Gilmour aiming to see the finish flags in the Coromandel

Gilmour aiming to see the finish flags in the Coromandel

There is no denying the first half of the season has been tough for Dunedin’s Emma Gilmour, so after a long break between the third and fourth rounds, she is looking for a re-set this Saturday.

Emma and Australian co-driver Anthony McLoughlin join a record field of 56 teams who will assemble for round four of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) fuelled by Gull and driven by Dunlop - the Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel.

Emma made the most of her Vantage Windows and Doors Suzuki Swift AP4 being in the North Island early, as it was on display at the 50 years of rallying in New Zealand celebration in Hamilton, by doing some testing in the Waikato’s Maramarua forest this week, before the seven-stage Whitianga-based event

“The Suzuki has had a rebuild in the mid-season break and we have made a few wee changes and tweaks. It was great to make sure everything was running smoothly ahead of Saturday,” Emma says.

After retirements from the first three NZRC rounds, Emma is focused on crossing the finish line on Saturday afternoon, completing the nearly 140 kilometres of special stages across the Coromandel Peninsula.

“I just want to have a good run to repay the team and the sponsors for their continued support. We know that when the car is running right, we have the speed to be on the podium but our main goals are to aim for a finish, have fun and get a good result.”

Having World Rally Championship star Hayden Paddon at the Coromandel rally driving his New Zealand-based car means the top Kiwi teams have a strong benchmark to measure their speed against.

This year’s Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel sees crews leave the Mercury Bay Sports Park from 7am on Saturday. They will begin finishing from 4.30pm at Blacksmith Lane in Whitianga.

CAPTION Emma Gilmour and co-driver Anthony McLoughlin are looking for a solid finish in this Saturday's Mahindra Goldrush Rally Coromandel in the Vantage Windows and Doors Suzuki Swift AP4. PHOTO: KATE RIDDER.

Emma would like to thank her sponsors Suzuki NZ, Vantage Windows & Doors, Gilmour Motors Suzuki, Koba Batteries, Rothbury Insurance Brokers, PPG Paint, Castrol, Dunlop, Hella, Vortex Racewear, Uniform NZ, Provident, Interislander, NGK Spark Plugs, Custom Signs, Modena Race Gears, Pure Sports Nutrition and Webdesign for supporting the team.

2017 New Zealand Rally Championship calendar
Round 1: Rally of Otago, Dunedin – 8-9 April
Round 2: International Rally of Whangarei – 28-30 April
Round 3: Canterbury Rally, Christchurch – 4 June
Round 4: Rally of Coromandel – 26 August
Round 5: Rally Waikato, Waitomo – 14 October
Round 6: Rally New Zealand, Tauranga – 25-26 November

ENDS

© Scoop Media