Caroline Candas

Caroline Candas is a French racer who went from karting champion to winning a fully funded Porsche drive in her very first GT4 outing—proof that talent and guts still matter more than a seven-figure budget.

EARLY YEARS

Caroline’s racing story started the way a lot of great ones do: sibling rivalry. Watching her brother race go-karts lit something in her, and she wasn’t about to sit on the sidelines. “My family are not from a racing background,” she explained. “It was just me and my brother in go-karts and I saw him and therefore I wanted to race too.”[1] No motorsport dynasty, no trust fund, no famous last name—just a French girl who saw her brother having all the fun and decided she wanted in.

From there, karting became her proving ground. She climbed the ranks in France, eventually earning the title of French female karting champion—a milestone that set the stage for everything that followed.[2] Details about her childhood beyond the track are scarce, but the essentials are clear: she came from a family with passion but not pedigree, and she had the kind of fire that doesn’t need permission to burn.

OTHER INTERESTS

Caroline keeps her off-track life under wraps. No public hobbies, no Instagram-worthy side hustles, no carefully curated personal brand. Either she’s laser-focused on racing, or she’s just smart enough to keep her private life private. In an era where everyone’s an influencer, that’s almost refreshing.

EARLY SUCCESS

After conquering French karting, Candas made the leap to cars at the start of the 2022 season, though her four-wheel career actually began earlier with a varied—and slightly chaotic—racing résumé.[1][2] In 2010, she finished second overall in the Spanish Mini Challenge with one win and several podiums, showing early that she could compete at a high level.[2] She dipped into the Clio Cup in 2012 and 2013, ran a few rounds of the German MINI Trophy, and even tackled rally racing in 2014 with a Ford Fiesta R2, including an appearance at WRC Catalunya.[2]

Her 2014 also saw a third-place finish in the SEAT Leon class at the brutal 32-hour Maxi Endurance race at Algarve—a test of stamina and nerve that separates the serious from the hopeful.[2] She bounced between disciplines like someone trying on outfits, testing rally stages in Spain through 2015 and 2017, picking up at least one win in Spanish off-road events in 2018, and landing third overall in the TCR class in the Spanish series in 2019, where she notched two wins in a SEAT Cupra.[2]

By 2021, she made her senior debut and got seat time in everything from the Spanish Endurance Championship to a couple of NASCAR Whelen Euroseries rounds at Valencia.[2] It was the racing equivalent of a liberal arts education: lots of exposure, lots of learning, and no clear specialty—yet. What it did prove was versatility and hunger, two things you can’t teach.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2010: Second overall in Spanish Mini Challenge with one win and multiple podiums[2].
• 2012: 13th in Clio Cup; competed in two rounds of German MINI Trophy[2].
• 2014: Third in SEAT Leon class at Maxi Endurance 32-hour race at Algarve; competed in seven rally events including WRC Catalunya (46th) with a Ford Fiesta R2[2].
• 2018: At least one win in Spanish off-road events[2].
• 2019: Third overall in TCR class, Spanish series, with two wins driving a SEAT Cupra[2].
• 2021: Senior debut; competed in Spanish Endurance Championship and NASCAR Whelen Euroseries at Valencia[2].
• Undated: Won inaugural RAFA Racing Club shootout at Circuit of the Americas in her first GT4 outing, securing a fully funded drive in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America[1][4].
• Undated: Pair of second-place finishes in Cayman class, Porsche Sprint Challenge[5].
• 2024: Finished 10th with 155 points in Porsche Endurance Challenge North America – Cayman class with RAFA Racing Team by JDX[3].

INSPIRATIONS

Caroline’s biggest early influence? Her brother. Seeing him race go-karts was all it took to ignite her competitive streak.[1] But when it came to her career-defining moment—the RAFA Racing Club shootout—her mentor Udell played a starring role. She credited him with everything from simulator prep to on-track strategy, saying, “I took every piece of advice that he gave me and therefore we won the shootout as a team. He gave me a lot of help and therefore my win is also his win.”[1]

It wasn’t just talk. Candas had never driven Circuit of the Americas before, had no experience in the car, and had limited time to prepare. Udell was there from day one, guiding her through simulator sessions and trackside coaching. “From the first day in the simulator until the last day of the shootout, he always supported me,” she said. “I was very lucky to have him with me and he knew that I didn’t know the car or the track so I had to practice and learn quickly, it was a great journey for us.”[1]

The win at COTA wasn’t just a trophy—it was validation. “It was the best day of my life to be in the car and to drive COTA,” she admitted. “I didn’t think about that in the moment, I thought about my job of driving the car and what I had to do in that moment.”[1] Focus over feeling. That’s the mindset that wins shootouts.

REPUTATION

Candas is known for being driven, determined, and laser-focused—qualities that became obvious during her RAFA Racing Club shootout performance.[1] The media has embraced her as a rising talent, particularly in the context of championing female racers in a sport still dominated by men. Her shootout win wasn’t just a personal victory; it was framed as a statement about female talent in motorsport.[4]

She’s not flashy, she’s not controversial, and she doesn’t seem interested in being the loudest voice in the room. What she is: capable, adaptable, and hungry. The fact that she went from karting to rally to touring cars to endurance racing to GT4 without missing a beat says something about her skill set. She’s not just fast in one discipline—she’s a racer, period.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Caroline has her eyes on the biggest prize in endurance racing: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.[1] It’s an audacious goal, but not an unrealistic one given her trajectory. Winning the RAFA Racing Club shootout earned her a fully funded entry into Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, a platform that could be the stepping stone she needs.[1][4] With backing from EBOOST and continued support from RAFA Racing, she’s positioned to keep climbing the ladder.[5]

Whether she makes it to Le Mans remains to be seen, but if her career so far is any indication, counting her out would be a mistake. She’s already proven she can win when it counts, and in motorsport, that’s the only currency that matters.

References:

Caroline Candas: ‘It was the best day of my life’
Women in One-Make Series, Part III
Caroline Candas – DriverDB
Caroline Candas Crowned Winner of the Inaugural RAFA Racing Shootout
EBOOST to Support Porsche Motorsport North America Junior Program