Gilmour swaps cars for tarmac rally

Emma Gilmour

Emma Gilmour is gunning for a top-six finish in this week's Targa New Zealand Rally around the North Island.

The 26-year old Dunedin driver finished fifth on last year's Targa event driving her regular New Zealand rally championship car.

This week, she stepped up to an Australia-owned Subaru Impreza WRX STI specially developed for tarmac rallying.

The car, used by Australian rally driver Dean Herridge in the Targa Tasmania this year, is on loan to Gilmour and her sponsor Vantage Aluminium for this one event.

"We looked at using our own Impreza but we are committed to contesting Rally New Zealand [the penultimate round of the world championship] in the car in mid-November, and felt the timing was a bit tight to risk that car," says Gilmour.

"As well, our car is set up for gravel rallying, whereas the car we have been loaned will be far better on the tarmac-based Targa."

While having such a car adds pressure to improve on her 2005 Targa result, Gilmour is adamant her main reason for contesting the event is to share the experience of rallying with three staff from her main sponsor.

"Three Vantage fabricators have been selected, and each of them will be sitting alongside me as co-driver for two days," she says.

"When we first did this last year I think finding volunteers was a bit tough, but this time I hear so many were keen that the names had to be drawn out of a hat."

While the emphasis is on having fun, Gilmour's co-drivers will be responsible for all the normal paperwork of a rally navigator, as well as reading instructions from the rally road book on the high-speed special stages.

"While it won't be quite as intense as with my regular co-driver, the guys certainly aren't along for the ride," says Gilmour. "We have that aim of a top six result to keep us focused."

The Targa started yesterday and finishes on Saturday.