Molly Taylor

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Codriver: Jemma Bellingham

Jemma Bellingham

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Molly Taylor

Occupation: Personal Trainer, Driving instructor for RallySchool.com.au

Hobbies/Interests: Training, Horse-riding, Waterskiing, Cooking

Biggest Motorsport influence: Neal Bates

Rally Debut: Rally of the Manning Valley 2005

Australian Rally Championship Debut: 2007 Coates Rally QLD
Championship Titles:

2008 Australian Rally Championship F16 Champion
2007 Australian Rally Championship F16 Champion
2006 NSW 2WD Champion
2006 NSW 2 Litre Champion

Background:

In her early years, Molly spent most of her time spectating at rallies, watching her mum (Coral Taylor) compete across the country as part of the factory Toyota team. She was also pursuing her own horseriding interests at a national level (eventing).

Molly has always had a keen interest in rallying, however, she never thought about getting behind the wheel until at age 15 she completed a driver training course at her father’s rally school. After getting a taste of horsepower of a different variety, Molly never turned back!

In 2004, whilst at boarding school in Armidale, NSW, the president of the local car club, Paul Kennedy, invited Molly to come out and use his old Honda Civic and compete in some motorkhanas. In her first event she finished 9th outright and 1st in class. Having now caught the ‘rallying bug’, in 2005 Molly made the decision to leave boarding school, returning home to Sydney to complete Years 11 and 12 where she could focus more on driving. She competed in the NSW State Khanacross Championship, in which she finished second in the Junior class and 1st in the Ladies class.

As soon as she was able to get her rally licence, she began rallying in a Holden Gemini. In 2006 Molly was selected in the ‘CAMS Women’s Driver Development Program’ where she was noted as one of the stand out performers.  She also made the decision to sell her beloved competition horse to buy a Celica TA22, with plans to develop her car control in a more powerful car.

Her first outing in this car was in the Rally Des Femmes in Canberra, which she won by a clear five minutes. 2006 continued to be a very successful year for Molly in which she became the NSW 2WD and 2-Litre Rally Champion. Her efforts were also recognised by CAMS, and she was awarded the NSW Young Achiever of the Year, an award that covers all motorsport disciplines.

2007 was Molly’s debut into the Australian Rally Championship where she won F16 class. She took the title again in 2008, as well as travelling over to the UK to compete in a round of the British Rally Championship. She was also appointed as an adviser to the Australian Rally Commission. In 2009 Molly will head back to the UK to compete in the full British Rally Championship in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup. Her ultimate goal is to compete in the World Rally Championship.