She is 17 years old, glamorous, has a twin sister and is the daughter of veteran rallyist, Etienne Lourens. Janine Lourens entered her first ever rally, the Bizarre Bathroom Rally in Tzaneen recently, and finished 13th overall and fifth in class in a 16v Toyota Tazz. But then she had her father, Etienne, with her in the car in the left hand seat to help her along.
Dad Etienne was very chuffed with her performance on her first rally. “She drove a very good rally and I was impressed with the way that she handled the car and conditions. There was a few times that I thought we were not going to make it through a corner, but we made it without any hitches”, he said.
Janine said afterwards that she had a most enjoyable rally. “I learned a lot and I love the speed especially on the straights when I can floor it”.
Having her father next to her did not bother her. “He did not shout at me once, but he was quick to tell me to go faster”, she said.
Growing up in a family where rallying and motorsport is a way of life, it was only natural that Janine and her twin sister, Michelle, would follow their father’s example. Michelle has already had her first experience of sitting behind the wheel of a rally car, but she did not finish. She was also very proud of her twin sister’s achievement over the weekend. The next Northern Regions Rally will see her behind the wheel of the Tazz as the sisters alternate to compete.
Two new talented rallyists for the future have arrived on the scene and make no mistake, they intend making their mark.