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Molly Taylor gets more road racing miles at Norwell
Subaru star Molly Taylor has continued to bank road racing miles ahead of Round 4 of the carsales TCR Australia Series at Queensland Raceway this weekend.
Along with fellow female TCR Volkswagen racer Alexandra Whitley, Taylor paid a visit to the Norwell Motorplex today, clocking laps at the Paul Morris-owned driving centre, taking advise from the team’s high performance driver coaches.
This is not the first time that the former Australian Rally Champion has used the centre to hone her skills, using the centre’s facility and trainers to fast-track her rapid learning curve as she continues to master tarmac racing.
Taylor completed laps of the Norwell circuit with a driver coach in the passenger seat, as well as practice “racing” against other cars in close proximity – a factor that she does not encounter in her natural rally environment.
Taylor says that any seat time is valuable in what has been a baptism of fire so far.
“Anytime I can get on tarmac is valuable, and with this being a Queensland event, I thought it was a good opportunity to get some more laps with Paul and his team at Norwell,” she said.
“The most valuable component of today’s driving was the door-to-door combat. The guys there were able to show me some more techniques, but really, its more about being comfortable racing with cars so close on track.
“In rally, something has gone really wrong if you are close to another car!”
Tomorrow’s first practice session will mark Taylor’s first ever laps at the Ipswich circuit, but she is confident that she can get her head around the six turn, 3.1km circuit quickly.
“I’ve never been around Queensland Raceway before, and while it looks simple on paper, I’ve spoken to a few of our guys and they ensure me that there’s more to it,” she said.
“All the corners have their own unique character, and there’s bumps and curbs that need to be treated differently, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had some issues with our Subaru in the first few events. The Kelly Racing team is getting to grips with the car and I feel that we are getting closer to stronger results.”
Taylor will be the sole Subaru in the field this weekend after the team, elected to withdraw Andre Heimgartner’s example. The Kiwi will step into the team’s second Holden Astra instead, replacing Chelsea Angelo.
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Friday’s practice sessions are free to the public. CLICK HERE to secure tickets to Saturday and Sunday’s races.