One of Australia's most successful female motorsport talents Molly Taylor has confirmed she will return to the Australian Rally Championship for the final two rounds of the 2023 ARC.

Taylor will compete in the familiar Subaru WRX STI as part of the Production Cup.

After an intense few years racing in various overseas series (including Extreme E, WRC, the famous Dakar Rally, W2RC and RX2e) the 2016 ARC champion is set to make an exciting return at the Adelaide Rally on 13-15 October, an opportunity made possible with the support of Subaru Australia and Castrol.

Molly said: "I'm incredibly excited to be rallying back on home soil. The ARC holds wonderful memories for me and I'm excited and proud to be competing again in the Subaru WRX. With Castrol, Subaru and Craig Brooks' support, I know that I have the team behind me to succeed and I can't wait to get back behind the wheel."

Blair Read, Managing Director Subaru Australia commented: "It will be great to see Molly back in the blue and yellow colours on the rally stages in Adelaide and Canberra. This is a really exciting and fitting way to help celebrate 50 years of Subaru in Australia given our proud motorsport heritage."

Marketing Manager for Castrol Jan Willink, said "Castrol, in conjunction with Subaru Australia, are thrilled to be able to back Molly's involvement in the Adelaide Hills and National Capital rounds of the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship. Motorsport, and rally in particular, has always been part of the DNA of our brand so to have Castrol and Subaru on-board with one of Australia's greatest rally drivers in Molly Taylor in her Subaru WRX is a fitting combination."

Willink added "Castrol and Subaru Australia are proud to have a partnership that spans well over a decade. Just like Molly, Castrol and Subaru are famous for performance, and our partnership allows Australian drivers to unlock the edge of performance with Castrol products in their own Subaru vehicles. The car livery is fantastic and Molly's skills behind the wheels - we think she's going to give the competition a run for their money!"

Taylor will be reunited with Andy Sarandis for the two event program. Andy is an experienced co-driver both in Australia and internationally and the pairing signifies an element of 'bringing the band back together' after they won Rally Tasmania in the same Subaru WRX in 2020. 

In what can be described as a bit of a family affair, Taylor's return to the ARC also sees her up against childhood friend and competitor Harry Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor, Australia's most celebrated motorsport champion and Taylor's Mum. 

Taylor commented: "going up against Mum and Harry just puts even more of a fire in my belly. This is family feud (the friendly competitive kind) at its best".

Announcing her involvement this week ahead of the next round of the Extreme E series to be held in Sardinia on 16-17 September, Taylor said the return to ARC was a "dream come true". 

For more information or to organise an interview with Molly Taylor, please contact Simone Landes - +61 416 528 702 or email simone@thelifestylesuite.com  

About Molly Taylor

Born 6 May 1988, Molly Taylor grew up in a motorsport family, with Molly's mother Coral a four-time Australian Rally Champion co-driver. However, it wasn't until a later age, working at her father Mark's rally school in the holidays, that Molly first drove a rally car. Following her introduction to the world of rallying, Molly went on to excel in national competition, winning the F16 class in the Australian Rally Championship twice in 2006 and 2007 before moving abroad – aged just 20-years old – to follow her dream of becoming a professional rally driver.

Success in UK rallying earned Molly a place in the Pirelli Star Driver Program in 2011, securing a scholarship to compete in the World Rally Championship Academy, where she took a maiden stage win in the category. In 2013, Molly's success in the European Rally Championship elevated her to World Rally Rankings Number 1 International Female Rally Driver, before becoming the first female to achieve a podium position in the Junior WRC's history, finishing third in the 2014 Rally Finland. Returning to Australia in 2015, Molly finished second in the Australian Rally Championship, before going one better with Subaru in 2016. 

Now an established name in national and international rallying, Molly is excited to return to the local rally series here in Australia.