Heartbreak for Molly in Rally Queensland

Teenage sensation Molly Taylor has had a heartbreaking end to the first heat of Rally Queensland, the third round of the Australian Rally Championship.
Having started 17th in the event, Molly and co-driver, Toni Feaver, had set some sensational stage times to be in 11th place with just one stage to go. They were clearly the fastest two-wheel drive car, and looked set to push for a top ten finish over the final 35km stage.
But near the end of the penultimate stage, Molly’s Mitsubishi Mirage forded a creek crossing, which caused a blade to break off the cooling fan and puncture the water radiator.
By the time the car finished the stage, it was overheating badly and Molly had no option but to retire from the heat.
"It's a real shame, because we were having a really good day," Molly said. "The car was great and I was getting into a good groove with my driving. It had already got hot, though, so the only thing to do was retire."
Molly was matching the times with a four-wheel drive Super 2000 VW Polo - the very car that won last year's South African Rally Championship - and she was obviously disappointed not to be able to continue the battle.
"We were having a good battle, and it was great to have someone to compare times with," Molly added. "Hopefully tomorrow we can resume the fight."
She plans to "attack" from the start of tomorrow's stages, and push for what could easily be a top ten finish. Having finished ninth last year at this event, it's an event she loves.
Molly’s hard working service crew have already repaired the damage, installing a new radiator, enabling the talented Sydneysider to start Heat 2 tomorrow morning.