say that in 2013 Molly and Seb will
certainly be at the start of a prestigious
international program to build on the experience
gathered this year and I think next year will be a
very important season for them. I have reasonable
confidence that it will be the season of the true
confirmation of Molly Taylor at international
level."
At the end of Rally GB, Molly won the Richard
Burns Trophy and Seb Marshall was awarded the
Michael Park Trophy, the two prestigious awards in
memory of two former rally champions (**see below).
says the rally proved to be an extremely
competitive one for her, doing battle against two
of the leading French Citroën Trophy drivers.
She was pleased to set very competitive times,
taking a stage win and finishing many stages within
a tenth of a second of her rivals.
“We were really happy with our pace in
GB,” Molly says.
“The conditions were changing all the time
but I felt a lot more comfortable in the car. It
was really valuable to have the strong competition
as a benchmark and I'm happy to know we have the
speed, just need more time in the car to get the
consistency.
“We owe huge thanks to Pier and all the
crew at United Business and BP Racing, as well as
all the supporters, for making the whole program
possible. It's taken a lot of work but we've
learned a lot and this will be a good foundation to
move forward with for next year. We are working
very hard to put a full program together for
2013.”
Molly and Seb signed with the Italian sports
management company early this year, contesting four
events with them: Geko Ypres Rally (European Rally
Championship), Coppa Città di Lucca
(International Rally Challenge), Neste Rally
Finland and Wales Rally GB, the last two being
rounds of the World Rally Championship.
The season gave them valuable experience at a
level above their WRC Academy development series
season last year, and saw them take several special
stage victories and lead their class on a number of
occasions.
** Richard Burns was the 2001 world rally
champion, having finished runner-up in 1999 and
2000. He died of a brain tumour in 2005. Michael
Park was a champion co-driver, who was killed in a
crash on Wales Rally GB in 2005. The trophies are
awarded to the highest placed British-based
non-priority driver and co-driver competing on the
event.
Source: Press
release
The Wales Rally GB closes
Molly Taylor's 2012 sporting season
"Molly Taylor is really fast and strong" this is
the brief comment from Pier Liberali, Untied
Business team principal at the end of the Wales
Rally GB, rally which marked the end of the 2012
sports programme of Molly Taylor and Seb Marshall
with the Citroen DS3 R3T followed by Bp Racing with
the livery Italian sports management company United
Business. A season planned at the best: several
days of testing and Rally Casentino, where the crew
was running as course car and where the race was
used as a further test and four races: Geko Ypres
Rally, Coppa Città di Lucca, Neste Rally
Finland and Wales Rally GB. Asphalt and gravel,
prestigious national events, European Championship,
IRC and World Championship. A season which allowed
Molly Taylor to find the right feeling with a new
car for her and to face valued opponents, obtaining
special stage victories and being several times in
the lead of her class.
In Wales Rally GB Molly Taylor won the Richard
Burns Trophy and Seb Marshall was awarded the
Michael Park Trophy, two prestigious awards in
memory of two key actors of world rallying
prematurely disappeared.
Pier Liberali said: "We are very pleased with
the Molly and Seb's season, we were sure of their
potential and we liked the maturity they showed in
their gradual growth and improving performance
culminated with two major awards at Wales Rally GB.
We are already working on the next season,
considering the various proposals received. I can
say that in 2013 Molly and Seb will certainly be at
the start of a prestigious international program to
build on the experience gathered this year and I
think next year will be a very important season for
them, I have reasonable confidence that it will be
the season of the true confirmation of Molly Taylor
at international level". For Molly Taylor, Seb
Marshall, United Business and Bp Racing 2012 has
been a good season, we gained a lot of experience,
continuous and constant technical and sporting
improvements and with much satisfaction: fans
everywhere have greeted with lots of sympathy this
Australian girl, humble, determined and fast!
Source: Press release
Molly Taylor sets sight on
Wales Rally GB
The United Business driver and Seb Marshall, with
the DS3 R3T in the United Business livery followed
by BP Racing, return to the World Rally
Championship.
After the excellent performances shown in Neste
Rally Finland, where they had to abandon the fight
for the class win due to an electrical fault a few
special stages from the end, while traveling in
second place after having previously occupied the
top spot and having won some stages, the United
Business crew returns to the well known roads of
Wales Rally GB, which in the 2011 edition had seen
them get their first stage win in the WRC Academy.
A test before the race will allow Molly to fine
tune the set-up of the Citroen DS3 R3T before
embarking on the dirt roads through the Welsh
forests.
Molly Taylor said: "I am very excited to have
the opportunity to compete at Wales Rally GB. From
all of the WRC Academy events we did last year, I
have the best memories of this event and it is
where we got our first WRC Academy stage win. I
have also done a few smaller rallies around the
same area, so whilst the stages will be different,
I have a good idea of the nature of the roads. I
really enjoyed Rally Finland and am looking forward
to spending some more time in the car and
progressing from what we learnt in Finland ".
Pier Liberali (United Business) said:
“United Business is very pleased with what
Molly is doing, both Seb and her have proven to be
two excellent professionals, inside and outside the
cockpit. Both myself and my staff are pleased with
the steady growth that Molly is achieving, race
after race and test after test her feeling with the
car improves just like her performance. With Wales
Rally GB the programme we had planned ends, we will
see whether by the end of the year there will be
the opportunity to tackle some other rallies, but
this is not a priority, the most important thing on
which we are now focused is to plan the 2013 racing
season in the best way. We are evaluating and
exploring different options and proposals that we
have received. We hope to make the best choice,
2013 will be a very important year for Molly Taylor
and her sporting career, we will try to make the
right choice".
Wales Rally GB will start in Llandudno on
Thursday, September 13th at 19:00 GMT, and will end
in Cardiff on Sunday 16th at 15:40 GMT, after 1,606
km, of which 325 timed, divided into 19 special
stages.
Source: Press
release
Molly Taylor sets sight on
Wales Rally GB
Australian rally driver Molly Taylor has set her
sights on a solid result when she returns to World
Rally Championship competition in England later
this month.
The young Sydneysider is tackling the famous
Wales Rally GB with British co-driver Sib Marshall
in their United Business/BP Racing Citroën DS3
R3T.
The duo put in an excellent performance in Neste
Rally Finland, leading their class with two stages
to run until they were forced to abandon the fight
for a podium finish due to an electrical fault.
Now Molly and Sib are looking forward to another
run over the roads of Wales Rally GB. It was here
last year, that they took their first stage win
while competing in the one-make WRC Academy
series.
The team has scheduled a test day before the
event to allow Molly to fine-tune the set-up of the
Citroen DS3 R3T before embarking on the dirt roads
through the Welsh forests.
"I’m very excited to have the opportunity
to compete at Wales Rally GB.
“From all the WRC Academy events we did
last year, I have the best memories of this event
and it is where we got our first WRC Academy stage
win.
“I have also done a few smaller rallies
around the same area, so while the stages will be
different, I have a good idea of the nature of the
roads. I really enjoyed Rally Finland and am
looking forward to spending some more time in the
car and progressing from what we learned
there.”
According to United Business chief, Pier
Liberal, the team is very pleased with the way
Molly is progressing.
“Both Molly and Sib have proven to be two
excellent professionals, inside and outside the
cockpit. Both myself and my staff are pleased with
the steady growth that Molly is achieving, race
after race and test after test. Her feeling for the
car improves just like her performance.
“The program we had planned with her ends
with Wales Rally GB, but we will see whether, by
the end of the year, there will be the opportunity
to tackle some other rallies. But this is not a
priority.
“The most important thing on which we are
now focused is to plan the 2013 racing season in
the best way. We are evaluating and exploring
different options and proposals that we have
received. We hope to make the best choice.
“Next year will be a very important year
for Molly Taylor and her sporting career. We will
try to make the right choice."
Wales Rally GB will start in Llandudno on
Thursday, September 13 at 7pm GMT, and will end in
Cardiff on Sunday 16th at 3.40pm GMT, after a total
distance of 1606 km, of which 325km is timed
competition, divided into 19 special stages.
Source: Press
release
Molly Taylor at Neste Rally
Finland
After the tarmac of Belgium and Italy, the gravel
of Finland for the strong Australian driver of
United Business. Next weekend Molly Taylor and Seb
Marshall, with the DS3 R3T in the United Business
livery followed by BP Racing, will tackle the fast
special stages of the great race of Jyvaskyla,
where in 2011 at their debut they finished in ninth
place among the crews taking part in the WRC
Academy.
Molly Taylor said: "I am delighted to have the
opportunity to return to the stages of Rally
Finland, and I am working with the team to increase
my feeling with the car. We will do a test before
the race and I hope to get a good result to thank
everybody at United Business and BP Racing for
their efforts".
After this race, United Business together with
BP Racing and Molly Taylor will decide whether to
contest Rally Deutschland or another World Rally
Championship event.
Neste Rally Finland will start from Jyvaskyla on
Thursday, August 2nd at 13:30 and will end on
Saturday 4th at 21:00 in Jyvaskyla after 1,625 km,
of which 303 timed divided into 18 special
stages.
Source: Press
release
Molly Taylor at the Rally
Coppa Città di Lucca - Italy
Molly Taylor, the young Australian driver,
continues her apprenticeship with the Citroën
DS3 R3T in the United Business livery followed by
BP Racing, in view of future commitments in the
World Rally Championship events, the first of which
will be the forthcoming Rally Finland. After the
debut at the Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium, Molly
Taylor and Seb Marshall took part in last weekend's
Rally del Casentino as zero car, trying new set-up
solutions and increasing the feeling with the
car.
Immediately after the race, the United Business
crew travelled to Asiago, at the Vittorio Caneva
Rally School, for two days of training and
refinement.
Pier Liberali of United Business said: "Molly
Taylor and Seb Marshall are proving to be excellent
professionals, the work we are doing all together,
the United Business staff, the BP Racing, the crew
and Vittorio Caneva who with his professionalism
and advice is working to improve Molly's driving
techniques, are important for the growth process of
the crew. I am very happy with the work done so far
and I am sure that by continuing to work hard and
all close together we will achieve the goals we
have set ourselves".
Molly Taylor and Seb Marshall, waiting for Rally
Finland, will compete this weekend at the Rally
Coppa Città di Lucca (Italy), a national
event that will start at 23:01 on Saturday 21st and
end at 8:50 on Sunday 22nd , after 288 km of which
84 timed km divided into 7 special stages.
Source: Press
release
United Business at
Rally Casentino with Young Drivers - Molly Taylor
and Gabriele Cogni
At the Rally del Casentino there will be two
‘junior’ drivers of United Business with
the Citroën DS3 R3T
Not only established drivers for United
Business, which on the contrary will actively look
for their heirs both at Italian and at
international level. After the excellent results of
the last season with Luca Rossetti having become
European Champion for the third time (Abarth Grande
Punto S2000) and now entered in the 2012 Turkish
Championship with the Skoda Fabia S2000 of Skoda
Turkey - Yuce Auto - Pegasus Racing, with Piero
Longhi winner of the 2011 Slovenian Championship
(Skoda Fabia S2000) and now committed with the Mini
Countryman WRC of Twister Corse in the
International Rally Cup and with Portuguese
Bernardo Sousa, who in 2011 after only two events
with United Business won the Rally 2 delle Colline
(Peugeot 207 S2000) ahead of WRC cars, and now,
having become a works driver of the Team Lotus
International Rally (Lotus Exige R-GT), United
Business, which runs the sports management of more
than 20 rally drivers, both Italian and foreign, is
actively engaged in the best commercial-marketing
management and sports planning of its young drivers
in the 2012 programmes, including the confirmed
Gabriele Cogni, 'promoted' to the Citroën
Racing Trophy, and of the new entry at United
Business, the young, but already expert, Molly
Taylor.
For the young Australian driver who is part of
the FIA "Women in Motorsport" project, United
Business has set up a program aiming at both growth
and prestige. The 2010 British Female Champion is
scheduled to take part in some events of the 2012
World Rally Championship beginning with Rally
Finland with a Citroën DS3 R3T, after some
private tests and some preparation events. Molly
Taylor has already taken part in the recent Geko
Ypres Rally and will line up next weekend, with the
car in the United Business livery prepared by BP
Racing, as zero car in the Rally del Casentino,
valid for the International Rally Cup
(www.ircup.net), before tackling the Rally di Lucca
at the end of this month
(www.balestrero.it/2012/rally-coppa-citta-lucca
).
The Rally del Casentino, also valid as the third
round of the Italian Citroën Racing Trophy,
will also see in competition Gabriele Cogni, who
after his excellent results in last season (winner
of the Peugeot 207 Top Trophy) is currently second
in the overall ranking of the series, together with
Silvia Mazzetti and always with a Citroën DS3
R3T in the United Business livery and followed by
BP Racing.
The Rally del Casentino (www.scuderiaetruria.net)
will be held on Saturday, July 14th with start (at
10:31) and finish (at 23:00) in Bibbiena (Arezzo -
Italy) and includes eight special stages on tarmac
for a total of over 137 km, of which the last stage
of 35.44 km will be run in nighttime.
Source: Press
release
Difficult though Positive
Debut for Molly Taylor at the Geko Ypres Rally
At the Geko Ypres Rally, valid for the European
Rally Championship and the Intercontinental Rally
Challenge seated in the picturesque town of Ypres
in Belgium, Australian Molly Taylor, codriven by
Englishman Seb Marshall, concluded the race with
honour despite the difficulties encountered in the
first special stages.
During the first day of competition, the United
Business crew experienced a slight off in the first
special stage, but despite the damages they were
able to complete the first three special stages and
to return to service where the team promptly
repaired the Citroen DS3 R3 allowing them to
continue and to complete the first leg. During the
second and final day Molly and Seb, progressively
improved their results also thanks to the
increasingly greater feeling reached with the car
from BP Racing.
Molly Taylor said: "After the time lost in the
first stage we stuck to bringing the car back to
service, where the Team did a fantastic job to put
it back on track. Then in the second loop on Friday
and on Saturday we chose only to gain experience
rather than overdoing it, there is so much to
learn! On the special stages on Saturday we went
always better event though not as we wanted, but we
focused on reaching the finish. This is the first
race, a very difficult one which I did not know, as
it was the first time I drove the Citroen DS3 R3 on
event, to take it to the finish was the goal that
Pier Liberali of United Business had given us, we
reached it, for the next races in our programme I
know that we will always do better, because what I
have available, Pirelli tyres, car and team are a
great sporting and technical package. Race after
race, we will have plenty of satisfaction".
The next events, as per schedule d for the
United Business crew will be in Italy at the Rally
Coppa Città di Lucca followed by Neste Rally
Finland and ADAC Rally Deutschland.
Source: Press
release
Molly Confirms Citroen
Programme
Young Australian rally star Molly Taylor will be
back behind the wheel for four headlining European
events including two rounds of the World Rally
Championship.
Taylor will drive a front-wheel-drive Citroen
DS3 R3T on the Intercontinental Ypres Rally
(Belgium), Coppa Citttà di Lucca (Italy),
and the WRC Neste Rally Finland and the ADAC Rally
Deutschland.
Under the guidance of sports management firm
United Business; Taylor tested the BP Racing
Citroen DS3 in Italy. The test allowed Taylor and
British co-driver Seb Marshall to familiarise
themselves with the car, as well as evaluate the
Pirelli tyres they will use in Belgian in two
weeks.
Molly Taylor said: "For me it is a fantastic
opportunity, and a great step forward in my career.
To have the opportunity to work with a professional
team and a different car from the ones I drove
before will allow me to learn a lot. I am trying to
soak as much as possible, this car has many
possible settings, we are trying to understand it
as we go. We have a lot of work to do this year to
gain experience, we will take what comes and try to
make the most of it".
Pier Liberali of United Business said: "We
started this cooperation with Molly Taylor, because
we believe in this lady driver who has proven to be
very solid and fast. I think she is one of the
fastest lady rally drivers at world level today.
Just like we do for all the other professional
drivers whose management we take care of , we have
prepared for her a medium to long term programme
which caters for these events, although we are
working to increase the number of races which she
will be present in for 2012. For these events we
will use the structure of BP Racing, already used
by another one of our drivers, and which has always
proven to be a well prepared and very professional
factory".
Fabrizia Pons (Representative of the FIA Women
in Motorsport commission) said: "I am very happy
that Molly has the opportunity to drive a
performing car such as Citroen DS3: to start with
Ypres is a beautiful challenge for her, but I'm
sure that she will rise up to it”.
The Geko Ypres Rally will start at 16:25 on
Friday June 22nd , first leg with six special
stages for 85 km, finish at 22:54. After the
overnight halt, restart at 9:50 on Saturday June
23rd, second leg with 12 special stages for 209 km,
finish in Ypres at 22:39.
Source: www.mollytaylor.com.au/latest-news/490-mollys-new-rally-program-announced
Molly Taylor set for a start
in 2012 really season
Australian rally driver Molly Taylor will kick off
her 2012 international rally campaign with a run in
the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales next
week.
The second round of the British Rally
Championship will be run on Friday, March 23 and
Saturday, March 24 and is made up of five
individual rallies including international,
national and historic classes.
Molly, her 2011 co-driver, British-born Seb
Marshall, and their Ford Fiesta R2 will tackle this
event together as well as other selected events
across the UK and Europe. They hope to announce
more details in the coming weeks.
“I really can’t wait to get back in
the car after what feels like a lifetime,” the
23-year-old Sydneysider says.
“I haven’t done an event since Rally
GB, the final round of the 2011 World Rally
Championship. Several of the 2012 Academy drivers
such as Elfyn Evans and Alistair Fisher are doing
the Bulldog. They’re both very experienced
drivers so it will be good to check my speed
against theirs after the quick times we were
posting at the end of last year.”
Molly says the Bulldog is one of her favourite
events. It’s based around Welshpool in
mid-Wales, about six kilometres from the
England/Wales border and offers a real challenge to
her skills.
“I really enjoy the roads in Wales. The
roads really flow and the stages are quite a
mixture of fast and technical. We set some good
times in the same area during Rally GB, so this is
my chance to back that up in similar
conditions.
“My best result in this event was in 2009
when I won my class in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup.
I have competed here a few times so it’s one
of the rallies that I have more experience of, and
that familiarity will help. We’re not doing
the whole British championship series so the aim is
to benchmark ourselves against the top competitors
here and make the most of the event.”
Molly is currently in negotiations to do several
events in Europe, with a European based team.
Outside her rally commitments, she continues to
work with M-Sport, the company that has operated
Ford's world rally championship program since
1997.
2012 will be the 52nd running of the Bulldog
Rally since it started in 1958. The event covers a
total distance of 343 miles (552km), of which 97.5
miles (157km) are competitive, divided into 11
timed special stages.
In 2011, Molly and Seb contested the WRC
Academy, a sub-series of the WRC, which replaced
the previous Junior WRC category and was designed
to give young drivers a strong foundation in all
aspects of competing at the elite level of
motorsport.
Six of the young drivers entered in the series
won a fully-funded scholarship for the year. That
covered all expenses for the six events in the
Academy series and Molly was one of the fortunate
six. She was also the only female driver competing
at any level of the World Rally Championship.
Molly Taylor and Jemma
Bellingham take podium at Suzuki Swift Sport Cup
4/20/09
Fast female Molly Taylor made it a second Swift
Sport Cup win in a row on the Carlisle-based
Pirelli International Rally at the weekend.
Australian Molly and Cumbrian co-driver Jemma
Bellingham battled stages in the notorious
‘Killer Kielder’ and Kershope Forests in
their Monster Sport Europe and Motorsport Insurance
Services backed Suzuki Swift Sport.
The girls left the start at Carlisle Racecourse
on Friday evening for two stages in Kershope
Forest. Running later down the field, meant that
they would be completing the stages just as it was
getting dark.
They didn’t quite get off to the start
they’d hoped for; the rough nature of the
stages caused them to drop some time. They
continued through SS2, determined to get through
the tricky stages and back into service. At the end
of Leg 1, the girls were lying third in the Swift
Sport Cup, twenty seconds behind leader, Luke
Pinder.
Leg 2 began early on Saturday morning with four
stages in the Kielder Forest Complex. SS5, the
girls managed to claw back some time from fellow
Suzuki competitor, Richard Sykes, getting into
second place. SS6 the girls took the lead of the
Swift Sport Cup after Luke Pinder crashed out of
the rally.
In service Molly commented “We were all
pushing really hard and I was trying not to take
too many risks as I knew we still had lots of stage
miles still to go. It was a real shame to see Luke
off the road, but I had to keep focused. With the
fast tricky stages I had to keep concentrating on
the notes and keeping the car neat to avoid the
huge ditches!”
Their lead was short lived when Richard Sykes
took 2.9 seconds back from them. The girls were
then affected by the hold-up when Guy Wilks’
car caught fire. They assumed the rally was over
and had settled for 2nd place in the British Rally
Championship’s Swift Sport Cup, when the
organisers announced they would still run the two
final stages of the day in Kershope, so the title
was still to be fought.
Determined to have a good battle with Richard
Sykes for the win, the girls set out on SS11 with
the plan to push as hard as they could without
taking any major risks, however they were given the
lead by default as Sykes suffered mechanical
problems mid-way through the stage.
“We were genuinely disappointed to see
Richard stopped in stage as I was looking forward
to comparing our times with him at the
finish.” said Molly, “The rally has been
a real rollercoaster for us this weekend. We
struggled with the rough stages on Friday night,
and then we had the battle with Luke and Richard
for the win. It’s a huge relief to have
finished and to win again. We’ve taken maximum
championship points for the first two rounds, which
will help us massively for the rest of the
season.”
Molly and Jemma won the Swift Sport Cup by 1m
16s from Manxman David Harrison.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/molly-taylor-and-jemma-bellingham-take-podium-at-suzuki-swift-sport-cup/
Results
2011 WRC Academy Pirelli
Star Driver
2011: Pirelli Star Driver - World Rally
Championship Academy
2010: British Ladies Rally Champion, 3rd Citroen
Racing Trophy (BRC), IRDC Most Improved Award
2009: British Ladies Rally Champion, Greenlight TV
Star Performer Award
2008: F16 Champion, Australian Rally
Championship
2007: F16 Champion, Australian Rally
Championship
2007: Australian Rally
Championship Debut: Coates Rally
Queensland
2006: 2WD Champion, NSW Rally Championship
2006: 2 Litre Champion, NSW Rally Championship
2005: Rally Debut: Rally of
the Manning Valley
Schedule
Competing in European and World Rally
Championship events.
* * *
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