John Hugenholtz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Hugenholtz
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Hugenholtz in 1961
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| Born | October 31, 1914 Vledder, Netherlands
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| Died | March 25, 1995 (aged 80) Bentveld, Netherlands
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| Known for | Designing racing circuits |
| Children | 1 |
Johannes Bernhardus Theodorus "Hans" Hugenholtz, also known as John Hugenholtz, was a famous Dutch designer. Born on October 31, 1914, he became well-known for creating exciting race tracks and helping to design cars. He passed away on March 25, 1995.
John Hugenholtz's Early Life
John Hugenholtz's father was also named John. He was a Protestant minister and worked for peace. His family moved to different towns in the Netherlands when John was young.
John Hugenholtz studied to become a lawyer. He also worked as a journalist. But his real passion was always cars. When he was younger, he even raced motorcycles as a hobby.
Sadly, John and his wife, Marianne Sophie van Rheineck Leyssius, were in a car accident in January 1995. His wife passed away right away. John died from his injuries two months later at home.
John's son, Hans Hugenholtz Jr., born in 1950, also became a race car driver.
Designing Amazing Race Tracks
John Hugenholtz designed many race tracks used for Formula One races. These tracks were known for being challenging and having smart, new features. He thought a lot about driver safety.
One of his clever ideas was using special "catch fences." These were like multiple layers of strong, stretchy fences. They were designed to slow down and safely catch cars that went off the track. This helped to keep drivers safer than older, solid barriers. Later, a similar idea was used to create the SAFER barrier for other race tracks.
Some of the famous tracks he designed include:
- Suzuka in Japan (built in 1962)
- Zolder in Belgium (built in 1963)
- The "Motodrom" part of the Hockenheimring in Germany (designed in 1965)
- Jarama in Spain (built in 1967)
- Ontario Motor Speedway in California (designed in 1970 with Michael Parker)
- Nivelles in Belgium (built in 1971)
Many people think he designed the Zandvoort track too. However, its layout was mostly based on existing roads. Another person, Sammy Davis, was the main design helper for that track.
Other Important Work
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John Hugenholtz did much more than just design tracks. In 1936, he started the Nederlandse Auto Race Club (Dutch Auto Race Club). He was also the director of the Zandvoort race track for many years, from 1949 to 1974.
He also helped create international groups for racing. He founded the Association Internationale de Circuits Permanents in Paris. In 1956, he started the Pionier Automobielen Club. This club later led to the Fédération Internationale des Voitures Anciennes (FIVA), which is an international group for old cars.
John was also involved in some car projects that didn't quite make it to production. These included the Dutch Barkey car in 1948 and the Delfino car in 1989. The Delfino was based on parts from an Alfa Romeo Alfasud car.
