Latest news with #EmmaGilmour
Otago Daily Times
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Top rally driver pays a visit to Timaru Girls' High School
Top New Zealand rally driver Emma Gilmour stopped off at Timaru Girls' High School with her Citroen C3 rally car last week. PHOTOS: CONNOR HALEY New Zealand's fastest female rally driver made a pitstop at Timaru Girls' High School last week. Emma Gilmour, who was the first female driver to sign for McLaren Racing and the first female driver to have won a Rally New Zealand round, spoke to the school's senior students about her life and career as part of her Vantage Pitstop programme. Timaru Girls' was selected as the lucky school for her to visit in South Canterbury after entering and winning a competition. Gilmour spoke to the students on topics like making the switch from dreaming of an Olympic equestrian career to rally driving, bouncing back from a horrific crash in Italy 18 months ago while racing for McLaren, building self-belief, navigating your personal journey and setting dreams and goals. She said she felt very lucky to be able to share her experiences with students around the country. "It's a cool opportunity. We had a lot of entries from Timaru Girls' High to come here and the school has a bit of a soft spot in my heart, because I went to an all-girls school as well. "I think it's great for girls to see a role model as well as the opportunities that are out there for them. "Not necessarily in motorsport but showing your path can change and you don't have to have it all figured out at school. "I think there's that pressure that you need to know where you're heading and have it all mapped out, but in my case you never know where you're going to end up." Showing off their newly acquired Emma Gilmour posters are TGHS students (from left) Maria-Moana Kaui, 16, Ella Andrews, 17, and Pārākore Courage, 16. Gilmour said she enjoyed speaking with the TGHS students. "It was awesome, I really enjoyed the interaction. "It's always interesting what questions come out of the audience and what different girls pick up on or are interested in. "The girls here were an awesome audience and they asked some great questions." Gilmour also competed at the South Canterbury Rally at the weekend and said she always loved travelling to and racing in Timaru. "I'm from Dunedin, so I like it because it's nearly a home-type area. "There's always fantastic roads and beautiful scenery that we race on and there are lots of mad passionate motorsport fans here. "I always love coming back." Although she spoke to the students about setting goals and dreams, Gilmour said she still had a few of her own. "I still want to win the New Zealand title, I've been runner-up many a time. "I'd still love the opportunity to race overseas if that came up but I enjoy what I'm doing and whatever happens, happens. "I never would have predicted the McLaren opportunity coming when it did in my career. "I just feel fortunate to be doing it as I can." TGHS deputy principal Logan Callow said it was fantastic to have Emma Gilmour visit the school. "It's always good to have people from the community come in and people that have done really well in their field. "I think particularly having a successful woman speaking to the females at this school makes thing resound a wee bit more than perhaps if it was someone else coming in. "Her giving up the time is fantastic and it's great to see that she's supportive of our girls and their dreams and hopes and passions."
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Gilmour itching to get back in the seat
Emma Gilmour It has not been too long between rallies, but Emma Gilmour is eager to get back behind the wheel this weekend. The Dunedin driver will take her Citroen C3 rally car to Rally South Canterbury tomorrow. The one-day Timaru-based event is the New Zealand Rally Championship's second round and not too far from home for Gilmour, who is fresh from a successful testing day last weekend with the Paddon Rallysport team. "The Otago Rally was only a month ago, but seat time is something all of us drivers crave," Gilmour said. "It was great to be back in the C3 on Sunday for our short test near Alexandra. "I'm keen to keep up the momentum from the season-opener and build on that with [Australian co-driver] Ben [Searcy] to push our fifth place finish at Otago up on to the podium in Timaru. "I felt like I really got to grips with the C3 again at my home event in April and I'm keen to see what Ben and I can do on the South Canterbury roads." The rally will be run over eight special stages, totalling about 148km of competitive action and 224km of touring. Rally fans can catch the teams at the ceremonial start from 5.30pm in the Mitre 10 Timaru carpark. The first car starts from Timaru's Levels Raceway at 7.30am tomorrow, with the service parks based in Cave and Temuka. The rally's completion back at Levels about 3.30pm will be an ideal place to see Gilmour and the other drivers in action. The race circuit will double as the final stage of the event and the cars will complete four laps of the full track on rally tyres. Following Rally South Canterbury, the competition moves further up the South Island to the Canterbury Rally in Christchurch on June 1. After a mid-season break, teams will head to the North Island for another returning event, Rally Coromandel, to be held on August 23 from Whitianga. The series then moves to the Tauranga-based Rally Bay of Plenty on October 11, before the second two-day round of the season, the International Rally of Whangarei, to finish the championship on November 7-9. — APL
Scoop
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Gilmour Ready To Move Up The Field At South Canterbury Rally
It hasn't been too long between rallies and Emma Gilmour is eager to get back behind the wheel of her Vantage Windows & Doors Citroen C3 rally car at Saturday's South Canterbury Hydraulics Rally South Canterbury. The one-day Timaru-based event is the Brian Green New Zealand Rally Championship's second round and not too far from home for the Dunedin driver, who is fresh from a successful testing day last weekend with the Paddon Rallysport team. 'The Otago Rally was only a month ago, but seat time is something all of us drivers crave, so it was great to be back in the C3 on Sunday for our short test near Alexandra. I'm keen to keep up the momentum from the season-opener and build on that with [Australian co-driver] Ben [Searcy] to push our fifth place finish at Otago up onto the podium in Timaru,' Emma says. 'I felt like I really got to grips with the C3 again at my home event in April and I'm keen to see what Ben and I can do on the South Canterbury roads. There are a few new stages which always adds to the enjoyment factor.' The rally will be run over eight special stages, totalling around 148km of competitive action and approximately 224km of touring. Rally fans can catch the teams at the ceremonial start on Friday evening from 5.30pm in the Mitre 10 Timaru carpark. The first car starts from Timaru's Levels Raceway at 7.30am on Saturday and the service parks will be based in Cave and Temuka. The rally's completion back at Levels Raceway at around 3:30pm will be a great place to see Emma and the other drivers in action. The race circuit will double as the final stage of the event and the cars will complete four laps of the full track, including the esses, on rally tyres. Gates open at 3pm and entry is $10 cash-only. Children 16 years and under are free, if accompanied by an adult. Following the Rally of South Canterbury, the competition moves further up the South Island to the Canterbury Rally in Christchurch on June 1. Then after a mid-season break, teams will head to the North Island with another returning event, Rally Coromandel, to be held on August 23 from the seaside town of Whitianga. The series then moves to the Tauranga-based Rally Bay of Plenty on October 11, before the second two-day round of the season, the International Rally of Whangarei, to round out the championship on November 7-9. Emma Gilmour thanks the following sponsors for their support: Vantage Windows & Doors, Gilmour Motors Suzuki, Dura-Seal, Dayle ITM, MITO, Suzuki New Zealand, Castrol NZ, Sparco, Allport Motorsports, Custom Signs, NGK, Webdesign, Pure Sports Nutrition and Body Synergy Gym. 2024 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship calendar
