Jan de Vries (racing driver)

Jan de Vries (1971)

50 cm³ Kreidler from Jan de Vries

Jan de Vries (born January 5, 1944 in Sint Jacobiparochie ) is a former Dutch motorcycle racer .

In 1971 and 1973 he won the world title in the 50 cm³ class of the motorcycle world championship .

Career

Model of de Vries' 1971 World Champion motorcycle

Jan de Vries made his debut at his home Grand Prix in 1968 on Kreidler in the 50 cc class in the motorcycle world championship.

From 1969 he started for Kreidler permanently in the 50 cm³ world championship. In his first season, de Vries achieved five podium finishes in eight races and thus fourth place overall. In 1970 he clinched his first victory at the Grand Prix of Nations in Monza and was fifth overall. In the same year he also contested his only 125 cc Grand Prix; at his home race in Assen , he achieved seventh place on MZ .

In the 1971 season , Jan de Vries dominated the 50 cm³ World Championship, which is often known as the "shot glass class". He won five of the nine races held and, since only the five best results were counted at the time, he became world champion with a maximum of 75 points on Kreidler .

In 1972 , Jan de Vries was tied with Spanish Derbi pilot Ángel Nieto at the top of the overall standings after the last round of the season of the 50th World Cup . Since both drivers also had the same number of victories and second places, the FIM added up the respective racing times of the drivers. De Vries was ultimately left behind, 21 seconds behind.

In the 1973 season Jan de Vries secured his second 50 cc world title. With five wins from five contested races, he prevailed on Kreidler-Van-Veen against his team-mate Bruno Kneubühler from Switzerland . At the end of the season he ended his career in the motorcycle world championship.

After finishing his active career, Jan De Vries worked as a tuner for racing engines for Van Veen. Today he is a frequent guest at many veteran races .

statistics

title

• 1971 - 50 cc world champion on Kreidler
• 1972 - 50 cc vice world champion on Kreidler
• 1973 - 50 cm³ world champion on Kreidler
• 14 Grand Prix victories
• Dutch 50cc champion : 1967, 1972

In the motorcycle world championship

season	class	Result	machine	Victories
1968	50 cc	-	Kreidler	0
1969	50 cc	4th	Kreidler	0
1970	50 cc	5.	Kreidler	1
	125 cc	35.	MZ	0
1971	50 cc	World Champion	Kreidler	5
1972	50 cc	2.	Kreidler	3
1973	50 cc	World Champion	Kreidler	5

References

Web links

Commons : Jan de Vries  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Jan de Vries on the official website of the Motorcycle World Championship (English).
• Photos by Jan de Vries on classic-motorrad.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Vincent Glon: Les Champions Néerlandais. racingmemo.free.fr, accessed on May 11, 2015 (French).