The 2025 DOE Formula Vee, partnered with CIM Lubri Fuel Championship, kicked off its 60th-anniversary season on Saturday, 1 March, at Zwartkops Raceway. Tjaden Tromp competed in his second season of the popular single-seater series. The opening round was filled with drama, skill, and a true display of sportsmanship, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting championship season.
After a strong showing at the Passion for Speed festival just weeks earlier, Tromp arrived at the Centurion-based circuit confident in his abilities and eager to challenge for the top spot in the Association Championship. However, the start of his season was met with challenges. A tough qualifying session on Saturday morning saw him line up 11th overall on the grid and remain upbeat and focused on the task ahead.
The race, however, proved to be a much more complicated affair. Just a few laps into the opening heat, Tromp found himself caught in an unfortunate situation as an incident unfolded ahead of him. In a desperate attempt to avoid the crash, he made contact, sustaining damage to his car that ultimately forced him to retire from the race. While the team worked tirelessly to make repairs in time for the final race, it became clear that continuing with the damaged car would not be feasible. However, a remarkable act of sportsmanship came from fellow driver Anriette van Wyk, who selflessly offered her racecar to Tjaden, allowing him to continue competing.
Starting from the back of the grid, Tromp demonstrated exceptional skill and composure as he quickly made his way through the field. Despite driving a car he was unfamiliar with, he fought his way into the top ten and ran as high as eighth at one point. His efforts, however, came at a cost. Pushing the car to its limits took its toll, and with engine temperatures rising, Tjaden was forced to ease off to prevent further damage. Unfortunately, his race was further marred when he came in underweight at the scales, resulting in his exclusion from the final race result.
Despite the disappointment of being omitted from the final race result, Tjaden quickly recognised the positive takeaway from the day’s events. “Anriette’s sportsmanship was amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful to her for offering me her car. I gave everything in that final heat, and while I’m disappointed to have been excluded from the result, I’m confident in my performance. It’s a great boost for my morale as we head into the next round, and hopefully, we can sort the car out as there was extensive damage today,” said Tjaden.
Tjaden would like to extend his heartfelt thanks to his primary sponsor, Pretoria Noord Toyota, as well as to DOE Quality Parts, Solergy Solutions, Man vs Machine, Solar Charge Solutions, Basically Branding, Renogy, and Forza Racing for their continued support.
The team now looks ahead to the next championship round, which will take place at the iconic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit from 11 to 12 April.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Tjaden Tromp
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