Ben Pon
Encyclopedia
Ben Pon 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
.
His father, Ben Pon (senior)
, was an importer of Volkswagen Beetle
s 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.
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 May 20, 1962. He failed to finish the race due to an accident. The impact was so violent that 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.
Vintner
A vintner is a wine merchant. You pronounce it like this In some modern use, in particular in American English, the term is alsoused as a synonym for winemaker....
and former Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and motor racing driver from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He competed in one Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
race, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix
1962 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was the eleventh time the Dutch Grand Prix motor race was held. The race also held the honorary designation of the 22nd European Grand Prix. It was run to Formula One regulations as the opening round of the 1962 World Drivers' Championship on 20 May 1962...
, but had a far longer career in sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
, before turning his back on the track to concentrate on the wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
trade. He also represented the Netherlands in clay pigeon
Clay pigeon shooting
Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun or any type of firearm....
shooting at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
.
His father, Ben Pon (senior)
Ben Pon (senior)
Ben Pon was a Dutch businessman. In 1947, Pon's Automobielhandel , became the first dealer outside of Germany to sell vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen....
, was an importer of Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
s into the United States, and is considered to be the "father" of the Volkswagen Type 2
Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...
due to his initial interest and input into the project.
Ben Pon was a personal friend of Formula One driver Carel Godin de Beaufort
Carel Godin de Beaufort
Jonkheer Karel Pieter Antoni Jan Hubertus Godin de Beaufort was a Dutch nobleman and motor racing driver from the Netherlands...
. It was de Beaufort's own Ecurie Maarsbergen privateer team that provided a Porsche 787
Porsche 787
The Porsche 787 was a Formula Two racing car built in 1960, based on the 1500 RS-K race sports car.Built to the 1960 Formula Two formula, the Type 787 was driven by such notables as Wolfgang von Trips and Dan Gurney to victory and obtaining the unofficial "Coupe des Constructeurs" — Formula Two's...
for him to race at Zandvoort
1962 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was the eleventh time the Dutch Grand Prix motor race was held. The race also held the honorary designation of the 22nd European Grand Prix. It was run to Formula One regulations as the opening round of the 1962 World Drivers' Championship on 20 May 1962...
, in his home Grand Prix on May 20, 1962. He failed to finish the race due to an accident. The impact was so violent that 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
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
also driving a Porsche
Porsche in motorsport
Porsche has been successful in many branches of motorsport of which most have been in long distance races.Despite their early involvement in motorsports being limited to supplying relatively small engines to racing underdogs up until the late 1960s, by the mid-1950s Porsche had already tasted...
. 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.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 1962 Formula One season The 1962 Formula One season was the 13th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1962 World Championship of Drivers and the 1962 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently over a nine race series that commenced on May 20 and ended on December 29... |
Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche Porsche in motorsport Porsche has been successful in many branches of motorsport of which most have been in long distance races.Despite their early involvement in motorsports being limited to supplying relatively small engines to racing underdogs up until the late 1960s, by the mid-1950s Porsche had already tasted... 787 Porsche 787 The Porsche 787 was a Formula Two racing car built in 1960, based on the 1500 RS-K race sports car.Built to the 1960 Formula Two formula, the Type 787 was driven by such notables as Wolfgang von Trips and Dan Gurney to victory and obtaining the unofficial "Coupe des Constructeurs" — Formula Two's... |
Porsche Porsche in motorsport Porsche has been successful in many branches of motorsport of which most have been in long distance races.Despite their early involvement in motorsports being limited to supplying relatively small engines to racing underdogs up until the late 1960s, by the mid-1950s Porsche had already tasted... Flat-4 Flat-4 A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase... |
NED 1962 Dutch Grand Prix The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was the eleventh time the Dutch Grand Prix motor race was held. The race also held the honorary designation of the 22nd European Grand Prix. It was run to Formula One regulations as the opening round of the 1962 World Drivers' Championship on 20 May 1962... Ret |
MON 1962 Monaco Grand Prix The 1962 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on June 3, 1962.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:35.4*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:35.5... |
BEL 1962 Belgian Grand Prix The 1962 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 17, 1962.- Classification :* Dan Gurney practiced in a Lotus-BRM owned by Wolfgang Seidel, but after a few laps he deemed the car unraceworthy... |
FRA 1962 French Grand Prix The 1962 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Rouen-Les-Essarts on July 8, 1962.- Classification :* Scuderia Ferrari withdrew from the event, and their allocated numbers of 2, 4 and 6 were not used... |
GBR 1962 British Grand Prix The 1962 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Aintree on July 21, 1962.- Classification :* Scuderia Ferrari withdrew their other two entries, cars #4 and #6, to which drivers had not been allocated.-Standings after the race:... |
GER 1962 German Grand Prix The 1962 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on August 5, 1962.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... |
ITA 1962 Italian Grand Prix The 1962 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 16, 1962.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:40.35*Fastest Lap: Graham Hill - 1:42.3*Final Formula One entry for Gerry Ashmore... |
USA 1962 United States Grand Prix The 1962 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 7, 1962 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:... |
RSA 1962 South African Grand Prix The 1962 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at East London on December 29, 1962.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Jim Clark - 1:29.3*Fastest Lap: Jim Clark - 1:31.0... |
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