57 replies to this topic

[Tim Murray]

Jan Alsemgeest posted this in another thread:
 

Sad news today.

Mr Frank de Jong from Touringcarracing.net died some days ago.



He help me a lot with all my projects.

Many thanks hero.

RIP Frank...

Frank was a long-standing member of this forum whose touring car racing website is a wonderfully useful resource:

http://touringcarracing.net/

He told us a few years ago that he was unwell, but this still comes as a great shock. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

RIP Frank.

[E1pix]

Oh, that's really sad.

RIP.

[john winfield]

Thanks, Tim and Jan. That's very sad news. RIP Frank, and thanks for sharing all your research.

[nexfast]

That's terrible news. I never met Frank personally but I had the privilege of giving him some help with his brilliant site and we corresponded often all through the years. I was telling myself the other day that I had promised him a few more information snippets on the Spanish Championship that I had not delivered and now this. So awfully sad. 

[Henri Greuter]

Oh,

 

I met Frank several times over the years.

I knew this day was to come eventually.

It came way too early.

 

Frank was a hero in a manner that I can't share with all of you but please take my words: He was beyond brave and a massive inspiration for them who knew .....

I'll miss the updates and our drives to the Dutch Nostalgia forum meetings.

 

My sincere condolances with his family and loved ones.

Rest in peace dear Frank, thanks for all you've done for us.

 

Henri

[arttidesco]

Heart felt condolences to Franks family and many friends.

 

RIP Mr touringcarracing.net 

[alansart]

Sad news. I knew he'd not been well but I hoped he was getting over it.

We've had a few bits of contact regarding additions to the Touring Car site and like most of us on here was only too happy to help.

Thanks for everything Frank - RIP.

[Rob Ryder]

What sad , sad news....
 
You will always be fondly remembered through your Touring Car history..

R.I.P. Frank

[Allen Brown]

I am really sorry to hear this. I never met him, but correspended over many years and he was always so generous with his time.

RIP Frank.

[Doug Nye]

Yet more sad news - the past five days has, for us, been full of it.  Sincere condolences to Mr de Jong's family and friends... DCN

[GMiranda]

I was shocked when I heard about it, he was quite young. I have barely spoken with him, but I admire his work a lot

[DCapps]

Oh, my! Frank was a great guy and a wonderful asset to this forum. We had some really interesting exchanges over time and I was truly impressed with his work. My heartfelt condolences and thoughts to Frank's family and his many friends.

[Ray Bell]

I have never had that much to do with Frank, tintops not being my primary interest, but I remember his excitement about a passage I posted from Peter Brock regarding his Spa 24-hour drive with Gerry Marshall.

And just the other day I wanted to know about the 1950 Spa race and found nothing on his site so I sent him an e.mail...

Sadness prevails whenever somebody dies, none the less in this case. My condolences to all.

[Richard Jenkins]

Very sad news indeed. Frank was extremely dedicated and passionate about everything he did and quite modest about his achievements. He was never one to blow his own trumpet, but his site was a real labour of love and it shows.

 

RIP Frank.

[LittleChris]

What awful news. RIP Frank

[Jim Thurman]

I can only echo others in my sadness upon hearing this, and express my admiration for Frank's work and efforts. Frank contacted me years ago wondering if I could double check some info on the SCCA Trans-Am series and, hopefully provide a bit of extra info for his touring car website. I was able to do that very minor task and enjoyed the e-mail exchanges with him.

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[theracer120]

That is tragic, his website is invaluable as a touring car history resource and 59 is not a particularly old age to die at these days. Hopefully the site is at least preserved for the future.

[JanAlsemgeest]

Thanks Tim! This is very appriciated.

A shock for all of us.
His friends from the facebook group Dutch Historic Race & Rally Memories already suggested to take care of his legacy and his internetsite will be continued.
When there is news I will post it.

I borrowed the image from the facebook site of Hans Fohr so there is a face as well to this special person...



R.I.P. Frank.....

Edited by JanAlsemgeest, 14 March 2018 - 06:10.

[mountedwets]

I unfortunately never met him personally,but was most generous with his time,passion and knowledge when I was joining the historic dots on a some Group A cars I had at the time.
Genuine condolences to all his family and friends.

[Arjan de Roos]

Frank was always a regular at the Dutch TNF meetings. Knowledgeable and witty, sharp and intelligent. He had a great knowledge of not only tintops. He joined me some years ago to visit the Dutch Historic GP and showed also great interest in single seaters. 

 

We had great fun when at Zandvoort for a Dutch TNF meet as also Huub Vermeulen was around for a training. Not Lauda, Stewart or Ickx, but Huub was his boyhood hero, who was flattered and surprised! They had a great conversation you can imagine.

 

As Hans Fohr said some years ago in the ETC site thread: "What can I say? My old pal Frank should be rewarded the highest motorsport award for all his relentless tintop work."

 

My thoughts are with his family.

Edited by Arjan de Roos, 14 March 2018 - 07:12.

[ensign14]

Damn. RIP.  His work is such a tribute to him.

[Michael Ferner]

Beyond words...

[dmj]

RIP. One of the great contributors to big database of racing knowledge that makes our researches today so much easier than in old days.

[Terry Walker]

Far too young.

[wolf sun]

Oh no, lost for words here. What a sad day.

 

Sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

 

RIP Frank

[richardspringett]

Frank was exceptionally helpful, patient and generous with his time on my query of the racing history of my Alfa GTA; I am very appreciative and grateful.

 

Life is not fair at times.

 

My condolences to family and friends.

 

Richard

[MCS]

Very upsetting. Really didn't want to see this.  His work was nothing short of exemplary.

 

Wish I had met him and his many friends.  I tried, but failed.  Now of course I am in the Netherlands every six or seven weeks and all over the place.  Life is not fair.  God rest your soul, Frank and thank you.

[Henk A. Hazelaar]

I will miss you !

RIP Frank

 

Sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

 

Henk

[hansfohr]

My old pal Frank was a true motorsportfriend and such a nice modest and helpfull bloke. Only a week before Frank passed away I visited Frank with my elder brother. We spoke about the great races we attended since 1978 and about his inevitable fate. It was his his last wish that his incredible work should be continued. He wanted me to to fulfill his last wish. Obviously I didn't hesitate a split second. Goodbye my dear friend! http://touringcarracing.net/

Edited by hansfohr, 15 March 2018 - 00:11.

[Steffe Ornerdal]

So sad. Me and Frank was working togheter with our websites for almost 20 years.

[Alan Cox]

So vey sad to learn this news. I never met Frank, but he was always courtesy personified when we exchanged emails, and when I was able to provide him with photographs for his absolutely superb site. Condolences to Steffe and Hans, and all of the Dutch TNF community and to Frank's family. His diligent research, freely available to us all via the world-wide web, will be a lasting tribute to him

[Tim Murray]

It was his his last wish that his incredible work should be continued. He wanted me to to fulfill his last wish. Obviously I didn't hesitate a split second.

It's really good to know that Frank's work will go on. My very best wishes to you, Hans, for agreeing to take on this task.

[David Birchall]

Very sorry to hear this.  RIP Frank.

[Nanni Dietrich]

Sad sad news. 

 

Frank had many e-mail exchanges with me, until a few months ago, working for the Motorport Memorial website. Of which he was a great, great contributor, always gentle, accurate and precious.

[d j fox]

Very sad news indeed. I always enjoyed our e-mail exchanges and appreciated his passion for even the most obscure Touring car details.

He will be sadly missed. RIP Frank and sincere condolences to his family and many friends . 

 

David Fox

[Frank Verplanken]

How sad... Belated condolences to Frank's family and friends. Thanks to those keeping his legacy alive, Frank was one of the great pioneers of online motor racing history and his light brown pages have been the background color of many an enthusiast's hours of browsing, researching and discovering. It's good to know many more such hours will be enjoyed by racing history buffs around the world for years to come. RIP Frank.

[Leif Snellman]

Oh dear. He was one of the TNF "old gang." 

 

RIP

[lustigson]

Oh, that's sad to hear. I met Frank a few times at the Dutch TNF meetings. Condoleances to his family, and friends.

Edited by lustigson, 05 April 2018 - 10:03.

[Cavalier53]

Currently it seems all links to Franks' site are blank.

 

It is such an accurate record of touring car racing, including the records of my brother who passed away this week, and debunking the myth that Roelof Wunderink starting his career in a Simca. It was a Fiat 850 Idromatic .

 

Does anybody has a current link, please?

 

Respect for Frank's work.

 

Jan van der Graaf.

[GazChed]

Do you mean the touringcarracing.net website ? I have just managed to get straight on to it with no problems .

[E1pix]

Currently it seems all links to Franks' site are blank.
 
It is such an accurate record of touring car racing, including the records of my brother who passed away this week, and debunking the myth that Roelof Wunderink starting his career in a Simca. It was a Fiat 850 Idromatic .
 
Does anybody has a current link, please?
 
Respect for Frank's work.
 
Jan van der Graaf.

Sorry for your loss, Jan.

[Tim Murray]

I think it may have been only a temporary glitch. When I checked earlier, like Jan all I got was a blank white screen. Now it’s working OK again, for me anyway.

Sorry for your loss, Jan.

Agreed - sincere condolences to you, Jan, and to all his other family and friends.

[GazChed]

Sorry I misread your post Jan , thinking of you at this sad time .

[Michael Oliver]

Very sad news, 59 is far too young to go. Frank was a real enthusiast and his site is truly amazing. My sympathies are with his family and friends.

[Alan Cox]

I have to say I'm confused by the recent posts. I understood that Frank had died exactly a year ago, om the 10th March 2018. Is Jan Van Der Graf posting about one of Frank's successors who have been running the site? Sorry for the confusion.

[Tim Murray]

Frank de Jong died a year ago. Jan van der Graaf’s brother, who had contributed to Frank’s site, died earlier this week. I’m sure we are all united in offering our sincere condolences to Jan and his family and friends on their recent loss. We are also thinking of Frank and those close to him on this the anniversary of his death.

[GMiranda]

My deepest condolences to both families

[JanAlsemgeest]

Indeed Tim... We do.
Thanks for the nice words.
My toughts are with all friends an families.....

[Alan Cox]

Frank de Jong died a year ago. Jan van der Graaf’s brother, who had contributed to Frank’s site, died earlier this week. I’m sure we are all united in offering our sincere condolences to Jan and his family and friends on their recent loss. We are also thinking of Frank and those close to him on this the anniversary of his death.

Thanks for the explanation, Tim. I'm sorry to hear this news and offer condolences to Jan and family. The loss of two of the website's driving forces so close to each other is very sad news for this invaluable site, and I hope that Hans will be able to continue with it as a tribute to them both