Rallycross: Gilmour gets comfortable in Washinton GRC

Emma Gilmour drives her Hyundai Veloster Global Rallycross Championship car onto three wheels at the Washington DC round. Photo / Supplied

After another whirlwind trip to the United States, Emma Gilmour is feeling increasingly comfortable in her Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) car.

Driving a Hyundai Veloster Turbo for Rhys Millen Racing (RMR), she finished third in both her heats in the Washington, DC-based third round of the (GRC) this weekend.

"Although I didn't make the last chance qualifier race for the final, it was a good weekend in terms of making progress with my Veloster. I am working closely with the RMR engineers to find a set-up that suits my driving and feel like we are making progress."

Racing against some of the world's top professional drivers in this ultra-competitive 10-round series, can be daunting but Emma is confident that her "mental game" continues to improve at each round.

"It's all about getting more time in the car and more time racing side by side with these incredibly talented and aggressive drivers. I have nearly a month now before the next round in New York (July 19-20) and will be studying the car's data to make sure I can get the best out of it there."

Patrik Sandell won the final GRC race on Sunday at RFK Stadium in Washington, in what was the first motorsport event to take place in the United States' capital in over a decade. Sandell earned his first Red Bull GRC victory by beating Nelson Piquet Junior and Olsbergs MSE teammate Joni Wiman to the finish.

Emma is on route home for the fourth round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), driven by VINZ, the Trusthouse Racetech Rally Wairarapa on Saturday. Switching back to her Suzuki Swift Maxi, and teaming up again with Australian co-driver Ben Atkinson, she looking forward to racing her radical home-built rally car in the one-day, 180km event.

EMMA GILMOUR'S 2014 GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

May 17-18: Barbados, Top Gear Festival.
June 7: Austin, X-Games.
June 21-22: Washington.
July 19-20: New York.
July 25-26: Charlotte.
August 2-3: Detroit.
August 22-23: Daytona.
September 19-20: San Pedro.
September 26-27: Seattle.
November 5: Las Vegas.