Motorsport: Gilmour takes on European rally drives

Emma Gilmour will look to play it smart when she gets the prized chance to contest two rounds of the World Rally Championship this month.

The Dunedin driver flew out for London last night in preparation for the German and Finnish rallies in what she admits will be a big step up from what she has done in the sport.

Competing in the Ford Fiesta class, her goal would be simple: do the best she could rather than target a particular placing.

"I can't get caught up in results, because I don't know what these other drivers are like," she said.

"The good thing is that the New Zealand rally championship is really competitive and that puts me in good stead for going over there."

Gilmour was confident she wouldn't be too far off the pace.

But against her would be that fact that she would be driving an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads.

"I think the biggest thing will be to go over there and be smart," she said.

"Improve over the course of the weekend and not try to win the event on the first day."

Gilmour, who finished fourth in the Hawke's Bay rally last weekend, is lying fourth in the national championship with two of the six rounds to go.

Her trip was made possible by an international scholarship for up-and-coming talent and it is understood she will be the first New Zealand woman to drive in a WRC event in Europe.

However, she will not be in her usual Subaru Impreza WRX and will be without regular co-driver Chris Cobham, who could not take the time off.

Her co-driver will instead be Scotsman John Bennie, who navigated for her in the Rotorua Rally last year.

Gilmour, 26, has spent most of her career in four-wheel-drive cars and the front-wheel-drive Fiesta will be a novel experience for her.

"I have one test day in England," she said.

"But the great thing is that the rallies are on tarmac, and learning to drive a car on tarmac is a lot more forgiving than gravel."

Nevertheless, in a class that will involve about eight other entries, Gilmour will face drivers who have been in a Fiesta all season.

The German event runs from August 12 to 14 (NZ time) and the Finnish leg, previously known as the Rally of the 1000 Lakes, from August 19 to 21.

Gilmour hoped more overseas opportunities would come up, but was realistic about the prospects given the cost.

"New Zealand rallying is really expensive, but compared to anywhere else it's cheap," she said.

"It's all about getting the miles and experience, and New Zealand has fantastic roads and great support from the locals. But yes, I would like to get back overseas."

Gilmour will arrive home from Europe two days before the start of the penultimate round of the New Zealand championship in Wairarapa.

"It will be a tight squeeze, but I think I will be really rally ready coming off the plane."

- NZPA