The Subaru do Motorsport team is looking to restore podium placings in this weekend’s Make Smoking History Forest Rally, in Western Australia.
The second round of the CAMS Australian Rally Championship 2017 finds the Subaru duo of Molly Taylor and Bill Hayes focused on a seamless assault on top three honours in their new Production Rally Car (PRC) class All-Wheel Drive WRX STI.
Based out of Busselton, the rally was the debut for the team last year, when fourth place finishes on Heat One and Two indicated early promise for the season of success that followed.
But with the 2017 calendar reduced to five rounds after the pre-season exit of the Queensland rally, Taylor and Hayes realise there is little wriggle room following their fifth place finish in the season’s first round, Eureka Rally, Ballarat.
Molly said: “We really want to show our full potential and be well and truly in points contention.
“The Les Walkden Rallying team have been working hard to ensure we have everything fine tuned and set up for the different conditions we’ll face in WA.
“We already know it’s a massively competitive season, with the likes of Harry Bates and Eli Evans constantly challenging for honours, so from a rally fan’s point of view there’s every reason to follow the action!”
Molly added: “We’ll be doing a valuable pre event test this week, as the famous loose gravel over here demands complete concentration and optimal grip, so it’s good to remind ourselves what we’re up for and make sure ourselves and the car are tuned-in to the conditions.”
West Australian Hayes brings valuable local knowledge to the Subaru do team, in what is one of the most logistically challenging events on the calendar, with long transits between service and parc ferme, plus evening super special stages to factor in.
Make Smoking History Forest Rally runs over two heats starting on the evening of Friday, April 21.
It covers 19 competitive stages across 205.99 competitive kilometres, starting with two action-packed Super Special stages around Busselton’s Barnard Park on Friday evening.
The weekend’s longest stages, the 21.33 kilometre SS4 and 8 Ferndale, follow on Saturday.
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