MICHELE ABBATE Plans Rally Debut After DirtFish Training with LIA BLOCK Advice

July 5, 2025

• Trans-Am veteran MICHELE ABBATE is making the jump to rally with her first competitive event planned for October’s Tour de Forest Rally, after months of intensive training at DirtFish Rally School. She’s been hitting the school monthly to develop her skills, even giving fellow DirtFish Women in Motorsport driver Aoife Raftery a ride that cranked up the pressure but proved she’s ready for the challenge.
• The crossover training is already paying dividends for ABBATE’s road course racing, as she’s discovered that rally skills translate beautifully to track dynamics. “It’s developed me so much as a driver,” she explained, noting how understanding weight balance, braking techniques, and chassis dynamics in a rally car has sharpened her abilities across all forms of racing – proving once again that diverse experience makes better drivers.
• LIA BLOCK, the 2023 ARA Open 2WD champion now racing in F1 Academy, delivered sage advice for ABBATE’s rally debut: build up slowly, don’t aim for perfection on the first outing, and remember to actually enjoy the experience. “It’s your first rally, that’s something you only experience once in your lifetime,” BLOCK reminded her, emphasizing the community aspect and pure joy of rally that makes it addictive for so many drivers.

dirtfish rally school, rally, tour de forest rally, trans-am