LIEZEL Gouws is conquering the drag racing world after being the youngest person in the state’s drag racing history to have won The Gulf Western Oil 51st Winternationals championships in the Junior Dragster category.
The 11-year-old claimed the Australian championship title after racing against more than 50 cars with drivers aged from eight to 17 years at the final round of the Australian Championship Series at Willowbank, Ipswich.
Her time was was 8.6 seconds at 123kph on a 200m track.
The Gouws family have been passionate about drag racing cars and motorbikes, with Liezel’s grandparents, father and uncle, who was the South African A super stock champion, racing in South Africa.
Liezel said she began racing two years ago to follow the family tradition.
“The thing I like about drag racing is the speed and all the friends I get to make,” she said.
Liezel’s sporting career kicked off fast, marking her first achievement at the Queensland Drag Racing Championship in her first year competing by having a perfect light – the reaction time before the green light turns on.
“I got a 000, which is really hard to achieve because it takes some people three years to get a perfect light,” she said.
Liezel said she was not expecting the win but was glad with the outcome.
“It’s pretty amazing to know that I am the second girl in 32 years to have won it,” she said.
“The girl that won it before was Kelly Bettes who is one of my biggest inspirations.
“She has just won the Top Fuel Championship so I feel pretty happy that girls are going up in the world in drag racing.”
Drag racing must run through the veins of the Gouws family, with Liezel’s brother Stephan Junior also having won titles at the wheel.
The 25-year-old, who has competed for the past three years, won the national championship in his class last year but was unable to defend his title this year.
Stephan said he was still happy with his performance.
“Winning last year was a boyhood dream,” he said.
“Since I was 12 I spent every second near a track and when we came to Australia. It was something we kept doing with the family.
“I felt a little deflated (being runner up this year) but despite that beating over 60 cars in the whole country is still a great achievement.”
Stephan said he grew up near a drag racing track in South Africa where he got to watch family members compete.
The duo will continue to compete through the Queensland Drag Racing Championship season.
Jocelyn Garcia
Jocelyn is a journalist at the Redland City Bulletin, covering education issues and school stories. She was a former journalist at Beaudesert Times, reporting about crime, schools and agriculture.
Jocelyn is a journalist at the Redland City Bulletin, covering education issues and school stories. She was a former journalist at Beaudesert Times, reporting about crime, schools and agriculture.
