Emma Gilmour: Kiwi rally driver previews the opening day of the Otago Rally

The Otago Rally is based in the beautiful city of Dunedin and is the first round of the 2025 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.  

This component of the event features New Zealand’s leading competitors in modern, state-of-the-art 4WD turbo rally cars, including the exciting AP4 and R5 rally cars. 

The event also incorporates the International Classic Otago Rally, for pre-1982, 2WD cars, which has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception in 1997, to the point where it is the leading event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Kiwi superstar Emma Gilmour joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the opening day of the rally.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB seven.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Forty six and the All Sport Breakfast to rally car drivers.
They're the best drivers in the world as far as
I'm concerned. What they deal with is extraordinary. And these
guys rotating around on flat tracks, it's all about rally
and were joined now by one of New Zealand's best
name is Emma Gilmore. Good morning, Emma, good morning. It's

(00:33):
a big morning for y'all. You've got your home rally again,
the rally Otago. Do you wake bolt up right at
night going ah, I've got to win my home rally
because wow, how many of you competed and now without
that victory.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's a lot, It's definitely a lot. It was the
first ever event that I ever even drove a gravel
rally car, so zero car here. That was where my
rally story started. So you know, I have a very
long history with the Tigo Rally.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
So what's going to make this year any different? Except
for the fact you ended last season on a bit
of it tear, didn't you.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, I mean to be honest, this is probably the
longest run of consistency I've had with you know, finishing events.
Like last season, I actually finished all of the rallies,
got really good mileage in my car, and over the
course of the season, I really recovered from my bad
concussion that I'd started the season with from my previous
season crash with McLaren that you know, by the end

(01:27):
of the season, I was feeling really good in the car,
and so I'm just hoping to continue that momentum. And
I think, yeah, I think we've got a good shot
at it this year.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
You got the same car as last year.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yes, same car, same car, but I mean there's such
an advanced piece of machinery. So these cars, they call
them WRC two cars, they're factory built out of Europe
and most of the top like Ben Hunt, who won
the championship last year, he's an a Scota WRC two cars.
So their factory built they run in the WRC Championship
is the tear down from the World Championship cars. And

(02:00):
I mean they're like World Rally cars from fifteen years ago.
They're just amazing technology in them. So this speeders and
driving them fast through the corners, and that comes with
experience in mileage. So I'm really hoping that we just
keep building on that mileage that we gained last season
to keep going faster again this year.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
You would want to stick it in the scenery. Would
you'd suggest that there's citron C three be worth more
than a couple of pennies to get all stitched up?
Wouldn't it?

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Is that what you're going to say to me on
the morning of my big races obvious.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Isn't it. I like being put on my place. That's
all I love about talking to you over the last
twenty years. You're always on the need. You've got to
do it. It's so interesting. A Chris Meek's over here
running as well. That's kind of cool, a amazing.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, the Otago rally, the organizers to a fantastic event.
The community really gets behind it. It feels like the
WRC events of old. You go out onto the stages
and there's huge crowds out there watching and people can
get up close if they are in the area. This
afternoon we'll be racing around the city block, just near
the Emerson's Brewery there, so really easy for people to
come along and support the event.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
What about your co driver what's the relationship and ship
with Ben? Like, it's Ben Circy, isn't it It is? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:10):
So Ben's great. He comes over from Australia to sit
with me, so really excited that he's committed to the
full season with me, and we've done quite a few
different events together, just haven't really a bow just string
a whole season together. So he's got a huge amount
of experience. He's also a driver, so that's really handy
in the car to having someone that sort of has

(03:31):
that experience and you know, I can sort of say
what do you think about that notion or that when
we're doing Ricky, So yeah, it's a valuable relationship.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Man. You've reached the stage in your career as well
that you don't know it all, and the more you
realize you don't know it all, the betting you are
because you can actually ask goodvice. So that's a great
part of a career toward the middle of your career.
What I said there, because you actually can accept input,
can't you. This same goes with everybody in their careers.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Oh, it's huge. I think when you start and I
think that's what gets you started, isn't it. You're quite
naive to how steep the learning curve is going to be.
And it's only as you start and you have a
few knocks and a few steep learning experiences that you realize, wow,
there is a lot to learn and you never stop learning.
You're always learning. So you try and minimize the you know,
use that experience. You've got to minimize the mistakes. But

(04:20):
you know, it's a sport that you can't shortcut experience.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
The strength of the field, the strength of rallying in
New Zealand, how's that looking at the moment, Emma.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
It's pretty good. You know, Hayden's here at the event,
but not in a WRC two car. He's in is
an escort and so he'll be giving Chris Meeker a
good run for his money. So it should be a
good battle to watch in the classic cars. And so
you know Ben hunts back again for the National Championship
and the field, you know, it's it's strong right throughout
in all the different classes. So yeah, so it's going

(04:54):
to be good.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
I'm led to believe that Hayden Padden, outside of competition,
is bringing his winning WRC car, which has got stuffed
in the garage to a couple of runs as well.
It's kind of cool.

Speaker 3 (05:07):
That's amazing. So yeah, for anyone that gets out onto
the stages. It's the final stage on Sunday afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon,
it's the curry Bush stage, which is our own finish
WRC stage. Is huge, crests, it's very fast and yeah,
Hayden he'll complete the rally and the escort and then
he'll go back and do this stage in his World
Rally Car. So to get to see Hayden in his

(05:28):
World Rally car, the car he won his World Rally
Championship event in. Yeah, very very special, So definitely a
good event to spectate.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
Ac really looking forward to hugely positive results not only
in this rally for you, but right the way throughout
the year. You fully deserve it. And thanks for putting
me in my place. As always, em Gilmore, as always,
thank you.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave.
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