Michael Van rooyen

Michael van Rooyen, known as the "Rustenburg Rocket," is a seasoned South African racing driver with a career spanning over two decades. Born and raised in Rustenburg, the platinum mining capital, Van Rooyen didn't begin his motorsport journey until after high school. Despite lacking formal training, his passion propelled him to success. He is a director of a steel construction company and a family man, balancing his professional life with his racing career. He is a prominent figure in South African motorsport and currently races for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA in the Global Touring Cars (GTC) series.

Van Rooyen's racing journey began in karting, where he achieved significant success, including winning the 125 GP Karting National Championship in 2004 and finishing fifth at the Rotax Max World Championships in 2005. Transitioning to saloon cars in 2005, he competed in the Polo Cup and later in the Bridgestone Production Cars series, driving for Ford, Opel, and Chevrolet between 2008 and 2015. He joined Toyota Gazoo Racing SA in 2019, driving a GTC Toyota Corolla. In 2020, he secured a significant victory at the Red Star Raceway, marking his first win of the season and the first for the new GTC Toyota Corolla.

Throughout his career, Van Rooyen has demonstrated his ability to push limits, particularly in wet weather conditions. He identifies his strengths as excelling on new tires and in challenging conditions. In March 2021, he achieved a career-first win at Killarney Raceway. Van Rooyen acknowledges the support of his stepfather and Calvyn Hamman in his motorsport journey. His favorite categories include karting 125GP, Rotax RM1, Polo Cup, Production Cars, and GTC.