Motorsport personality Emma Gilmour will join the Super Sprint MotorSport New Zealand Championship series as a technical guest presenter for the live televised broadcast for the start of 2024.
Dunedin-based Gilmour will be based in pit lane for the coming Historic GP, being held at the Taupō International Motorsport Park 19-21 January.
Utilising her recent experience driving the Citroen C3 Rally2 car, Bruce McLaren’s 1970 Can-Am M8D-01 and the Extreme E championship with the NEOM McLaren team, Gilmour has a relatable understanding of what makes a car work.
Akin to a translator, Gilmour will explain the technical details of car setup during camera interviews that make up the continuous live broadcast of each day.
“It is an opportunity I’m really looking forward to. It’s a bit like switching sides while on the same paddock – instead of being the driver and explaining it to the car engineer I’m outside the car,” said Gilmour.
“Best of all is working alongside world-class television presenters – that’s where I’m going to be learning the most, while sharing what I know from a driver and engineer perspective.”
Series Promoter Brendon White says having Gilmour as part of the team adds depth to the broadcast – delivering a more informed view of why the cars are set up the way they are.
“It was a watershed moment getting Emma onboard,” explained White. “Having her understanding and knowledge from a diverse and international perspective brings a level of insight that we could see would make for a more interesting television product. She brings huge credibility and is known globally. When Emma speaks, people listen.”
Gilmour will present at select rounds.
Aired on Sky Sport (New Zealand), Fox Sports and Kayo (Australia), Pasifika TV and streamed to offshore audiences via motorsport.tv, the show will run from 10 am to 5 pm NZDT each day.
The Historic GP event features seven categories – a mix of modern and historic as it is the opening round of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship (CTFROC).
Celebrating the Holden marque, the weekend includes appearances by Craig Lowndes, Greg Murphy, Jack Perkins and Steven Richards – along with iconic vehicles such as the 24-hour winning Monaro and Shane van Gisbergen’s Bathurst winning Gen 3 Camaro.
Also included is a Holden car parade and an ‘All-Comers’ race, while up for grabs is the Historic GP title – being contested by the F5000 category.
The weekend also includes an appearance by the RNZAF Black Falcons aerobatic team.
