Racing for the Girls Watching: Aoife Raftery on Rally, STEM, and Building a Sport Worth Joining
About this episode
From co-driving roots in Ireland to competing in the American Rally Championship, Itha Raftery maps her rally journey—learning with a cheap car, getting selected for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, and adapting to new pace-note demands in a Subaru 4WD. The conversation zooms in on how recce and pace notes build trust, why concentration matters, and how left-foot braking changes everything on gravel. Off-track, she connects STEM outreach and FIA/DirtFish programs to visibility, safety, and building a sport girls can join.
What does it take to go from the roads of Galway to the gravel stages of the American Rally Association — in a sport where women have historically been the exception, not the rule? In this episode of the BeDifferential Podcast, we sit down with Aoife Raftery: Irish rally driver, DirtFish Women in Motorsport Programme driver, Motorsport Ireland Road Safety Ambassador, inaugural Rosemary Smith Award recipient, and one of the most exciting rising forces in global rallying today.
Aoife grew up in Galway, made her rallying debut in 2021, and has since competed across Irish, British, and Junior FIA European Rally Championship stages — becoming the first female driver to join the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy along the way. Her 2024 season included a class win at the Ulster Rally, a podium in the final round of the Junior British Rally Championship, and selection into the top 15 of the FIA Beyond Rally Women's Talent Spotting Programme. Then, in early 2025, she was named one of only two drivers selected globally for DirtFish's inaugural Women in Motorsport Driver Programme — and promptly went to America for the first time, made her four-wheel-drive rally debut at the Olympus Rally, and collected three podiums in four starts, including a third overall in a Rally3.
In this conversation, Aoife gets candid about what it actually takes to make peace with the uncertainty of rally driving, how she breaks down the technical craft of pacenotes and left-foot braking for those unfamiliar with what the sport demands day to day, and what it felt like to step into a 4WD car for the very first time at a competitive level. We talk about the difference between European and American stages, what it means to carry the legacy of Rosemary Smith, and how she holds onto pure joy in a sport that can bury it under pressure and expectation. And as a STEM advocate who has spoken to thousands of teenage girls about careers in motorsport, Aoife makes a compelling case for why the next generation of women in racing might come from the engineering lab just as much as the driver's seat.
This one is for every girl who was told the race wasn't for her — and every person who believes the sport is stronger when more voices are in it.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss out! https://www.bedifferentialpodcast.com/
co-driver and driver relationship
"but that's what makes it so exciting. And that's also what makes the teamwork so important is the co-driver and driver relationship that I can trust what my co-driver is going to call to me."
Rally is a two-person job: the co-driver talks to the driver during the run. The driver has to trust those calls, because they guide what to do next at high speed.
In rallying, the co-driver and driver relationship is the communication link that makes pace notes usable in real time. The driver must trust what the co-driver calls, and the co-driver must call accurately so the car can be driven safely and quickly.
pace notes
"I love that in that response, you mentioned the importance of pace notes and just kind of in some of my research leading into this, you've pinpointed pace notes and specifically left foot braking as key areas of improvement early in your career. For those listening who maybe are not as familiar with rally or what goes into becoming a rally driver, can you maybe break down what the craft actually looks like day to day?"
Pace notes are like a detailed “road map” for the next turns. A co-driver reads them out so the driver knows what’s coming and can react quickly.
Pace notes are the written/recited instructions a co-driver reads to the driver during a rally stage. They describe upcoming corners, hazards, and changes in surface so the driver can prepare at speed.
snow
"Yeah, so the elements that make up rallying would be your pace notes as one you're driving. Rallying is mixed into, we have three different types of surfaces that you can rally on, which is gravel, tarmac, and snow."
Snow is one of the toughest rally surfaces because tires have much less grip. Drivers have to slow down and steer/brake carefully to avoid losing control.
Snow is a rally surface type with very low traction, often requiring gentler inputs and careful throttle/brake modulation. Drivers rely heavily on pace notes and feel to manage grip changes and maintain stability.
tarmac
"Now, I haven't done much snow rallying, but between gravel and tarmac I've done quite a bit. [505.7s] And so, yeah, the elements that make that up pace notes being one of the most important ones"
Tarmac just means a paved road surface. In rallying, paved roads grip differently than gravel, so the car setup and driving style have to change.
Tarmac is paved road surface (as opposed to gravel). In rallying, surface type strongly affects grip, braking distance, tire choice, and how much the car will slide through corners.
gravel
"Now, I haven't done much snow rallying, but between gravel and tarmac I've done quite a bit. [505.7s] And so, yeah, the elements that make that up pace notes being one of the most important ones"
Gravel is loose, rocky road surface. It’s usually harder to grip than pavement, so drivers have to be more careful and the car setup matters a lot.
Gravel is an unpaved rally surface made of loose stones. It typically provides less consistent grip than tarmac, can change traction mid-corner, and often increases the importance of correct line choice and suspension setup.
rally care
"But that's the most important role in the rally care is the more accurate you have your notes [529.2s] and the more you can trust them, the quicker you can drive to it. As well as that rally weekends, so to describe a rally week, let's say for example, [538.1s] I'll fly myself and Hanoi both from Ireland, so we'll fly over to the U.S."
This sounds like the co-driver’s job in rallying. While the driver focuses on steering and throttle, the co-driver reads the pace notes so the driver knows what’s coming next.
“Rally care” in this context appears to refer to the rally co-driver’s role and/or the notes process during a rally. In rallying, the co-driver reads the pace notes to the driver at speed, which is critical for timing and safety.
test with the team
"And the first thing we normally do is we do a test with the team. [549.0s] So we're running with elements rally sports and they go to the test with the rally care [553.7s] that will drive in the event and we'll do a test because every area we go to has different"
This is an early practice session with the crew. The idea is to make sure the car feels right and is set up for the roads before the timed racing starts.
A “test with the team” in rallying refers to early shakedown-style running to check how the car behaves and to dial in setup before the competitive stages. It’s used to confirm traction, suspension behavior, and overall drivability for the route conditions.
stages
"So there's a lot of changes that we'll do with the team [575.9s] to the car to make it perform better in those particular style of stages. [581.2s] So that's what we do normally in the first day"
Stages are the separate timed parts of a rally. Each one can feel different, so the team may change how the car is set up for better grip and control.
Stages are the individual timed sections of a rally, run on closed roads. Each stage can have different surface and features, so crews may adjust the car setup to suit that specific type of driving.
rally weekend
"So that's what we do normally in the first day and then as I said, we go and we do the [584.7s] recce and that's where I describe the notes and Hanoi takes him down and then we then get [590.2s] into the rally weekend."
A rally weekend is the whole event where the car competes on multiple timed sections. It’s not just one race run—it’s several stages across a few days.
A rally weekend is the multi-day event structure where a series of timed stages are run. Crews typically do setup/testing early, then recce, then compete across the stages over the weekend.
recce
"So that's what we do normally in the first day and then as I said, we go and we do the [584.7s] recce and that's where I describe the notes and Hanoi takes him down and then we then get [590.2s] into the rally weekend."
Recce is the pre-race “walkthrough” of the route. It helps the driver and co-driver write the notes that describe what the road will do during the actual timed runs.
Recce (short for reconnaissance) is the practice where the crew walks or drives the rally route before the event to gather information. Drivers use recce to build accurate pace notes for each stage.
tire changes
"And then what else do we need to practice? So we'll also be able to do practice tire changes. We need to be able to work on the car in cases, any problems in between the stages."
A tire change is when the team swaps the rally tires during the event. Rally tires can get beat up quickly, so teams practice doing it fast between stages to avoid losing time.
Tire changes in rally are rapid service actions performed between stages when tires are worn, damaged, or mismatched to conditions. Teams practice them because the time lost during a tire swap can directly affect stage results.
service
"if you're having difficulties makes, helps you get through it and maybe back to service then where the team can do the full repairs on the car."
Service is the rally team’s scheduled pit area where they can do bigger fixes and adjustments. It’s the place you go when the car needs more than quick help between stages.
In rally, “service” is the designated area and process where the team performs more involved work on the car during scheduled breaks. It’s where repairs and setup changes are handled beyond what can be done in the field between stages.
left foot braking
"And I just, I want to go back really quick to this left foot braking that was mentioned a moment ago because I did the dirt fish rally school for the first time last year. And having, I am someone that drives manual cars... and getting on gravel and then using left foot braking is insane."
It means you press the brake with your left foot instead of your right. Rally drivers do this because it can help them control the car more precisely on slippery surfaces while still being able to manage the gas smoothly.
Left foot braking is a driving technique where the driver uses the left pedal (brake) with the left foot instead of the right foot. In rally, it’s often used to help manage traction and keep the right foot free for throttle control while navigating loose surfaces like gravel.
weight transfer
"No, understandable. Yeah, experiencing the weight transfer with left foot braking was such a different feeling than what I had had before."
Weight transfer is when the car’s weight shifts to different wheels when you brake or turn. That changes how much grip each tire has, which is a big deal in rally driving.
Weight transfer is how a car’s load shifts between tires as you brake, accelerate, or corner. The speaker connects left-foot braking to feeling that shift differently, which affects grip and how the car turns.
four wheel drive
"the Olympus rally was your first ever time competing in a four wheel drive car on a rally. What does it feel like when you're doing something for the very first time at that scale?"
Four wheel drive sends power to all four wheels. That usually helps the car grip better on slippery rally roads, but it can feel very different to drive than a two-wheel-drive car.
Four wheel drive (4WD) means power is delivered to both the front and rear axles. On rally stages, that typically improves traction on loose surfaces like gravel, but it also changes how the car responds compared with front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive.
Olympus Rally
"from what I understand, the Olympus rally was your first ever time competing in a four wheel drive car on a rally. What does it feel like when you're doing something for the very first time at that scale?"
Olympus rally is the rally event they’re talking about. It’s used to explain what it felt like to make a big jump into four-wheel drive for the first time.
Olympus rally is the specific rally event the guest references as her first competition in a four-wheel-drive car. It serves as the anchor for the discussion about how big the jump feels when changing drivetrain and surface.
all wheel
"Olympus rally is no joke. And to go from two wheel to all wheel, that's an incredible switch."
“All wheel” is a common shorthand for all-wheel drive behavior, where traction is managed across multiple wheels rather than just one axle. In rally context, it’s part of the shift from two-wheel drive to a system that can better handle changing grip.
front wheel drive
"So we came from front wheel drive on tarmac in Spain the weekend before to Olympus rally, first time ever in four wheel drive on gravel."
Front wheel drive means the front wheels do the work of moving the car. Switching from that to four-wheel drive can feel very different, especially on slippery rally surfaces.
Front wheel drive (FWD) sends engine power to the front axle. The speaker contrasts FWD on tarmac with the first experience of four-wheel drive on gravel, emphasizing how the driving feel and traction characteristics change.
FIA modulated rally three
"And in Europe and Ireland, we don't really beat them cars anymore. We'd be more, there'd be more, a lot more FIA modulated rally three, rally two cars, which are four wheel drive."
This is a specific kind of rally car class that’s governed by FIA rules. The guest is saying that in Europe/Ireland, they’re more used to certain 4WD rally car types than they were in the US event.
“FIA modulated rally three” refers to a specific FIA-regulated rally car category/format that uses standardized rules and performance modulation. The speaker uses it to explain that in Europe and Ireland, four-wheel-drive rally cars are more common in their local experience.
flat
"And this also then had an effect [922.2s] on my pace notes because I was calling certain notes flat that I would have previously experienced [927.3s] that would have been flat. But with the Subaru having the speed built up so much quicker"
In rally pace-note language, “flat” means taking a corner at full throttle with minimal lift or braking. It’s a speed/commitment call that depends on traction and how the car’s weight and grip behave through the turn.
line develops
"you get better grip on the second pass over [1015.4s] the stage, because as I said, you have better grip. But in Europe, when I would come around"
The “line develops” means the best route through the turns gets better as more cars drive the stage. On gravel, that can make the second run feel grippier and more predictable.
“Line develops” refers to how the best path through a stage improves over time as cars pass over it. In gravel, that often means more consistent traction on the second pass because the surface gets worked and grips better.
rallying
"And it's so important just to kind of get your [1701.6s] basic grips of what rallying is and understanding it."
Rallying is a type of racing where cars drive through a course made of timed sections. The roads can be different surfaces, and the team has to work together to get through each section quickly and safely.
Rallying is a motorsport where cars compete on timed sections (“stages”) across public or semi-public roads, rather than a closed circuit. It emphasizes navigation, car control on varying surfaces, and teamwork between driver and co-driver.
co-driving the route
"And once you're in, you meet more people, you get more opportunities, and then you can build it from there and see, is it co-driving the route [1712.3s] you want to go to as a mechanic?"
Rally has two people in the car: the driver and the co-driver. The co-driver helps by reading instructions about turns and timing so the driver knows what’s coming next.
In rallying, the co-driver reads pace notes and navigates so the driver can attack the course at speed. “Co-driving the route” means managing the timing and instructions through each stage, not just riding along.
Road Safety Ambassador
"Yeah, it was a very important role that I took on from motor sport Ireland to be the Road Safety [1783.4s] Ambassador."
A “Road Safety Ambassador” is a public-facing role focused on promoting safer driving behavior and awareness. In this context, the guest says she took the role from motor sport Ireland to connect motorsport culture with responsibility on public roads.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.