33 replies to this topic

[Rob Semmeling]

This thread is meant to provide an overview of early motorsport and motorsport-related events for cars in the Netherlands. You probably know car racing got off to a rather slow start here compared to other countries.

Motorcycle racing, on the other hand, started much earlier, and has a far richer and more varied history in the Netherlands - but that's another story.

The small number of events for cars does mean research is relatively easy, and unlike in some other countries a complete overview should be within reach - and here's a start! I am aware of this thread, but strongly favoured opening a fresh one. This new topic will take away some of the question marks raised earlier.

The Netherlands was first introduced to motor racing with the 1898 Paris-Amsterdam-Paris road race, organized by the Automobile Club de France. Considering the first privately owned automobile in the Netherlands was registered, I believe, only two years earlier, it must have been quite something!

I will start off with a reasonably detailed account of this race - focussing largely on the happenings within the Netherlands - compiled from various newspapers.

1898 - Paris-Amsterdam-Paris

As you probably know, there were two main classes: the leisurely 'tourist class', which completed a slightly shorter route, and the 'racing class', which was all about being the quickest as the name suggests.

The 'tourist' drivers left Villiers-sur-Marne near Paris on Wednesday, 6 July 1898. At 9.20 in the morning the first car took off. The second car followed ten minutes later, and the others ensued with half a minute intervals until finally everyone was away by 9.44 - Baron van Zuylen being the last to get going.

Stage one led the thirty vehicles to Reims, where the Delahaye of Guiet was first to arrive at 13.56, having averaged nearly 39 km/h. Seven cars did not complete the opening stage.

The following day, the remaining tourists drove from Reims to Chateau d'Ardenne in Belgium, a distance of 148 kilometres. There was relentless rain for nearly the entire stage, but only the number 128 Delahaye retired when it drove into a ditch after swerving to avoid a horse - a clash between the old and modern.

The 'racers' had meanwhile started their competition as well, leaving from Villiers at 8.30 and heading for Chateau d'Ardenne to meet up with the tourists.

On Friday both groups again had the same destination, the city of Nijmegen in the Netherlands. However, the tourists started from Jupille-sur-Meuse near Liège at 8.40, whereas the racers got underway from yesterday's finishing place Chateau d'Ardenne at 7.20.

The first car to reach the checkpoint at the Scharnerweg in Maastricht, just across the Dutch border, was the number 111 tricycle of Degrais at 8.52, while the first racer arrived at 11.15 - the number 11 Amédée of Gaudry, which reportedly had eight horsepower. There was great interest from the locals, many of whom likely had never seen an automobile.

Both drivers were also the first to reach the next checkpoint in Roermond, where law enforcers again had plenty of work controlling the crowds. The times of the first ten to arrive reveal the racing class was surprisingly close:

#11 Gaudry - 12.23
#1 Charron - 12.25
#3 Clément - 12.27
#36 Breuil - 12.28
#4 Adam - 12.30
#31 Boleé - 12.34
#69 Marcellin - 12.35
#19 Petit 12.35
#14 Loysel 12.39
#2 Bourgiéres - 12.41

The first to arrive at the final destination of the day, Nijmegen, was the number 111 tricycle of Degrais, who had been in the lead the entire day. Likewise, Gaudry in car number 11 was the first racer there. As usual there were festivities in the evening.

On Saturday, a ferryboat first took all cars across the Waal river, for there was no bridge yet. After that the race resumed. Both groups made their way to Amsterdam, the racers leaving first this time.

It was again Gaudry who completed the stage quickest: he was first to arrive at the finish in Amsterdam, near the cacao factory on the road to Abcoude. It had taken him two hours and 36 minutes to drive from Nijmegen to the Dutch capital. Clément in the number 3 car arrived less than a minute in arrears.

Exactly two hours later Degrais was again the first tourist.

There was no driving on Sunday, but rather an informal - and rather minimal - 'exhibition' at the 'Paleis voor Volksvlijt'. The vehicles had been placed roughly in a square, but without any further information or explanation. Some drivers had opened their engine covers however, allowing visitors a fascinating look at the unfamiliar technology underneath.

The participants furthermore had not had time to clean their cars, so all were covered in dust and mud! All in all, the exhibition was rather meagre and there was not as much interest from the public as had been expected.

The return leg to Paris started on Monday morning: the tourists headed back to Nijmegen, while the racers drove as far as Liège.

Let's take another look at the times of arrival of the racers at the checkpoint in Roermond:

#11 Gaudry - 12.13
#3 Clément - 12.13
#2 Bourgiéres - 12.13
#1 Charron - 12.14
#6 De Knyff - 12.16
#49 Levegh - 12.44

It really was close - Clément overtook Gaudry at the Kappeler Gate in Roermond! But then Gaudry suffered some sort of tyre failure at the Linnerweg, which cost him a lot of time. It is not clear whether he made the next checkpoint in Maastricht - a crying shame as he had been fastest for pretty much the whole race.

There were many further retirements that day: Bollée in car number 31 hit a fence on the Arnhemseweg near Lent, while the axle of number 44 broke near Reuver. Car 115 of Noirel caught fire near Elst, but the driver was still hopeful he could resume driving the following day.

There was one incident in particular that warrants further examination: the newspaper 'De Nieuwe Koerier' mentions a car hit a tree near Maastricht, and that its driver suffered minor injuries.

However, that is not what the 'Maas en Roerbode' tells us: at the Kruisberg in Beek, near Maastricht, a car collided with a tree and ended up in a ditch. While the driver escaped with only a wet suit, his passenger got caught underneath the vehicle. He was severely injured on arms and shoulder, and according to the newspaper succumbed shortly after the accident.

If correct, this would be the fourth recorded fatality in motor racing.

After the cars had left the Netherlands, the newspapers apparently lost interest. Charron ultimately was the overall winner of Paris-Amsterdam-Paris - although Gaudry (a pseudonym of Étienne Giraud) may well have taken taken the honours had he not been so unlucky.

Further information may be found in this old TNF thread.

Incidentally, there is a really amusing footnote to this event. Just days after the Paris-Amsterdam drive, posters and advertisements announcing a race between Brussels and Arnhem - organized by the Union des Automobiles Belges - appeared near cafés and coffee houses in Maastricht. The cars would pass town around three o'clock some afternoon.

Naturally, many interested people gathered at said time on the main road near the cafés, where they got refreshments while they waited for the racers to arrive. But no matter how long the crowd waited, automobiles were nowhere to be seen - turned out the café owners had put up fake posters in a cunning move to attract customers!

[Rob Semmeling]

So what other early automobile-related events were there in the Netherlands?

There were the sprint meetings in Scheveningen, first held in August 1902, and repeated at irregular intervals at least three times, in 1906, 1922 and 1923.

The NAC - Dutch Automobile Club - furthermore organized several regularity/reliability drives, aimed at promoting the use of cars. The first of these took place in September 1903 and included four stages over a total distance of more than 700 kilometres.

A similar event took place in May 1905. Day one took the 28 participants from Amsterdam to Maastricht, day two from Maastricht to Leeuwarden, day three from Leeuwarden to The Hague. These distances are considerable even on today's roads. I can't imagine what it must have been like back then - tiresome, to say the least!

Arriving too early or late apparently cost the driver a fine of 2.50 guilders!

A further regularity/reliability drive was held in April 1914 by the KNAC - which by now was royal, hence the extra character for 'Koninklijke' or Royal.

The first real car races seem to have unrecognized / unofficial, taking place at the Raayberg cycling track in Bergen op Zoom in 1916. I have been unable to find anything about the meeting - in fact, the only reference to it is found in the book '50 Jaar Zandvoort, 100 Jaar Autosport', published in 1998.

It contains a photo of the races, which are otherwise mentioned only in the caption. The book furthermore vaguely mentions more such 'wild' or unofficial races took place, but fails to provide concrete information. All in all, the book sadly does not live up to its title and paints a rather incomplete picture of autosport in the Netherlands.


Moving on, there was a non-stop drive from Maastricht to Nijmegen in December 1920.

In July 1923, the KNAC celebrated its 25th jubilee with a sprint meeting in Bussum. The sprint, for both motorcycles and cars, was held over one kilometre at the Grindweg in Bussum.

There were about 80 entries, and a particular highlight would have been the battle between Dutch amateur racer Wiemann with his 7-litre Mercedes, and German professional Hörner with a 21.5-litre, 200 horsepower Benz racing car. Unfortunately, I haven't found any results - so who won I cannot say.

In September 1927, the KNAC organized a 24-hour regularity/reliability trial on a closed course over public roads between Horn-Baexem-Kelpen-Grathem-Horn in the province of Limburg. There were 27 entries of sixteen different makes.

This trial was repeated the following year on what seems to be a shortened version of the course, which measured some 18 kilometres and ran between Grathem-Baexem-Kelpen-Grathem. The prescribed speed had been raised from 40 to 50 km/h. Drivers were allowed a stop to refuel every twelve laps.

Twenty-three participants started, among them the then-famous lady driver Ines Keil-Folville, who has her own thread at TNF here.

Local newspaper 'De Nieuwe Koerier' published a detailed report of this interesting event. There is one anecdote too good not to mention. A driver named Kiderlan had completed 56 laps without incurring penalty points, when all of a sudden he developed the irresistible urge for a glass of beer. He thus pulled over in Grathem to have a drink - thereby ruining his otherwise faultless performance! But just to prove that at least his car was in fine condition, he subsequently took off and completed the circuit in 12 minutes 23 seconds at nearly 90 km/h on average - an unofficial lap record I suppose!

Ultimately, 67 laps were completed in total, and seven drivers remained penalty-free. The intention seems to have been to organize the event again in 1929 - raising the prescribed speed to 55 km/h - but seeing I found no further references this presumably did not happen.


The first official car race in the Netherlands took place in May 1933 on a grass track in the village of Beek, near Maastricht. Indeed - the same place which had already seen the Paris-Amsterdam drive the previous century. The races had in fact been scheduled for October the previous year, but rain had rendered the grass track unusable and so the racing was postponed.

Due to a clash with some other event, the entry was surprisingly poor: of only eleven entrants, nine actually started the races. The crowds showed up in huge numbers however, 10.000 people lining the small grass track.

The Beek grass track races seem to have been repeated in December of the same year. A local newspaper describes a practice accident by Briers from The Hague, who overturned his car despite it being equiped with 200 kilos of sand for better road holding...!

The grass track races in Beek seem to have sparked similar races at horse racing tracks elsewhere: at Zuylensteyn in Rotterdam circa 1937-1938, and later also at Duyndicht in Wassenaar.

The first off-road race - perhaps better described as a rally - took place in 1938 and was known as the 'Slag bij Oldebroek' or battle near Oldebroek.

Discussions for proper circuit racing apparently go back to 1937, but the first such race finally took place at the 2284 metres long Zandvoort street circuit in 1939 - although it was a one-off until the permanent course opened in 1948.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Rob Semmeling
In July 1923, the KNAC celebrated its 25th jubilee with a sprint meeting in Bussum. The sprint, for both motorcycles and cars, was held over one kilometre at the Grindweg in Bussum.
There were about 80 entries, and a particular highlight would have been the battle between Dutch amateur racer Wiemann with his 7-litre Mercedes, and German professional Hörner with a 21.5-litre, 200 horsepower Benz racing car. Unfortunately, I haven't found any results - so who won I cannot say.

My notes, probably taken from a contemporary Autosport, say Hörner was "successful", which may or may not mean he won.
I also have Ernst Sauer in a small Mercedes and Jochems in a 28/95 as class winners in an unnamed Dutch speed trial which was not Scheveningen but may have been Bussum - or a third event?
I presume you have the results of the 1922 and 1923 Scheveningen events? (Possibly on the earlier thread, which I'm too lazy to check).
I also have a note that MG drivers Herkuleyns and Hertzberger took part in a race for ‘sprint cars’ held on the velodrome at Rotterdam’s Woudesteyn Stadium in 1936

[Henk]

Originally posted by David McKinney
I also have a note that MG drivers Herkuleyns and Hertzberger took part in a race for ‘sprint cars’ held on the velodrome at Rotterdam’s Woudesteyn Stadium in 1936

Races at the Woudenstein dirt track were organized on 20 September 1936 as an attempt to introduce midget car racing in The Netherlands.

The event consisted of a series of 12 three-car heat races over four laps. The overall winner, determined by highest heat points total, was the British midget car driver Walter Mackereth.

Other competitors included well-known drivers Tom Sulman and Harry Skirrow, as well as White, Wills, Rayness, Patterson, Farnell and Diehl. The latter won the additional handicap race.
[Any information about these drivers and their cars?]

There were no Dutch participants. To honour his class win at Montlhéry (6 September 1936), Hans Herkuleyns completed an honorary lap but was not allowed to take part in the races. His MG did not comply with technical regulations of midget car racing.

[David McKinney]

Thanks for the clarification, Henk

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by David McKinney

I presume you have the results of the 1922 and 1923 Scheveningen events? (Possibly on the earlier thread, which I'm too lazy to check).

Info on Scheveningen 1922/1923 in this earlier thread: http://forums.autosp...&threadid=34974

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Henk

Races at the Woudenstein dirt track were organized on 20 September 1936 as an attempt to introduce midget car racing in The Netherlands.

The event consisted of a series of 12 three-car heat races over four laps. The overall winner, determined by highest heat points total, was the British midget car driver Walter Mackereth.

Other competitors included well-known drivers Tom Sulman and Harry Skirrow, as well as White, Wills, Rayness, Patterson, Farnell and Diehl. The latter won the additional handicap race.
[Any information about these drivers and their cars?]

There's been mention of the "doodlebugs" here before:

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=47227

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=18121

These might help too:

http://www.bsafwdc.co.uk/page21.php

http://www.speedways...asp?NewsId=8958

http://www.motorbook...sp?bookid=75411

[hansfohr]

In July 1923, the KNAC celebrated its 25th jubilee with a sprint meeting in Bussum. The sprint, for both motorcycles and cars, was held over one kilometre at the Grindweg in Bussum.

My great uncle Clé Jeltes (in a Delahaye if I rightly recall) was one of the participants.

The Bussummer Grindweg connects Bussum with my hometown Hilversum.

Edited by hansfohr, 02 April 2010 - 17:59.

[Vitesse2]

This probably relates to Rob's comments about 1937 at the end of the second post in this thread, but totally coincidentally today I came across a short piece in Motor Sport April 1938, most likely written by John Hugenholz, mentioning a possible planned circuit near Apeldoorn and plans for not only a Formula race but two 1500cc races, several sports car races, a handicap for local drivers and three or four bike races. There's nothing like being over-ambitious!

[hansfohr]

This probably relates to Rob's comments about 1937 at the end of the second post in this thread, but totally coincidentally today I came across a short piece in Motor Sport April 1938, most likely written by John Hugenholz, mentioning a possible planned circuit near Apeldoorn

In the mid 50's there were still such plans. The Terlet airfield in between Apeldoorn and Arnhem was scheduled to be part of the track. There had been serious talks between the local government, the Royal Dutch Auto Club (KNAC), an oilcompany and potential investors from Arnhem. But like so many plans for a second permanent circuit in the Netherlands it never came to fruitation.

Edited by hansfohr, 02 April 2010 - 22:37.

[hansfohr]

Races at the Woudenstein dirt track were organized on 20 September 1936 as an attempt to introduce midget car racing in The Netherlands. The event consisted of a series of 12 three-car heat races over four laps. The overall winner, determined by highest heat points total, was the British midget car driver Walter Mackereth.

RESULTS (win 2 points, 2nd 1 point)

Heat 1
1. White 1.53.8
2. Sulman 1.54.8

Heat 2
1. Mackereth 1.53.4
2. Wills 2.00.6

Heat 3
1. Diehl 1.51.6
2. Skirrow 1.56.6

Heat 4
1. Skirrow 1.53.0
2. Sulman 1.54.0

Heat 5
1. Mackereth 1.49.0
2. White 1.52.2

Heat 6
1. Raynes 1.55.4
2. Farnell 1.57.0

Heat 7
1. Wills 1.53.4
2. Raynes 1.54.0

Heat 8
1. Mackereth 1.51.2
2. Sulman 1.52.2

Heat 9
1. Skirrow 1.48.4
2. White 1.49.0

Heat 10
1. White 1.57.0
2. Wills 1.57.2

Heat 11
1. Diehl 1.49.0
2. Sulman 1.52.0

Heat 12
1. Mackereth 1.42.6
2. Skirrow 1.54.4

Extra handicap race (4 laps)
1. Diehl 1.51.6
2. Mackereth 1.52.2

Edited by hansfohr, 03 April 2010 - 10:23.

[hansfohr]

At least 15.000 spectators attended the midgetcar races at Duindigt on 13. October 1946. Apart from the British drivers there were four Dutch participants (Van Aartsen, Binda, Cremer, Fangelder) and two very swift Spanish competitors (Martinez, Aymericc).

RESULTS

Race 1
1. Maxton 3.38
2. Mackereth 3.38.4
3. Patterson 3.38.8

Race 2
1. Martinez 2.49.0 (?)
2. Chiswell 2.48.2 (?)
3. Gardiner 2.53.0

Race 3
1. Young 2.35.0
2. Chiswell 2.35.2
3. Maxton 2.36.4

Race 4 (Spain versus England)
1. Aymericc 2.41.8
2. Patterson 2.42.0

Race 5
1. Crowley 2.36.4
2. Mackereth 2.37.0
3. Breese 2.43.4

Race 6
1. Chiswell 2.36.0
2. Young 2.36.4
3. Patterson 2.42.6

Race 7
1. Crowley 2.42.2
2. Maxton 2.42.4
3. Breese 2.46.8

Race 8
1. Chiswell 2.26.0
2. Crowley 2.27.6
3. Mackereth 2.29.0

Race 9
1. Patterson 2.43.0
2. Maxton 2.43.1
3. Martinez 2.44

Race 10
1. Patterson 2.43.0
2. Maxton 2.43.1
3. Martinez 2.44.0

Race 11 [only Dutch]
1. Van Aartsen (500 cc J.A.P.) 3.13
2. Cremer 3.14
3. Binda 3.30.8
4. Fangelder 3.43.8

Race 12
Van Aartsen challenged Mackereth for a 2 lap duel. He was given a 50 meter advantage at the start and just beat the European champion!
1. Van Aartsen 1.47.2
2. Mackereth 1.47.6

Edited by hansfohr, 03 April 2010 - 08:12.

[hansfohr]

In July 1923, the KNAC celebrated its 25th jubilee with a sprint meeting in Bussum. The sprint, for both motorcycles and cars, was held over one kilometre at the Grindweg in Bussum.

A sprintrace (spread out over two days: 2. and 3. July) took place in my backgarden, just a few miles away! The touring class cars ran two by two.

RESULTS (only 3. July)

Touring model 1500-2500 cc
(entries: 10, participating: 8)

1. C.A. Wertheim Aymes (Lancia, 2,12 L)
standing start: 48 sec. (75 km/h)
flying start: 36 sec. 100 km/h)
2. R. Visser (Talbot, 2,12 L)
standing start: 52,4 sec (69 km/h)
flying start: 40,6 sec. (89 km/h)
3. P.J. Bastiaans (Apollo, 2,45 L)
standing start: 54,2 sec (67 km/h)
flying start: 42,8 km/h (84 km/h)

Touring model 3500-4500 cc
(entries: 4, participating: 3)
1. G. Tindal (Voisin, 3,9 L)
standing start: 48 sec (75 km/h)
flying start: 34,6 sec. (105 km/h)
2. E. Kimman (Auburn, 4,02 L)
standing start: 49,8 sec (36 km/h)
flying start: 39,8 sec. (90 km/h)
3. J. Mulder (Oldsmobile)
only flying start

Race model 1500-2500 cc
(entries: 1, participating: 1)
1. A.H. Stuhr (Dürkopp, 2,08 L)
standing start: 54 sec (67 km/h)
flying start: 28,4 sec (94 km/h)

Race model 2500-3500 cc
(entries: 3, participating: 2)
1. J.P. Teding van Berkhout (Durant, 3,5 L)
standing start: 44,4 sec (81 km/h)
flying start: 34 sec (106 km/h)
2. Ch. de Koff (Chevrolet, 2,8 L)
standing start: 49,2 sec (73 km/h)
flying start: 37,8 sec (118 km/h)

Race model + 6500 cc
1. Franz Hörner ('Blitzen' Benz, 21,5 L)
standing start: 33,2 sec (108 km/h)
flying start: 21,6 sec (167 km/h)
2. Th. Wiemann (Mercedes 28/95, 7,26 L)
standing start: 33,8 sec (107 km/h)
flying start: 23,4 sec (154 km/h)

Rasse (Mercedes)
flying start 27 sec.

Edited by hansfohr, 05 April 2010 - 15:51.

[Rob Semmeling]

There's nothing like being over-ambitious!

Well ambition was never the problem here... remember the 1935 Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled to take place at a circuit in Heerlen that was never built.

Also, for those keeping track, I have since found the 1916 race at the velodrome in Bergen op Zoom actually took place on 15 July 1917. As the KNAC did not give permission for this race the two participants, Hans Herkuleyns and a driver named H. Grijseels (anyone got a first name for him?) were suspended until 1 September 1917.

[Rob Semmeling]

Maybe also of interest to some: a Formula 3 race was scheduled to take place on the velodrome in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium on 18 September 1949. Stirling Moss, John Habin, Peter Collins and Lex Beels were among the entrants. Other than a brief preview in a newspaper I found nothing so the race was almost certainly cancelled.

[hansfohr]

Announcement 'Automobiel Rennen' in Beek, 20. August 1933




In 1932 a race at Beek was destined to take place on 23. October, but due to heavy rainfall the event was canceled.
Scheduled were two 100 lap races (65 km) for cars up to 750 cc and subsequently 751-1200 cc.

Edited by hansfohr, 04 April 2010 - 06:56.

[hansfohr]

In September 1927, the KNAC organized a 24-hour regularity/reliability trial on a closed course over public roads between Horn-Baexem-Kelpen-Grathem-Horn in the province of Limburg. There were 27 entries of sixteen different makes.

For those who are interested: the event started on friday 7. September 1927 at 16.00 hrs.

Edited by hansfohr, 04 April 2010 - 20:46.

[hansfohr]

1939 Zandvoort street race

Entries: http://roermond.x-cago.com/kranten/article...ords=Gatsonides

Edited by hansfohr, 05 April 2010 - 14:12.

[hansfohr]

1939 Zandvoort street race

Practice, 2. June: http://roermond.x-ca...ords=Gatsonides

Practice, 3 June: http://roermond.x-ca...p;words=Nortier

Edited by hansfohr, 05 April 2010 - 14:08.

[hansfohr]

1939 Zandvoort street race

RACEREPORT

http://roermond.x-ca...p;words=Nortier

http://roermond.x-ca...p;words=Nortier

Edited by hansfohr, 05 April 2010 - 14:11.

[David McKinney]

Practice link doesn't work...

[hansfohr]

Practice link doesn't work...

Restored.

[hansfohr]

The first off-road race - perhaps better described as a rally - took place in 1938 and was known as the 'Slag bij Oldebroek' or battle near Oldebroek.

Extensive (Dutch) racereport 'Slag bij Oldebroek' 1938

http://roermond.x-ca...O-19380310-7006 (preview)

http://roermond.x-ca...O-19380314-7010

http://roermond.x-ca...O-19380314-7009

http://roermond.x-ca...O-19380314-7008

Edited by hansfohr, 05 April 2010 - 14:44.

[hansfohr]

The talented Hans (Harry) Herkuleijns was one of the most popular Dutch prewar racers. After a 13 year long career in motorcycling he made a succesful switch to sportcar racing with MG's. He decided to quit bikeracing after he broke both legs after a huge accident in the Amsterdam Olympic stadium in 1931. He is seen here in the Binnengasthuis hospital in Amsterdam.

Edited by hansfohr, 05 April 2010 - 20:00.

[hansfohr]

1939 Zandvoort street race

HRH Prins Bernard checks out the V12 engine of Hans Stuck's streamlined Auto Union C Rekordwagen.

Edited by hansfohr, 06 April 2010 - 11:22.

[Henk]

This probably relates to Rob's comments about 1937 at the end of the second post in this thread, but totally coincidentally today I came across a short piece in Motor Sport April 1938, most likely written by John Hugenholz, mentioning a possible planned circuit near Apeldoorn and plans for not only a Formula race but two 1500cc races, several sports car races, a handicap for local drivers and three or four bike races. There's nothing like being over-ambitious!

Dr. Wessel Wessel, chemical engineer and patent attorney in Arnhem, was the brains behind the numerous proposals in the 1930s to build a circuit in the area between Apeldoorn and Arnhem. His ambitious 1938 initiative concerned a track on the Spelderholt country estate, near the village of Beekbergen.

Finding a solid financial base was the major problem. Together with Hans Hugenholtz, Wessel therefore established a foundation, the ‘Stichting Nederlandsche Auto- en Motorrenbaan’, to serve as a fund-raising body by offering certificates of deposit in denominations of 250 Dutch guilders.

This wasn’t a success. There were rumours about fraud and land speculation. Moreover, the majority of the city council of Apeldoorn strongly opposed Sunday racing. The plans faded away, and the following year Spelderholt was purchased by the Dutch State Forest Service.

[Rob Semmeling]

I've lost track of how many circuit proposals there were in the Netherlands. Probably more than a dozen.

The earliest I found dated from 1922, which I find very remarkable since that was well before the first real circuit race in this country, but also before any other permanent circuits were built in Europe, with the exception of Brooklands and possibly Monza.

[Henk]

My great uncle Clé Jeltes (in a Delahaye if I rightly recall) was one of the participants.

NRC, 4 July 1923

First in Class V with Lancia…..

[Henk]

Also, for those keeping track, I have since found the 1916 race at the velodrome in Bergen op Zoom actually took place on 15 July 1917. As the KNAC did not give permission for this race the two participants, Hans Herkuleyns and a driver named H. Grijseels (anyone got a first name for him?) were suspended until 1 September 1917.

Apparently members of the Sports Commission of the Automobile Club were unaware of the fact that they lacked authority to penalize Herkuleyns and Grijseels.


1917

1960

At the Raayberg velodrome the two drivers had competed in cyclecars: Herkuleyns in a French Bédélia (apparently with sponsorship by the Dutch tire manufacturer Vredestein), Grijseels in an American Imp (?).

In 1912, the Fédération Internationale des Clubs Motocyclistes (FICM) had formally ‘adopted’ cyclecar racing and touring in the UK, USA, Canada, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria and Germany. As a consequence, the Royal Dutch Motorcyclists' Federation (KNMV) became the only official body to control and develop competitive cyclecar events in The Netherlands.

In the 1920s occasional cyclecar races were organized on grass tracks….

[Photos: Historical Centre, ‘Het Markiezenhof’, Bergen op Zoom]

[Raido]

I'm currently recreating the Zandvoort 1939 circuit for use in computer simulations.

First driveable track version is done, to be released for rFactor. Possibly later to appear for GTR2 and/or other simulations as well. Although you can drive it as of now, it's still very much in 'alpha'-state though. Illustrations and photos of the real track would be welcome. Would like to get a more complete overview of trackside objects, dunes, houses, etc.

[hansfohr]

I'm currently recreating the Zandvoort 1939 circuit for use in computer simulations.

First driveable track version is done, to be released for rFactor. Possibly later to appear for GTR2 and/or other simulations as well. Although you can drive it as of now, it's still very much in 'alpha'-state though. Illustrations and photos of the real track would be welcome. Would like to get a more complete overview of trackside objects, dunes, houses, etc.

These images might be helpful: http://www.zandvoort...oudcircuit.html
row 2 (left)
row 3 (left)
row 7 (left and right)

And here are a few maps:
http://www.racingspo...1939-06-03t.jpg
http://www.silhouet....ks/zand1939.jpg

[Raido]

Some good pictures there Hans, thanks. They'll likely come in handy at some point.

[Bartus Garoulaitis]

This probably relates to Rob's comments about 1937 at the end of the second post in this thread, but totally coincidentally today I came across a short piece in Motor Sport April 1938, most likely written by John Hugenholz, mentioning a possible planned circuit near Apeldoorn and plans for not only a Formula race but two 1500cc races, several sports car races, a handicap for local drivers and three or four bike races. There's nothing like being over-ambitious!

Hithere, being from the neighbourhood, and a racefan, I would like to know some more about this. Is the article still availble somewhere?

 

Bartus(who is about to add a third contender in the Zandvoort-Assen discussion)

[Vitesse2]

Dutch Dabblings, Motor Sport, April 1938:

 

https://www.motorspo...dutch-dabblings

 

Click on the thumbnail on the right to view the original.