East London man calls the Oval home
Derick van Der Westhuizen lives on the other side of the country but has chosen to be part of the Randfontein Oval because it's a homely, family-orientated club.
A racing driver from East London has such a big passion for racing that he chose the Randfontein Oval Raceway as his home away from home.
Also read: Wrestling, family fun and roaring engines at the Oval Raceway
Although the 41-year-old Derick van der Westhuizen lives on the other side of the country, he flies to Gauteng for a race at the Oval and then flies back home after the race.
He has been part of the raceway for the past eight months where he competes in the Hotrods class.
I joined the Randfontein Oval Raceway because it’s more of a homely, family-orientated club that is owned and run by Deon Coetzee himself. We also have friends in Joburg.”
Van der Westhuizen explained that Hotrods is a highly contested class throughout the country and it’s the fastest class in the dirt oval fraternity. He has been racing since the age of 21 and was inspired to pursue this hobby by his late father who was an engine builder for his uncle who used to race.
“Dirt oval is a passion; your whole family gets involved and my kids are also racing now.”
The part he enjoys most about the sport is the adrenaline rush you get as soon as you enter the track and for him it’s all about having fun. He’s had many accidents but said, “…as long as your car is well maintained and your safety gear is up to spec you will be alright”.
Currently Van der Westhuizen is third in the Northern Regionals standings and he’s had a few accomplishments like winning the Hotrods Championship in 2015 in East London, finished on the podium during the Rosebowl Championships in Bloemfontein, and recently won the Randfontein Regionals in his category.
A big thank you to my sponsor Roy Crouch from GCS Racing Team for all the hard work and prep you put into the car, and always making the team a winning combination.”
