Louw Pretorius of Trichardt wants to pursue off road racing as a career

TRICHARDT – Louw Pretorius (18) from Trichardt is the winner of the GXCC Championship 2018.

This matric learner from Hoërskool Secunda grew up on the farm Zeekoeigat between Trichardt and Bethal where he spends most of his free time riding motorcycles with his older brother, MW. They have a younger sister, Anéne Pretorius.

MW is 23 years old and is also an avid off-road racer who ended in ninth place overall in the OR 2 Pro Class for 2018.

He noticed Louw’s potential as dirt bike racer two years ago and encouraged him to take part in the Ride 4 Damian event held near Witbank last year.

Leon van der Westhuizen from VANS Racing in Middelburg spotted the raw talent of this newcomer who clinched the overall winner’s prize in his first ever race.

Louw and MW were offered a sponsorship and are now racing under the auspices of VANS Racing Division in Middelburg.

They also compete in the Farm Jam Racing being held just outside Middelburg once a month, and were also the overall winners for 2018 in their respective classes.

Louw has since devoted himself to this sport and his efforts paid off with an excellent year of racing in 2018.

He hopes to continue on the same path this year.

He competed in the 125cc high school category as part of the Northern Region GXCC Championship during which he faced clouds of dust, scores of mud puddles and high intensity speed throughout the year.

This is one of the categories in the series with a lot of entrants, many of whom are home-schooled so that they can focus just on practicing for their races.

Despite Louw’s hectic school workload and CrossFit, he still managed to win the championship last year.

He is focused on following a healthy lifestyle by following a wholesome diet and staying fit.

“I believe in keeping my body fit so that I can perform better on the bike. Your body takes a lot of beating and strain from endurance racing, so keeping fit is essential for any racer,” explained Louw.

He and his brother ride Husqvarna’s, one of the top brands in endurance racing.

The downside to this sport is the cost involved.

Motorbikes are expensive and the maintenance, transport, petrol and safety gear can tally up to exorbitant amounts.

“I need a full sponsorship if I want to continue this as a career,” he said.

Although he has a sponsorship from VANS, his parents are currently contributing to most of the cost.

Louw has decided to become a welding instructor once he is done with school.

He hopes to introduce his fulfilling sport to his school mates.

Louw invites all to attend the third leg of the GXCC Championship and race day that will be held on Zeekoeigat farm on 13 April.

Anyone is welcome.

There will be plenty of food and drinks to buy.

You only need to take along your camping chair and Gazebo.

Locals can also enter the races for two wheelers and four wheelers on that day.

The event begins at 8.30am, but make sure that you are there early so that you do not miss out on a big championship – the first time ever to be held in this area.