Bernardus Marinus "Ben" Pon (9 December 1936 – 30 September 2019)[1] was a Dutch vintner and Olympian and motor racing driver. 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 in the skeet event.[2][3]
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| Born | 9 December 1936 Leiden, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Died | 30 September 2019 (aged 82) Nijkerk, Netherlands |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  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 | |
|---|---|
| Years | 1961 - 1965, 1967 |
| Teams | Porsche System Engineering, Racing Team Holland, Auguste Vaillet |
| Best finish | 7th (1967) |
| Class wins | 2 (1961, 1967) |
Life
editHis 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.[4]
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 and into a shrubbery.[2] 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.
After his retirement in the sports arena, Pon turned his attention to the wine trade. He was known for his Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley, California, and owned the oldest wine negotiating business in the Netherlands.
Racing record
editComplete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
edit| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 |  Porsche System Engineering
|
Herbert Linge
|
Porsche 356B Abarth GTL | S 1.6 | 284 | 10th | 1st |
| 1962 | Porsche System Engineering
|
Carel Godin de Beaufort
|
Porsche 356B Abarth | GT 1.6 | 35 | DNF | DNF |
| 1963 | Porsche System Engineering
|
 Heinz Schiller
|
Porsche 356B 2000GS GT | GT 2.0 | 115 | DNF | DNF |
| 1964 | Racing Team Holland
|
Henk van Zalinge
|
Porsche 904/4 GTS | GT 2.0 | 319 | 8th | 2nd |
| 1965 |  Auguste Veuillet
|
Robert Buchet
|
Porsche 904/4 GTS | GT 2.0 | 224 | DNF | DNF |
| 1967 | Porsche System Engineering
|
 Vic Elford
|
Porsche 906K Carrera 6 | S 2.0 | 327 | 7th | 1st |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
edit(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche 787 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | NED Ret |
MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | RSA | NC | 0 |
References
edit- ^ "'Mister Porsche' Ben Pon overleden". 30 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ a b "Formula One at the Olympics". Viva F1. Archived from the original on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
- ^ "Ben Pon". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Who's Who of Volkswagen". Vwtrendsweb.com. 2002-09-28. Archived from the original on 2013-04-24. Retrieved 2013-06-04.