Molly Taylor’s journey in off road racing has been handed a major boost with the prominent rally driver securing a seat in next year’s Dakar Rally.
Taylor will contest the iconic two-week event with international outfit South Racing Can-Am Factory Team and will become the first Australian woman ever to do so.
While the 33-year-old’s news may shock some who know her a rally champion, it isn’t that surprising given she spent a large part of 2021 driving in the discipline - her most notable performances coming in the inaugural Extreme E Series, where she races for former Formula 1 star, Niko Rosberg.
Outside of driving in the all-electric series, which concludes in the United Kingdom in December, Taylor has also had seat time in a Can-Am buggy with South Racing.
From a successful fifth place at the Baja Aragon in July to a five-day long session during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge earlier this month, Taylor has come leaps and bounds in her off road adventures.
And having been a big fan of the biggest off road race in the world for her whole life, Taylor is relishing the opportunity to tick off a bucket-list item.
“I am very excited for it because it’s a dream come true for me and it’s one of those things that I have always wanted to do for my whole life,” Taylor said.
“A few years ago, I would have never really considered doing off road racing, and just like the rest of my career, it’s a pathway that has happened through different opportunities leading into other opportunities.
“I guess Extreme E has been the catalyst for my off road career and my spot at Dakar because ever since I started that, I wanted to do more and then an opportunity presented itself with Scott Abraham and South Racing.
“The team has a massive setup and they gave me the chance to do Baja. We stayed in communication after that and the relationship sort of grew which helped pave the way for the Abu Dhabi drive and now Dakar.
“I had an incredible experience in Abu Dhabi. I have never seen dunes like that before and I had so much fun. It was a similar course to Dakar which was helpful.
“Of course I know Dakar won’t be all sunshine and rainbows but I am really looking forward to it and I am sure it’s going to be an amazing experience.”
Taylor has quite a busy schedule leading into the iconic event.
Having attended the Repco Supercars Championships’ Beaurepaires Sydney Supersprint on the weekend as a TV pit lane reporter, she will now have a week off before heading overseas at the end of the month.
Her first event for the month will be the Hail International Rally in Saudi Arabia on 6-11 December.
She will then head to Bovington in the United Kingdom for the Jurassic X Prix on 18-19 December where she has the chance to win the Extreme E Series title alongside Johan Kristoffersson.
Taylor will then spend the rest of the year in Abu Dhabi before making her way over to Saudi Arabia for the 44th edition of the Dakar Rally.
Ahead of her busy month of off road racing, Taylor was looking forward to continuing her momentum in 2022 with more rally and off road events.
“Unfortunately our schedule puts us out of the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship season finale next month, but we’re hopeful of returning next year,” Taylor explained.
“It’s been an incredibly busy period for me which has been good - especially with last year’s lockdown where we couldn’t do anything. I want to keep going to as much as I can as I am always trying to build momentum.
“I haven’t locked anything away in 2022, but if I can do both off road and rally events in 2022, I will be happy.
“I have really enjoyed my time in off road so far but rally is my first love and I am not going to stop rallying - hopefully I can do both and have a full calendar next year.”
The 2022 Dakar Rally takes place in Saudi Arabia on 3-16 January.