Womenz What achievement are you most proud of in your racing career to date?
Emma Wow, what a tough question to start with! There are many achievements that I am proud of in my rally career and that makes it difficult to choose just one. I am proud that I have shown the persistence and determination over the last 18 months to persevere with the sport when many people believed that I had lost my ‘nerve’ and my speed after a huge accident last year that left me with a serious concussion and a written off car. Maybe it’s just being stubborn, but I am proud that I continued to believe in my ability and persevered to finally show that we hadn’t lost anything!
Womenz Have you been readily accepted and treated seriously by the rally car fraternity?
Emma Absolutely. Now that I have been competing in the sport for a while, people realise that I am serious about my goals and that I have the ability to achieve them. I have always wanted to be treated equally as a competitor and the boys certainly do that.
Womenz What demands does the sport place on you physically and mentally? What fitness training do you need to do?
Emma I try to keep myself fit for rallying by running, mountain biking, trail bike riding etc. I would never describe myself as super fit but it is important to keep yourself fit and healthy for rally driving. I took part in a study where we wore heart rate monitors while we were rallying. Our heart rates would get up to over 180bpm for the duration of a stage. And stages can range in length from five minutes to half an hour, so it’s important to have a good base level fitness. It can also get very hot inside the car, especially when we wear about three layers of protective clothing over our entire body. It can get rather sweaty!!
Womenz Do you think women are at any disadvantage because they are generally smaller and less strong than men?
Emma Not at any disadvantage. Driving a rally car fast is more about finesse, feel, and fearlessness. I spent my childhood and teenage years horse riding and I think I have a very good feel through my seat. It might sound very strange, but driving my car fast feels just like I am dancing with it. We are totally at one and I have the car totally balanced and can do with it what I want. It was a similar sensation when horse riding, doing dressage or jumping. I do have to be strong in the sense of pushing a brake pedal that is not power assisted and being able to pick up and change tyres on my rally car. Other than that though―there is no need for strength in the car.
Womenz Describe the buzz you get out of driving a high-performance car fast on an ordinary road.
Emma To be able to drive a high-performance car on an ordinary road that has been closed to become a rally stage is the ultimate buzz. I am in a safe environment with a helmet, roll cage and proper safety belts and I am allowed to drive as fast as I am capable of driving with no other cars around. I love speed and I love acceleration and I love being at one with the car. I love having the car moving around yet still getting grip and shooting you forward to the next corner as fast as possible. I really need to take you for a ride to show you the buzz!!
Womenz How do you deal with pre-race nerves?
Emma Just try and keep my mind busy and occupied. I listen to music and think about what I want to do in the next group of stages.
Womenz Before becoming a rally car driver you participated in equestrian events for many years, and have done downhill mountain bike riding and trail bike riding, all of which require a level of fearlessness. Do you think this is a gift you have, or something you have developed?
Emma I am a chicken when it comes to heights and in no way could I bungee jump or skydive! Also the thought of diving scares me, so I think what I have is a gift in relation to a need for speed!
Womenz How does rally car driving compare with those other sports for scariness?
Emma I’m not sure about scariness, but I still rate three day eventing as the hardest/bravest sport that anyone can do. Competing with a half tonne of horse that has a mind of its own, wearing only a little helmet, jumping over solid obstacles―now that’s scary! And I guess that’s why it’s such a buzz when you’re doing it successfully!
Womenz Are you ever put off by the proximity of spectators and camera crews along the route and the possibility of going out of control and hurting someone?
Emma Rarely. Generally speaking, people are pretty smart about where they stand. But when I competed in Finland the spectators were very drunk and didn’t seem to have too many clues about keeping to the sides of the road. Luckily the car I was driving wasn’t overly fast!
Womenz You’ve only been racing since 2002. Do you think you’ve got more improving to do (and more races to win) before you reach your potential?
Emma Absolutely! Rallying is a sport that rewards experience and I know that I am getting better but I am yet to achieve my full potential.
Womenz How did you come by the name MMMMMS for your car?
Emma My sister and her partner purchased it for my 21st birthday before I even started rallying. They wanted to buy a plate that was all MMMMMM but this would have cost an arm and a leg as it is regarded as an investment plate. It’s short for Emm’s, and has been on all of my rally cars.
Womenz You and your co-driver must need to have complete confidence in one another. Having sat in both seats, how would you describe the relationship?
Emma One of the most important elements in the car. Both have to have absolute trust in each other and secondly, they have to get on well as you spend a lot of time together before, during and after a rally.
Womenz Rally car racing is obviously a pricey sport requiring considerable sponsorship. What do you need to do to attract sponsors and how are you required to look after them once you have them?
Emma Having good media exposure is crucial. We put out press releases before and after every event to try and drum up extra exposure for me and my sponsors. And getting results helps with the media coverage as well. We also do other things for our sponsors. With my main sponsor, Vantage Aluminium Joinery, we will take three of their fabricators as my co-drivers in the week long tarmac rally called Targa. This is a great way for a company and its employees to experience rallying first hand!
Womenz You have a degree in design and obviously have a strong creative streak. Do you get time to pursue any creative interests?
Emma Not as much as I would like to!
Womenz What events have you got coming up for the rest of the year that we can watch out for on the sports news!
Emma I have the Targa rally which starts Labour Weekend from Manukau. (www.targa.co.nz)
To find out more about Emma and to follow her progress visit her website at www.emmagilmour.com
