Celebrating the life of Joy Rainey at the Prescott Hill Climb

Saturday 23 April 2022

The British Hill Climb Championship enters its 75th year today as the season kicks off at the famous Prescott Hill Climb and the weekend will be marked with a tribute to Joy Rainey, who passed away in 2020.

As a woman living with a disability, Joy was a pivotal force in breaking stereotypes and competed in Hill Climbs from 1974 onwards, winning many championship titles along the way.

She held the lady’s record at Shelsley Walsh for 22 years and proved that it is possible to reach the top of her field no matter what barriers may stand in the way.

The community at Prescott marked a tribute to Joy with flowers and cards with Helen Bashford-Malkie, Motorsport UK Board member, in attendance.

The legacy Joy left behind as a successful woman in motorsport continues to this day with 14 of the competitors at Prescott this weekend being female.

Moreover, the Midland Hill Climb Championship now has 25 female championship contenders this year, representing 10% of all contenders – up from just eight competitors five years ago.

Helen Bashford-Malkie, Motorsport UK Board member and Chair of Motorsport UK’s Women in Motorsport Sub Committee, commented:

Joy Rainey acted as an inspiration to many women striving to enter the world of motorsport. Her success at the top of her discipline was extraordinary and undoubtedly helped encourage the next generation of women into careers in motorsport.

“This weekend at Prescott we are celebrating the life of Joy in a way that we know she would appreciate – at one of the UK’s most prestigious Hill Climb events.

“There is more work to do in order to increase the representation of women in motorsport, but through celebrating prominent female competitors of the past, like Joy, we hope to inspire the female competitors of the future.”

Find out more about the British Hill Climb Championship HERE.