Social media appeal for co-driver gets Northern Ireland rally driver back on the road
- last month
A Banbridge woman has finally found a co-driver for one of the biggest road rallies in Northern Ireland after posting an urgent appeal on social media.
Donna McElherron, a driving instructor and former rally driver, called for help after agreeing to get behind the wheel again after over 33-years and enter this year’s Circuit of Ireland & UAC Easter Stages.
Originally from Isle of Mull but a confessed ‘honorary local’ after over 19 years in Banbridge, Donna, owner of Mini Thing Driving School, started racing as a co-driver when she was 17, but gave up when ‘life, work and the usual got in the way’.
She explained: "On the Isle of Mull there is an event called the Mull Rally, which has been going on since 1969. This got me hooked on rallying around 33 years years ago! I started in 1991 as the co-driver and then a few years later moved into the driving seat.
“Then life, work and all the things usual got in the way. My beloved mini of 25 years has been parked up since. My brother did take it out in 2019, but I haven’t rallied her for 10 years now when I did the Mull in 2014 to mark my up-and-coming 40th.
“Then a friend of my husband put the idea of doing the circuit in my head - it’s always been on my forever list but I’ve just never put it to the top. I took a head wobble and entered – maybe a mid-life crisis as I’ve another big birthday coming up.”
Donna McElherron, a driving instructor and former rally driver, called for help after agreeing to get behind the wheel again after over 33-years and enter this year’s Circuit of Ireland & UAC Easter Stages.
Originally from Isle of Mull but a confessed ‘honorary local’ after over 19 years in Banbridge, Donna, owner of Mini Thing Driving School, started racing as a co-driver when she was 17, but gave up when ‘life, work and the usual got in the way’.
She explained: "On the Isle of Mull there is an event called the Mull Rally, which has been going on since 1969. This got me hooked on rallying around 33 years years ago! I started in 1991 as the co-driver and then a few years later moved into the driving seat.
“Then life, work and all the things usual got in the way. My beloved mini of 25 years has been parked up since. My brother did take it out in 2019, but I haven’t rallied her for 10 years now when I did the Mull in 2014 to mark my up-and-coming 40th.
“Then a friend of my husband put the idea of doing the circuit in my head - it’s always been on my forever list but I’ve just never put it to the top. I took a head wobble and entered – maybe a mid-life crisis as I’ve another big birthday coming up.”