Galway-based rally driver, Aoife Raftery, is set to begin her journey in the highly anticipated World Rally Championship's Beyond Rally Women's Driver Development Programme this week.
Raftery, the only Irish representative in the programme, will be competing against 14 other female drivers for a chance to secure a fully supported Junior World Rally Championship entry in 2025.
The programme kicks off on Monday with a three-day intensive training camp held at M-Sport Poland in Krakow.
The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member will be put through a series of rigorous evaluations designed to assess her fitness, media and PR skills, mechanical knowledge, pace note and recce techniques, and of course, her driving ability on both tarmac and gravel surfaces.
Day 1 (Monday, September 16): A full day of theoretical and fitness evaluations at M-Sport Poland. Modules will cover fitness assessment, media and PR skills, mechanical knowledge, and pacenote and recce techniques.
Day 2 (Tuesday, September 17): Tarmac driving evaluation. Raftery will highlight her skills behind the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3 car.
Day 3 (Wednesday, September 18): Gravel driving evaluation. Another day of pushing her limits on a gravel course in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3.
The programme's finale will see the selection of three finalists who will compete head-to-head at the World Rally Championship’s Central European Rally from October 17 to 20.
The ultimate prize; a fully supported Junior World Rally Championship entry for 2025, a dream opportunity for any aspiring rally driver.
Raftery, already a rising star in the Hankook Tires Junior FIA European Rally Championship, has expressed her excitement about the programme.
“This means so much. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am going to give it my best shot,” said the Galway Motor Club member.
“This programme will help raise awareness of the opportunities that exist for women and that they can compete at the highest level. It will also raise awareness at club and entry-level and encourage more young women into our motor clubs and the sport.”
Aoife Raftery is supported by Des Lyons Plant | Kenny Car Sales Galway | O’Neill O’Malley Architects and Project Managers | Loughrea Auto Parts | Quinn Hardware | KG Motorsport | Kerry Motorsport News.
