Putting yesterday’s gearbox woes behind them, the Subaru do Motorsport team of Molly Taylor and Bill Hayes proved their new car’s reliability with a fourth place finish in Heat Two of Eureka Rally, Victoria.
The team’s Production Rally Car (PRC) class All-Wheel Drive WRX STI achieved two second place finishes across the day’s eight stages, in the first round of the CAMS Australian Rally Championship 2017.
Dust was again a factor on the stages outside Ballarat, with Taylor and Hayes momentarily overshooting some junctions on the first two – and having to wait to back track at one point, then finding vision obscured by the brown fog.
But second placings on SS13 Enfield 1 and on the day’s equal longest stage, the 14.77 kilometre SS14 Ross Creek 1, gave the pair a positive vibe going into morning service.
The new WRX STI also consistent over the final four stages, with an equal third place, two fourth places and a fifth top round out the weekend.
Molly said: “It cost us a few seconds when we overshot some junctions on the first couple of stages because of the dust.
“There was one turn where we overshot by about 40 metres, then we had to wait for the dust to settle before we could go back.
“But on the third and fourth stages this morning we felt the car was a lot more flowing.
“We’re becoming much more familiar with it and the edge that it offers over last year’s Group N car.
“We now need start to using that to our advantage.
“Certainly the more time we get in this new car, the more confidence it adds and we’ll come away from this weekend with key learnings that we can apply at Forest Rally in WA next month.”
DAY TWO PLACINGS AFTER SS18 - PROVISIONAL RESULTS
1. EVANS/WESTON, Peugeot 208 Maxi, 52:58.6
2. QUINN/CALDER, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, 53:05.1, +00:06.5
3. BATES/McCARTHY, Toyota Corolla S2000, 53:06.5, +00:07.9
4. TAYLOR/HAYES, Subaru WRX STI, 53:47.5, +00:48.9
- Team release
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