Subaru do Motorsport team is aiming to maximise its points haul in this weekend's Adelaide Hills Rally, with just two rounds of the 2019 CAMS Australian Rally Championship remaining to capture a top three finish.
The team's Orange Motorsport-prepared All-Wheel Drive Production Rally Car (PRC) class WRX STI is back on peak form after a premature end to the team's Eureka Rally run in Victoria, last month.
Subaru do Motorsport is firmly focused on recovering lost ground in the penultimate round of the season, after a collision with a tree stump on Saturday's second stage in Victoria curtailed their campaign later in the day.
This resulted in a slip to third place in the Championship standings, but with just two points separating Subaru's Molly Taylor from current second-place holder Lewis Bates, the focus is on leapfrogging the Toyota driver in the standings.
Molly said: "There are quite a few new stages this year, so recce is a keen focus for all competitors.
"With Lewis on 178 points and us on 176, it's well within our reach to recapture second in the Championship and that's our clear intention over the weekend.
"We incurred a bit of damage in Ballarat and the Orange crew have done a great job in bringing the 'Rex back to peak form, so it's now up to me and (co-driver) Malcolm Read to deliver."
She added: "Heat 1 is a bit of an endurance event in itself. We have two near 31 kilometre runs through the Monarto stage and with action starting just after 8 o'clock and finishing over 12 hours later, we'll have a disciplined approach to keeping our energy levels up."
In between events, Molly made a dash to Europe in her role as the CAMS representative for the FIA Rally and FIA WRC Commissions.
Adelaide Hills Rally covers 20 stages over Saturday and Sunday, across a total competitive distance of 214.66 kilometres and is based out of Mount Barker Show Grounds, in the hills East of Adelaide.
Saturday's Heat 1 concludes with two night-time 1.67 km blasts around The Bend Motorsport Park.
Action finishes with a podium presentation at Mount Barker Show Ground at 5.30pm (SA time) on Sunday.
2019 CAMS AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
- Forest Rally, Busselton, WA – 5-7 April
- National Capital Rally, Canberra, ACT – 10-11 May
- Subaru Rally Tasmania, Launceston, TAS – 21-23 June
- Eureka Rally, Ballarat, VIC – 24-25 August
- Adelaide Hills Rally, Adelaide Hills, SA – 20-22 September
- Rally Australia, Coffs Harbour, NSW – 15-17 November
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