New car keeps Shelly's rally hopes on course (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

New car keeps Shelly's rally hopes on course

THE Global Expense Rally Team of Highworth duo Shelly Taunt and co-driver Julie Murphy retired for the fourth consecutive outing in their 1993 Subaru Impreza on the Somerset Stages on the weekend before last due to the failure of a rear diff.

On stage eight, the girls had set a time of 32nd fastest, despite dropping back to 100th overall on the first stage when thick fog made it impossible to see further than the bonnet of the car.

Out of 150 entries, only 74 competitors finished the event. Taunt was lying 38th when she eventually retired on stage nine.

As last weekend approached, the crew were entered into the third round of the MSA National Gravel Championship.

The event, which took place in the Isle of Man on Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7, covered some 220 miles in total with 120 of these on closed roads.

But Taunt admitted that she wasn't happy with the old car and that her confidence had taken a bit of a knock.

There's no room for mistakes or breakages in the Manx Rally, an event run entirely on extremely tight, narrow and twisty tarmac lanes.

Shelly had made a decision to pull out of the event. But her team and sponsors had different ideas and, much to her surprise, she learnt that a new Subaru Impreza had been acquired.

This car had been rally prepared in 2004 and, although not the latest model, it had competed for only one season.

Last week, the team were frantically making last-minute preparations to effect a smooth departure for Shelly and Julie.

Taunt's pre-event reaction to it all was, "I can't believe it: I was about to give up this year. When you've been faced with so many retirements as I have, it really is most disheartening.

"Although everyone has put so much effort into the Championships this year, I had lost trust in the old car, and it was affecting my performances.

"The new car is absolutely awesome. I've got a lot of learning to do, but I can't thank everyone enough."

As well as her first rally in the new car, she was also having to do stage one in the dark!

For information on the team, log on to www.shellytaunt.com