Gilmour signs up for Rally NZ

Kiwi driver Emma Gilmour has become the first driver to commit to competing in the 2022 Rally New Zealand in Auckland, which is part of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) this year.

The event is being staged in and around Auckland from September 29 to October 2 and will be the 11th round of the WRC, which is coming to New Zealand for the 32nd time.

Gilmour, who runs a Suzuki dealership in Dunedin, says she is excited about the pinnacle of the motorsport returning to our shores. 
“It’s a cliché line but our roads are the best in the world to rally on. They’re smooth – so they don’t break the car, the roads have camber which allows the car a lot more grip and gives the best sensation when dancing the car at high speed from corner to corner and jumping over the camber,” she explains.

“We have great support for the event with a huge motorsport passion in New Zealand so there will be lots of fans out on the stages.”

Gilmour, pictured, has a string of successes behind her after finishing runner-up in the New Zealand Rally Championships three times, being the first female to win a round of the championship along with being a runner-up in a round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

Peter Johnston, WRC Rally New Zealand Auckland chairman, says it is fitting for Gilmour to sign on as the event’s first entry, “not just because of her successful background in the sport but also as she begins an exciting global role as driver for the famous McLaren Racing in the global Extreme E Series”.

Her long-time sponsor Vantage Windows & Doors, a brand of APL Window Solutions, has also signed on as the event’s first elite sponsor.

Pre-registration for tickets for the rally is now open by signing up to GRAVEL at www.rallynewzealand.com.