Young racing devotee lets nothing hold her back

Former Hoërskool Brandwag learner Collette Kruger is a racing devotee at the Rock Raceway in Brakpan.

In January 2016, prior to officially starting to race, she wrote her car off during practice.

It had been raining and still was when she started practice so the track was very wet, it was during the warming up session, so she wasn’t driving very fast.

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When entering the corner, the car wouldn’t turn and the brakes had failed, which resulted in Kruger flying straight into the wall at the pit gate/carnival lapa.

They finally managed to come to the conclusion that there had been a left, front suspension failure.

After Kruger hit the wall, she had the whole crowed’s eyes focused on her.

“All I wanted to do was get the car loaded and to escape. I felt devastated, my car was wrecked and I was really looking forward to my first-ever race, which would have been that Saturday,” said Kruger.

William Fredrick and Patricia Kruger (Collette’s parents) lived in Benoni before moving to Mossel Bay for about 12 years and then returning to the East Rand.

Once relocating from Mossel Bay, Kruger started practising with her dad’s Ford Escort Mk2, which was sponsored by one of her dad’s old friends, Johnny Mills.

“This car was also written off on a rainy practice day but this time, it was my dad who did it,” said Kruger.

In 2017, she came first in the club championships and the trophy for the most up-and-coming oval competitor.

In 2018, she achieved a third place in a club race and she also competed in the Escort Oval race at the Mahem Raceway in Pretoria on September 1.

It was a full field of Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts and Kruger finished in sixth place for the evening, but 2018 left some intense memories behind.

On February 3, a visiting driver from Polokwane spun out exiting the corner.

Kruger tried to avoid him by passing in front, but he decided to pull off and Kruger collided with him, resulting in him leaving the track with a dislocated hip and giving his car a slight makeover.

2019 was also a year that Kruger will never forget.

In June/July, she managed to roll her car with a little help from another competitor, but still managed to complete her race once being checked out my medics on site. In their race on the second lap, one of the competitors (Pieter van Staden #202) spun out in the top corner and as everyone went over the infield trying to avoid him, the dust created clouds, making visibility very short-sighted.

“I braked so I wouldn’t hit him and then just felt a bump from the back, next thing I knew I was going for a tumble,” said Kruger.

It turned out the bump she felt at the back was a competitor whose car’s nose went underneath Kruger’s car which in turn tipped her over and sent her tumbling.

“Luckily, my car landed back on its wheels.”

The race was red flagged (stopped).

“I got out of my car to see how bad the damage was.

“The marshal and medics came straight to me to check me out and my dad came running from the pits to also see that I was alright.

“After I was cleared I asked the marshal if I was still allowed to continue racing, if my car was okay that is.

“I really needed to race since my engine had blown at the two previous events and I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms. I missed racing, I needed to race.

“I struggled with handling my car throughout the entire day, but some how after rolling my racing became much better,” said Kruger.

Despite everything that had happened, Kruger proceeded with her race.

“All my fellow competitors didn’t know why the race was stopped until I told them, they were so shocked.

“I wasn’t really worried about what I placed that day, I had no injuries and I still got to race and that’s all that mattered.

“I know my car isn’t the fastest and most of the time I can’t keep up with all the others, but I don’t race to win, I race because I enjoy it,” said Kruger.

At the Rockmania event recently, Kruger’s starter went up in smoke while testing her car.

She asked a fellow competitor to push start her for the rest of the evening.

Her brakes were giving problems and unfortunately in the second heat, a rose joint broke which resulted in Kruger having to withdraw from the event.

Even though Kruger went through all these ups and downs, she still manages to bring all her spirit to the track, enjoy her racing and despite the challenges, she rises up to the occasion and defeats the almost impossible.

“When you put your all into something you love, nothing can stop you.

“Even though I have only raced at Rietkuil Raceway, Mahem Raceway and The Rock, I will hopefully be able to expand my list once I’ve got a new (and faster) car,” said Kruger.