Ben Pon

This article is about the racing driver. For the automobile dealer, see Ben Pon, Sr.
Ben Pon
Born (1936-12-09) 9 December 1936
Amersfoort, Netherlands
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Netherlands Dutch
Active years 1962
Teams Ecurie Maarsbergen (privateer Porsche)
Entries 1
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Career points 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First entry 1962 Dutch Grand Prix
Last entry 1962 Dutch Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years 1961 - 1965, 1967
Teams Porsche System Engineering, Racing Team Holland, Auguste Vaillet
Best finish 7th (1967)
Class wins 2 (1961, 1967)

Bernardus Marinus "Ben" Pon (9 December 1936 in Amersfoort, Netherlands) is a vintner and former Olympian and motor racing driver from the Netherlands. He competed in one Formula One race, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, but had a far longer career in sports car racing, before turning his back on the track to concentrate on the wine trade. He also represented the Netherlands in clay pigeon shooting at the 1972 Summer Olympics, finishing 31st.[1][2]

Life

His father, Ben Pon, Sr., was an importer of Volkswagen Beetles into the United States, and is considered to be the "father" of the Volkswagen Type 2 due to his initial interest and input into the project.[3]

Ben Pon was a personal friend of Formula One driver Carel Godin de Beaufort. It was de Beaufort's own Ecurie Maarsbergen privateer team that provided a Porsche 787 for him to race at Zandvoort, in his home Grand Prix on 20 May 1962. He failed to finish the race due to an accident, which flipped his car over, throwing Pon out of the cockpit.[1] In response, Pon vowed never again to race single-seaters, and in the years that followed he remained true to his word, while achieving many successes in sports car racing also driving a Porsche. Pon retired from professional sports car racing in 1965.

Since his retirement in the sports arena, Pon has turned his attention to the wine trade. He is now known for his Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley, California, and owns the oldest wine negotiating business in the Netherlands.

Racing record

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1961 Germany Porsche System Engineering Germany Herbert Linge Porsche 356B Abarth GTL S 1.6 284 10th 1st
1962 Germany Porsche System Engineering Netherlands Carel Godin de Beaufort Porsche 356B Abarth GT 1.6 35 DNF DNF
1963 Germany Porsche System Engineering Switzerland Heinz Schiller Porsche 356B 2000GS GT GT 2.0 115 DNF DNF
1964 Netherlands Racing Team Holland Netherlands Henk van Zalinge Porsche 904/4 GTS GT 2.0 319 8th 2nd
1965 France Auguste Veuillet France Robert Buchet Porsche 904/4 GTS GT 2.0 224 DNF DNF
1967 Germany Porsche System Engineering United Kingdom Vic Elford Porsche 906K Carrera 6 S 2.0 327 7th 1st

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1962 Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche 787 Porsche 547/6 1.5 F4 NED
Ret		 MON BEL FRA GBR GER ITA USA RSA NC 0

References

  1. 1 2 Viva F1. "Formula One at the Olympics". Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  2. ↑ "Ben Pon". Sports Reference. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Who's Who of Volkswagen". Vwtrendsweb.com. 2002-09-28. Retrieved 2013-06-04.

External links

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