Irelands Aoife Raftery Honoured With Selection

Irish Rally Driver Selected for Prestigious Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Program

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Aoife Raftery has been selected for the prestigious Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Program, marking a significant milestone in her motorsport career. The program, designed to identify and nurture the next generation of female rally talent, is a prestigious opportunity for aspiring drivers to showcase their skills on an international stage.

As a finalist, Aoife will attend an intensive three-day training camp from 16 - 18 September at M-Sport Poland’s Krakow headquarters. This camp is a crucial step in the selection process, where the participants will be rigorously tested on their rally preparedness, mechanical knowledge, media skills, and driving abilities on mixed surfaces.

The camp will be run by a team of rallying experts, offering the finalists invaluable guidance and insight into the demands of top-level competition. A panel of judges will assess each driver’s performance and potential, ultimately selecting the most promising three to compete in October’s Central European Rally, the penultimate round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship.

Those chosen will race in M-Sport Poland-prepared Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars, benefiting from a fully supported program that provides them with the tools and backing needed to succeed at the highest level. This opportunity not only puts the spotlight on the rising stars of women’s rallying but also paves the way for their future success in the sport.

Raftery: "Delighted to announce the news that I have been selected as 1 of 15 drivers from across the world chosen by the WRC - FIA World Rally Championship Beyond Rally  Women’s development programme. It’s an incredible honour to be selected and I will give it my everything. The support and hard work by everyone has been amazing. Thank you to the MIRallyAcademy for their training and to everyone behind me who has supported me and to my sponsors"

The selection of an Irish driver for this program highlights the growing recognition of talent from Ireland on the global rallying stage. With the stakes high and the competition fierce, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining who will emerge as the next breakout star in women’s rallying.

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