The 2019 season just isn’t going Dunedin rally driver Emma Gilmour’s way, with her Stadium Cars South Canterbury Rally
cut cruelly short on Saturday.
After sitting out the third round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship to build and fit a
new engine to her recently refurbished Vantage Windows and Doors Suzuki Swift AP4, Emma and Australian co-driver Ben
Searcy were seeking redemption at the fourth round. Unfortunately, in the second 22.3km Parkers Bush stage, their day
was over before it properly began.
“We had to retire with a faulty sensor. We were unsure of the cause at the time and didn’t want to risk any further
damage to the new engine, so we didn’t re-join for the remaining stages of the event. It was very disappointing and
hugely frustrating for me and the whole team to have to retire on Saturday as we know how fast the car is," Emma says.
Emma and the team will now make good use of the two-month break before the penultimate NZRC round in the Coromandel on
August 17.
“We will now focus on some local rallysprints and do some much-needed testing and development," Emma says. .
Emma would like to thank her sponsors Suzuki NZ, Vantage Windows and Doors, Gilmour Motors Suzuki, Koba Batteries,
Rothbury Insurance Brokers, PPG Paint, Castrol, Hella, Uniform NZ, Provident, NGK Spark Plugs, Custom Signs, Modena Race
Gears, Pure Sports Nutrition and Webdesign for supporting the team