Jay Pretorius

For Jay Pretorius, motorsport remains a dream job

Jay Pretorius (the navigator and co-driver for Boela Botes) is excited by the opportunities that have opened up thanks to his relatively new pairing at Schalk Burger Motorsport. And, given their recent performance, Jay might just be on to something. In fact, his first race as Boela’s right-hand man was at Parys last year when the pair finished fourth in the Ford 400 and managed a win in the TGRSA 400.

The 2 competed at the Sugarbelt 400 in the second round of this year’s South African National Cross-Country Series (SACCS) which took place outside Pietermaritzburg at the end of May. Despite dusty conditions and a slippery route following overnight rain, the pairing finished third in class A and sixth overall.

Jay has a background in off-road motorcycle racing and is already familiar with how the track markings work. This made the transition to 4 wheels a relatively smooth 1. The timing was fortuitous as Boela decided to return to off-road racing. Jay jumped at the chance, and the rest is history.

He remembers his first race as a navigator (the TGRSA 400) fondly. They weren’t expecting a podium finish and were completely taken aback when the results came in and they were not only first overall in the special vehicle category, but also first in their class! Jay says the prize giving was going to be cancelled as a massive storm was approaching. But such was the cheering of their crew, that the organisers relented and did the podium handover.

Jay wants to continue to help Boela finish every race in the best possible position. But even though doing well is important for Jay, he says that motorsport is something the entire family (from 2-year-old boetie to 80-year-old tannie) can enjoy, and it’s enough to just be part of it.