Galway’s Aoife Raftery is among a record-breaking entry list for female rally drivers in the next round of the FIA European Rally Championship.
The Craughwell native is contesting this year’s FIA Junior European Rally Championship – the first Irish woman to commit to an international series since Rosemary Smith in the 1960s and 1970s.
This weekend’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín is the fifth round of the championship, and Raftery is one of six female drivers from all over Europe to place an entry for the rally.
Last time out, in July, driving a PCRS Rallysport-prepared Peugeot 208 Rally 4, she finished second in the Coppa Femminile section of the Rally di Roma Capitale in Italy.
That women’s event was won by Italian driver Rachele Somaschini, who was driving a four-wheel drive Citroen C3 Rally2, but the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver was the top female driver in a two-wheel drive car.
On that occasion, she finished ahead of multiple Italian regional female champion Sara Cerra, who was driving a similar Peugeot 208 Rally4, but faces an even more daunting task in the Czech Republic this weekend.
A total of six female drivers – a record for the 2023 season – have entered the iconic event.
While Somaschini is likely to have the upper hand, given she is driving a far more powerful car than Raftery’s, all eyes will be on the two-wheel drive contest.
Rivals will include Adrienn Vogel, who is an event category winner in her home country of Hungary and in Austria. She is driving an identical Peugeot to Raftery’s example.
The Galwegian will also face Romanian front-runner Cristiana Oprea, who crashed out in Rome, and Bulgarian Ekaterina Stratieva, who has several European Rally Championship awards to her name.
Both drivers are entered in Opel Corsa Rally4 cars that are similar in design and power to Raftery’s Peugeot.
Local Czech driver Eliška Slavíková is contesting the national section of the event in her Skoda Fabia.
“We are really looking forward to returning to the European Rally Championship with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and with PCRS Rallysport running the car,” Raftery says.
“It's going to be a really good challenge and it's great to see the level of female participation in this event especially when you look at the quality of drivers taking part.”
“It's going to be great for myself because there's a good few of us women in my class, so it will be a nice competition between us all.”
All six drivers have been invited to attend the official fan meet-and-greet autograph session in Zlín on Wednesday night.
