Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Aoife Raftery will celebrate her first year in motorsport this weekend – by contesting Rally di San Marino – on Saturday.
This will be her first attempt at a European Rally although she made her rally debut on the Nicky Grist Stages in Wales last July.
The Galway driver will steer a Peugeot 208 R2 supplied by Tamara Molinaro’s G Car Sport, the team that ran Craig Breen on Rallye San Remo earlier this year.
Geraldine McBride will codrive.
“It is all about learning, I am nervous and excited at the same time, it will be huge adventure,” she told Kerry Motorsport News.
The event, a counting round of the Italian gravel rally championship will be run over 75ksm of roads either within the principality or in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy – home to Italy’s motor valley (Ferrari, Lamborghini Ducati amongst others are all based there).
It is organised by the San Marino Automobile Motoring Federation and the event will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Friday’s ceremonial start will celebrate the last 50 years of the event – previous winners include Paolo Andreucci, Piero Longhi Umberto Scandola, Andrea Aghini, Giandomenico Basso and Miki Biasion.
It will be based at the Multieventi Sport Domus in Serravalle di San Marino, more famous for hosting Rally Legend in the small country every October.
Raftery is supported by MI Rally Academy, my sponsors- Craughwell Tyre Centre, Loughrea Auto Parts, Aertec, Quinn’s Hardware, Natural Green Energy
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Kerry Motorsport News 