Interview with Caroline Ryder, Vice Chair of the British Women Racing Drivers Club (BWRDC)

Caroline Ryder has long been one of the most respected figures in British motorsport. A successful sprint and hillclimb competitor, Vice Chair and former Chair of the British Women Racing Drivers Club (BWRDC), and a passionate advocate for women entering the sport, Caroline has inspired generations of drivers through both her achievements on track and her tireless work behind the scenes.

Remarkably, 1986 was Caroline's very first year in motorsport, yet she immediately made her mark by winning the Ladies Award in the National Leaders Sprint Championships. Her success continued throughout the late 1980s, and in 1988 she was famously named "Man of the Meeting" at Ingliston — a title that reflected not only her speed but also the respect she commanded within the sport. Caroline went on to become a twice RAC National Leaders Ladies Champion and later served as Chair of the British Women Racing Drivers Club for three years, helping to support and encourage women in motorsport at every level.

Away from competition, Caroline remains deeply involved in the future of the sport. Late last year, she became Chair of the Hagley and District Light Car Club (HDLCC), with a primary focus on securing the club's long-term future and negotiating a new lease for its flagship venue, Loton Park — one of Britain's most historic and popular hillclimb courses.

She also volunteers her time as a member of two Motorsport UK specialised committees: the Speed Events Committee and the Sprint & Hillclimb Sub-Committee, helping to shape the future direction of speed motorsport across the country.

Today, motorsport remains firmly woven into family life, with multiple generations involved in hillclimbing and sprinting. We spoke to Caroline about her remarkable career, her family's enduring connection to the sport, her current work supporting British motorsport, and why hillclimbing remains one of the friendliest, most accessible, and welcoming forms of motorsport in Britain.

1. How did you get into motor racing? Have you tried any other genres of motorsport and what was it that drew you to hillclimbing?

Motorsport has always been part of my life. My father raced Minis on the circuit in the 60’s before moving to hillclimbs and Sprints during the 1970/80s, so I grew up in paddocks surrounded by racing cars and events. Dad won the British Sprint Championship 1982 and by then, motorsport had become just our normal family life so I guess I was learning through osmosis.  Then about forty years ago, I drove a friend’s hillclimb car and decided to race at a few meetings.  That was it, I was hooked and went on to buy my own car and never looked back. 

Over the years I’ve been involved with several different forms of motorsport. I worked at Honda UK for 31 years and we ran a Honda Civic in circuit racing, and in 2019 I was lucky enough to compete in the Dave Allen Trophy Race at Castle Combe. As a family, we also became involved with karting and other circuit disciplines with my son Matthew as he too grew up and into the sport.

But hillclimbing always drew me back because of the atmosphere and the nature of the competition. Circuit racing can sometimes feel quite intense, whereas hillclimbing has a much more welcoming and supportive environment. It’s competitive, but people genuinely help one another.

What I also love is the challenge of it. In hillclimbing you only have a very short run to get everything right. There’s no time to recover from mistakes, so focus is absolutely paramount. That intensity makes it incredibly rewarding.

2. What is it that you love about hillclimbing?

The biggest thing for me is the community. Hillclimbing is one of the friendliest forms of motorsport you could ever be involved in. People help each other constantly, whether that’s advice, tools, parts, or encouragement.

It’s also very family-orientated. There are always children in the paddock and they’re included in everything. Kids are encouraged to ask questions and get involved, which builds confidence and curiosity from a young age. It’s a brilliant environment for families because everyone is so welcoming.

I also love the personal challenge. When you first start, you’re really competing against yourself. Success might simply mean improving your own time or mastering a new car. That sense of progression is hugely satisfying.

And because every car is different, you’re always learning. That’s part of the joy of the sport.

3. Can you tell us about your current car? What is it that you like about it?

At the moment we compete in Formula Ford 1600, which is a fantastic class in hillclimbing. The cars are all very evenly matched and still run to circuit specification, so the competition is extremely close.

Unlike many modern single-seaters, Formula Fords don’t have wings and slick tyres, so you can’t rely on aerodynamic grip. You really have to drive the car properly and push hard to extract performance. That makes them enormous fun.

It’s also one of the most affordable and accessible single-seater classes in motorsport, which is one reason why it’s become so popular in hillclimbing.

4. Looking back on your life, what was your favourite vehicle, racing related or otherwise, and why?

That’s a very difficult question because I’ve loved so many different cars for different reasons.

Probably my favourite competition car was the Empire EVO2 single-seater, although sadly it was destroyed in 2019. It was an incredible car to drive. I also love my little road going Polo GTI that has been tremendous fun using for a couple of nighttime events late last year.

But honestly, part of what I love about motorsport is understanding different vehicles and learning how to master them. Every car has its own character and demands something different from the driver, so every new car becomes another challenge and another learning experience.

5. There are more women becoming hillclimb drivers. Would you recommend the sport to female drivers and, if so, how would you suggest they get started? Are there any drawbacks as a woman driver?

Absolutely — I would recommend hillclimbing to women of any age.  One of the great things about the sport is that there really aren’t the barriers people sometimes imagine. What many women need initially is confidence and support to take that first step.

There are now some fantastic initiatives helping women get involved in motorsport.  At the British Women Racing Drivers Club we have introduced an initiative called, Intospeed (https://www.bwrdc.co.uk/into-speed), where we organise women-only taster days with Motorsport UK at venues such as Gurston Down and Harewood.

The idea is to create a welcoming and supportive introduction to the sport. We walk the hill with participants, explain driving techniques, provide instructor feedback and then participants can move on to one-to-one training sessions at Curborough sprint course.

We also help women understand licensing, safety equipment and how to enter their first events. The beauty of hillclimbing is that you can even start in a road car, so you don’t need an expensive racing car to begin.

The aim is to then support newcomers through their first few events and help them build confidence within the motorsport community.

As for drawbacks, honestly I don’t think hillclimbing has any barriers for women today. The paddock environment is extremely welcoming and supportive. We’re also seeing many more women coming into the sport now, particularly women in their forties whose children have grown up and who finally have the time to do something for themselves.

6. Your son, Matthew, is the current BHC Hillclimb Champion 2025. You must be very proud of him! How did you start him off in hillclimbing as a child? How old was he and do any other members of your family race?

Yes, we’re incredibly proud of Matthew.  He actually started indoor karting when he was around 10 years old, then went on to outdoor karting before progressing into Formula Jedi, now known as F1000, which he competed in for several years.

Interestingly, despite being around hillclimbing all his life, he wasn’t immediately convinced that hillclimbing would suit him because there’s less time in the car compared to circuit racing. But once he tried it, he absolutely loved it.

What appealed to him was the intense concentration required. In circuit racing, if something goes wrong you may have time to recover. In hillclimbing, everything happens in seconds, so complete focus is essential.

Motorsport is very much part of our family life. My daughter-in-law Kirsten also races. She met Matthew through a university karting club and now shares the Formula Ford with me. She’s recently returned to competition after having their daughter Katherine and has grown hugely in confidence back behind the wheel.

7. Why is hillclimbing so popular with families? There’s always such a great atmosphere at events and it feels like a real family day out.

I think it’s because hillclimbing still retains a genuine grassroots spirit.  People aren’t hidden away in giant hospitality units, everyone is together in the paddock, talking, helping and socialising. Families can walk around freely, meet drivers and see the cars up close.

Children absolutely love it because it feels accessible and friendly rather than intimidating.

There’s also something very inclusive about hillclimbing. Families often compete together and many people share cars between partners or generations, which helps keep the sport affordable and sociable.

Even though the British Hillclimb Championship has the largest number of entrants of any of British motorsport championship and incredibly talented drivers, it still feels amateur in the best possible sense of the word.

8. How do you see the sport progressing over the next five years, and do you think more women will take it up?

I think hillclimbing will continue to grow strongly.  The affordability compared to many other forms of motorsport makes it attractive, and more people are discovering that you don’t necessarily need enormous budgets to compete and enjoy yourself.

I also think we’ll continue to see more women entering the sport. The atmosphere is welcoming, there are more support networks developing, and visibility is improving all the time.

The key is encouraging people to come along to events, talk to competitors and join a motor club. Once people experience the paddock atmosphere for themselves, they usually realise very quickly that hillclimbing is one of the most enjoyable and accessible forms of motorsport there is.