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Assen
In 1924 the Dutch government decided to change a
law to make it possible to organize races on public roads. The first
time this happens was on July the 11th 1925 when a motorcycle race
was organized on the triangle Rolde, Borger, Schoonloo near the city
of Assen in the East of the Netherlands. Carefully they called it a
"non stop endurance tour".
Click on the map for a lap at the circuit of 1925
The track was 28,4 km (17,75 Miles)
long and contained long straights and fast kinks. However, we have
to notice that the track was very narrow and some parts where
unpaved. There where also two small bridges in the track who where
so narrow that they had to cross them one by one.
The first ever motor race in the
Netherlands in the 250 cc was won by Arie Wuring, a Motorcycle
Dealer from Haarlem, with an average speed of 67,3 km/h (42.06 Mph).
About 10.000 spectators, not yet used to speed at that time, where
lyric enthusiast afterwards. After this successful event it was
clear to the organizers that this should become an annual event. But
to give green light for the 1926 race some improvements to the track
where required. The local government of Borger didn't want to spent
money for road paving. So the organizers where looking out for a new
course.
Click on the map for lap at the 1926-1954 version of the track
Close to Assen a new course was found
in the rectangle Assen, Hooghalen, Laaghalerveen, Assen which was
full paved. However, a part was paved with bricks as many roads
where at that time. The track was 16,536 km (10.335 Miles) long and
was at least three metres wide. Just like the 1925 track this one
also contained long straights and fast kinks.
On June the 26th 1926 the second TT
(Tourist Trophy) of Assen at the new circuit took place.
Unfortunately there where less spectators than the organizers
expected and the event closed with a negative saldo of 5000
Guilders. But lucky for all Dutch motorsport enthusiasts, the "Man
of Assen" (which was the nickname for the organizers) didn't gave up.
The Dutch Motorcycle Association KNMV supported them and gave the
event an international status to make it possible for foreign
drivers to race at Assen. In 1927 15.000 spectators came to the
event which was a huge crowd at that time. During the next years
spectators came in bigger numbers every year. In 1930 the TT from
Assen gets the status of "Classic Event" from the FIdCM (now the FIM).
In 1936 the name "Dutch TT" was officially registered, from that
moment Assen was the only place outside Great Brittain who was
allowed to use the name TT. In 1939 the last pre-war Dutch TT took
place. During World War Two there where no races at Assen. In 1946
the motorcycles are back at the race track of Assen. In 1949 the FIM
launched the official World Championship for motorcycles. Since then
the Dutch TT is a round for the World Championship.
From 1926 to 2005 this was the first corner at Assen, the fast
S-bocht (S-corner).
Since 2006 the S-bocht has dissapeared, at this site is now
the new Haarbocht
(the first corner of the new TT circuit).
During the years improvements had to
be made to the track like a new surface, better facilities, more
grandstands, a speakers installation and the track was widened two
times. But they never changed the lay out of the track.
During the fifties the organisation
decided that a brand new circuit was necessary. There are different
opinions about the motivation for this. The official reason was that
the 16,5 km long track was not longer suitable for motorcycle races
due to the construction of a new road from Assen to Hooghalen. But
unofficial sources told that the local government of Assen would no
longer share the profits with the neighbour town Beilen, a part of
the track was laying on the territory of Beilen. When in 1955 the
new circuit, which was complete on the territory
of Assen, was opened some angry people of Beilen predicted that it
should be all over for the
Dutch TT very soon. Probably this was what they hoped ...
After 29 years it was time to say
goodbye to the old circuit with the famous corners "Bartelds Bocht"
and "Oude Tol". The new circuit was "just" 7,705 km (4.8
Miles) long and was the basis of the current circuit. The circuit
was constructed in a record time of less than four months. That's
why they called it "The miracle of Assen". During the first Dutch TT
on the new track in 1955 the organisation was confronted with a
drivers strike! After the drivers of the 500 cc class did a warm up
lap at slow speed and saw how much spectators there where they
decided to claim more start money. Fortunately for the spectators,
drivers and organisation came to an agreement and the race could go
ahead.
For the new circuit they used the
same start/finish area which was public road. Today the start/finish
is still at the same place but the whole circuit is now permanent.
Two new loops where constructed, the North Loop and the South Loop.
To connect these two loops they constructed a fast new section, the
"Veenslang", parallel to the main straight. This about
1 km (0.625 Miles) long section was a sort of copy of the local
public roads with fast kinks, most of them where full throttle,
which was a special sensation for the drivers. Partically the last
kink of this section, the "Ruskenhoek", was a big challenge. Here
they also enter a part of the old track which was originally driven
in the opposite direction (see the map above). Today this part has
been changed dramatically and lost much of its old glorie.
Because a part of the circuit was
still public road the whole circuit was open when there where no
races. So many people took this opportunity to drive at the TT
circuit. To be frankly, I was one of them. After some grave
accidents happen, some where fatal, during these illegal "Track
Day's" the local government decided in the early nineties to close
the road and make the semi street circuit a permanent circuit.
The "Bedeldijk" section at the old North Loop (1955 - 1983).
The most modified
part of the new circuit is the North Loop. In 1984 this part was
halved which made the complete circuit almost a Mile shorter. Great
corners like "Bedeldijk", "Stroomdrift"
and "De Vennen" where dissapeared. At the end of 2005 they
started a huge project to build an amusement park on the North side
of the circuit. To create space for this project the remaining part
of the North Loop was demolished and replaced by a small stadium
section. The 7,705 km (4.8 Miles) long "Miracle of Assen" is now
reduced to 4,555 km (2.847 Miles).
Discuss this circuit at the forum.
© Text: Herman Liesemeijer Pictures: TT Circuit Assen en Herman
Liesemeijer
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