After her stunning podium at last year’s Overmountain Rally Tennessee, DirtFish Women in Motorsport Driver Aoife Raftery returns to America for this month’s 100 Acre Wood Rally.
The 25-year-old Irishwoman, co-driven by Dane Ditte Kammersgaard, will drive the same Standard Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally3 she used to take third place last September.
It will be Raftery’s fourth start in the American Rally Association National Championship after appearances at both the Olympus and Oregon Trail Rallies in a DirtFish Subaru in 2025.
“I’m really looking forward to the event and getting back into the American Rally Championship,” Raftery told DirtFish.
“The style of stages look really, really interesting over there. They look fantastic. From the onboards I can see they’re fast and require lots of commitment, but they’re also quite technical in the high-speed stuff.
“It’ll be interesting to see the Rally3 in those conditions, because obviously it handles very well.”
Raftery stood on the podium on her last ARA start - she hopes to make it there again
With a podium result on her most recent ARA result, Raftery would love to achieve the same in Missouri. But she knows the quality of the entry at 100 Acre Wood is very strong, in both the Rally2 (RC2) and Rally3 (L4WD) categories.
“I think that this year we’re going to see a lot of strong competitors in the series,” Raftery said. “We’re going to see some very good competitors and drivers in the Rally2 and the Rally3 categories, so I think overall we’re seeing a massive improvement in the ARA.
“I’m really excited to get the chance to come back and compete in the series, and to get the opportunity to continue to represent the DirtFish Women in Motorsport Driver Program with Josie [Rimmer] is a huge opportunity. Hopefully we can continue to encourage young girls into motorsport through our presence and performances.
“Definitely the targets are always high and it won’t change for this rally,” Raftery smiled. “I think our test and our recce is going to be crucial to having a good, strong base going into the event.
“As I said, we’re going to see a lot of strong competitors this year in the ARA, but the goal is to have a strong result and that means hopefully getting back on the podium again.”
Aoife continues with the DirtFish Women in Motorsport Driver Program in 2026
DirtFish Women in Motorsport coordinator Josie Rimmer is ectastic to have Raftery back on the Progam and behind the wheel in the US.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Aoife and what she managed to achieve last year, she truly excelled on all fronts,” Rimmer said. “I have every confidence 2026 is going to be another fantastic year.
“Aoife perfectly represents the DirtFish Women in Motorsport Driver Program through her bravery and determination on the stages and her absolute commitment to empowering the next generation of girls and women in the service park.”
“We all saw what Aoife can do behind the wheel in Tennessee – seeing her fight at the front and claim a podium was such a moving moment and I’m confident she’s bound for more success this season, starting with 100 Acre Wood.”
100 Acre Wood Rally is the second round of the 2026 American Rally Association National Championship, running on March 13/14.
