Emma Gilmour will become the first woman to compete in the Global Rallycross Championship at the opening round in Barbados.
Receiving support from Rhys Millen Racing, Gilmour will have her first drive of the race-prepared Hyundai Veloster Turbo rallycross machine in Saturday morning’s practice session at the newly renovated Bushy Park Circuit.
Decked out with pink racing stripes and tyre rims, the car, originally a production model, features a highly-tuned engine generating almost 600bhp, expected to reach speeds of up to 110mph on the predominantly tarmac course.
The GRC race format features a one-hour qualifying session, with the field split into small groups for 10 minute sessions at a time. The speeds then determine how the drivers line up for the heat races. Sunday’s schedule will then feature one or two rounds, depending on field size, of four heat races, with the top two finishers moving on to the main event. The drivers who miss the cut then take part in the ‘Last Chance Qualifier’ for the remaining spots in the ten-car final.
“I’ve been relaxed all day and as I was falling asleep, I started thinking, I’m driving tomorrow and all of a sudden it’s a bit daunting,” said Gilmour. “The track is wide, not too narrow and is a nice circuit for me to start on. It looks really cool, quite fast and open, not a huge amount of gravel. The jump looks like fun. I don’t know what to expect as I’ve never done it before but the team have been really great and supportive.”
