Lance Trethewey

Lance Trethewey: A South African racing icon through and through

You don’t get more experienced than rally driver Lance Trethewey. Currently leading in Class A of the 2021 SA National Cross-Country Car Championship after 3 rounds (the next event is the Vryburg 400, scheduled for 13 August) Lance has 3 decades of racing experience to call on when the tracks inevitably become bumpy for his BAT Venom.

Of course, motorsport is in his blood, as both his parents started racing when he was 10. But in the case of the Trethewey clan, they certainly have the pedigree to back it up. They’re 1 of the only families where everybody has regional colours – his parents for off-road cars, his sister for karting, and Lance himself for off-road bikes and cars.

His reputation certainly precedes him, having won 7 off-road bike championships, and 2 regional and 1 national off-road car championships. For him, competitive racing is unique to other sports due to the length of time the driver and navigator must concentrate. There’s simply no room for error as any mistake can potentially be life-threatening. Even so, Lance believes having fun is part of what makes racing great. It’s just a case of putting your game face on when it’s go-time.

With 2 young petrol head kids and a full-time job, Lance has precious little time to just sit back and relax. But this doesn’t stop him from wanting to get a full sponsored drive now, and the chance to race a Class FIA car in the long run. His passion and love for the sport make him an incredibly challenging competitor as the other racers know all too well.

For those youngsters who are interesting in becoming either drivers or navigators themselves, his advice is straightforward. ‘Start with off-road bikes and then move on to off-road cars. This teaches you how to read the road much better than starting in a car, and that skill is so valuable.’