Henk Janse van Vuuren

Henk Janse van Vuuren: ‘Racing is all about mutual trust’

Navigator Henk Janse van Vuuren’s journey into the world of racing began when his father-in-law (Chris du Plooy) and brother-in-law (Christiaan) competed in the Absa Off-Road Championship in 2006. When Christiaan decided to switch from being the right-hand man to becoming a driver in 2008, he approached Henk, and their first race took place in Port Elizabeth. The rest, as they say, is history.

Henk learned much from Ewald van Rensburg who navigated for his father-in-law and Hennie ter Stege who navigated for Hannes Grobler. Now, 13 years later, he’s 1 of the most respected navigators around.

It was then perhaps fortunate that well-known mechanic Jean Els contacted Henk in March 2021, with the news that Schalk Burger was looking for a navigator. Needless to say, Henk jumped at the opportunity.

Their first race together was at the Baberspan 300 regional event a few weeks later. While they’ve only raced together in 2 events, Henk’s looking forward to the remainder of the season, and performing navigation duties for Schalk who’s driving the Mercedes Benz X-Class in the FIA class.

He feels that a navigator must bring a sense of calm, despite how tense the situation gets. Of course, being organised and well prepared also helps. Henk believes in the adage that failing to plan is planning to fail.

And while he believes that a navigator must be a good communicator, the most critical thing, according to Henk, is building mutual trust with the driver. After all, it’s his job to keep himself, the driver, and the car safe. Henk says that trust ultimately determines whether a race is a success or a failure. As such, he’s always looking for ways to improve his navigational skills. He takes time after each race to reflect on what he could’ve done differently to improve the team’s performance.

His advice for someone who’s interested in motor sports? To experience what the inside of a cockpit is like. ‘It’s very different to what people see on TV, or from the side of the track. And it’s the best way to find out if you’re truly passionate about racing.’