Gilmour wraps up season

Emma Gilmour ended her season on high in Las Vegas after claiming her first spot in a Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) final. The Dunedin driver has been striving to make the top 10 main race at each of the previous nine rounds. A carnage-filled race ensued and, although Gilmour got a great start, a red flag meant a restart. She didn’t have the same speed off the line the second time, but still finished seventh. Hoonigan Racing’s Ken Block won the race with Olsbergs MSE driver Joni Wiman claiming the title. The two days of racing saw Gilmour also achieve a GRC career high-qualifying position of eighth. It meant she was not starting off the back row for the heats. “I was in an outside spot so, although I got a good start, I got hung out to dry on the first two corners and slotted into fourth,” she says. “I still kept with the group and had good fun racing in the bunch.” Her Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster Turbo’s gearbox deteriorated in the second heat and she again came fourth despite it jumping out of gear. Gilmour’s team changed it for the semis, but there was “mass carnage” on turn one. “I got punted from behind, which broke my rear upright, and had to retire.” Gilmour says she has learnt an enormous amount about rallycross racing over the past seven months and has proved she’s more than the token, sole female racing with some of the best professional drivers in the world. “I’ve improved steadily over the season to the point where my speed has been noticed, which is encouraging. I want to come back next year and am looking for a drive, so hopefully we can make that happen.”