Jetsprints new challenge for Gilmour

Emma Gilmour, NZ Rally & Global Rally Cross Champion and World's fastest female rally driver. Photo/Alan Dove

EXCLUSIVE: Top female driver Emma Gilmour will be jumping behind the wheel of jetstprint boat instead of a rally car when the V8 Jetsprints return to Baypark next month.

One of the world's best female rally drivers, Gilmour was the only woman in the Global Rallycross series this year. Staged in the US, the rallycross events are run with heavily modified production cars called rallycross SuperCars.

"I'm wrapped to be part of the [ENZED Stadium Jetsprints] event at ASB Baypark. It'll be a fun challenge racing on water rather than dirt.

"I've seen the jetsprints and Suzuki V8 superboats on television - it looks exhilarating. I enjoy the thrill of going really fast, so I think the 0-100kmh in under two seconds will definitely deliver on that.

"Who knows, they may let me take the Sukuki Swift Maxi for a blast around the Baypark Speedway track as well."

Jetsprint Bay of Plenty event director Pip Minnell said organisers were still speaking to other celebrities about competing.

Tickets for the second stadium V8 jetsprint race meet are being snapped up quickly, with more than five weeks to go before the competition begins.

The 14 corporate boxes at ASB Baypark sold out more than three months before the racing starts and about 3000 general admission tickets have been purchased already.

Jetsprint Bay of Plenty event director Pip Minnell said she was thrilled with the interest.

"We're hopeful for capacity crowds [of 17,500] both days," she said.

"We're extremely pleased with the response ... I think people have been taking advantage of the $10 saving to be made if people book online rather than at the gate."

Last year more than 15,000 people attended the one day of racing.

Next year's event, on January 24 and 25, would include 14 hours of racing over the two days, with round two of the PSP New Zealand Jetsprint Championship Series on the Saturday and the international ENZED Stadium Jetsprints Cup on the Sunday, in which teams from Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand would compete.

Mrs Minnell said the international teams taking part would be confirmed shortly.

Bay Venues commercial manager Ervin McSweeney said many of the people who attended last year had expressed interest in attending again as soon as it was announced the event would return.

"As the event gets closer ticket sales will pick up," he said. "Normally, the real rush comes in the last couple of weeks."