Petter Solberg returning to Ireland with Defender Rally Series

The last time Petter Solberg did a rally across the Irish landscape, he finished the race on his 33rd birthday. Now 49, he is set to head back to compete in the Defender Rally Series.

The Defender Rally Series is a spec rally series overseen by Bowler Motors, now in its third season. Its UK Championship, which Solberg is competing in, will visit Ireland for the first time on 4–6 October in support of the Clare Forestry Rally.

“The Defender 90 is very cool and, from what I’ve seen, it looks like a really capable rally car,” said Solberg. The series uses a rally version of the Defender 90 simply called the “Defender Rally Car”. “For sure, it will be a big challenge, it’s not really like anything I’ve driven before, but you know me. When I pull on the helmet and tighten the belts, I’m ready for anything.

“I will test before the event, which will give me an idea of what’s to come. The main thing for this event is to go and have some fun, showing off Castrol EDGE and experiencing the Defender Rally Series. And, of course, because it’s Ireland, it’s going to be a good day.”

Solberg last competed in Ireland in 2007 when the Rally Ireland was added to the World Rally Championship after two years as a national event. He finished fifth.

Rally Ireland was removed from the calendar in 2008. Although it returned in 2009 as the season opener, Solberg missed the race since he was without a seat following Subaru’s WRC shutdown. He rejoined the championship at the second round as a privateer and continued to be a regular until his retirement in 2012, but Ireland was dropped after the 2009 slate.

“I remember the fans and the love for the sport from back in that time. It was incredible,” Solberg recalled. “I’m really excited to be back in the country and back meeting some of those fans again. But is that right, is it really seventeen years?”

Since retiring from full-time competition in 2018 after a five-year stint in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, Solberg has continued to dabble in various one-off events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the 2019 Wales Rally GB, and Race of Champions. The Norwegian has also been open to racing the Dakar Rally someday.

The Clare Forestry Rally is the sixth and penultimate round of the Defender Rally Series UK Championship, which ends with the Scottish Borders Hill Rally on 15–17 November. There is also a European Baja Championship that ended its four-race season in Iceland in August. In Africa, Bowler has a partnership with the Carta Rallye to provide factory support for Defenders at the Carta Rallye and Baja Morocco desert rally raids.