Galway rally driver Aoife Raftery returns to the Irish Forestry Rally Championship

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Aoife Raftery returns to the Sligo Pallets Irish Forestry Rally Championship for the first time since June on this weekend’s Carrick-on-Suir Forestry Rally.

The Craughwell-based driver has spent most of the summer plying her trade in the FIA Junior European Rally Championship but as that campaign has now drawn to a close, she has decided to enter more Irish events in the international off-season.

The Ford Fiesta R2 driver scored her best-ever Irish gravel result, by taking a class win on the Moonraker Forestry Rally in June.

This was her first class win on any Irish rally and came after less than two years of rallying.

Her only other Irish gravel outing this year was the Killarney Forestry Rally in February.

Her return to the domestic forest championship will see her face some of Ireland’s top Class 2 exponents It is a challenge she is relishing given her preference for loose surface rallying.

“I am really looking forward to getting back to the Irish Forestry Rally Championship, it has been a long time since the Moonraker Rally in June,” she said.

“I have competed once before in Carrick-on-Suir [in 2022] and the roads there offer a great challenge.”

Raftery’s Ford Fiesta R2 is prepared by Galway firm Broderick Motorsport.

The Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club’s Willie Loughman Forestry Rally is the final round of the Motorsport Ireland National Forestry Rally Championship.

Based in Slieverue, the rally will take place over a challenging route of approximately 70 stage kilometres and will comprise of six special stages.

Aoife Raftery Rallying is supported by O’Neill O’Malley Architects and Project Managers / Loughrea Auto Parts Ltd / Craughwell Tyre Centre / Sean Fleming Motors / Aertec Vacuum and Ventilation / Des Lyons Plant / Quinn’s Hardware.