At the end of the 19th century, the early years of
motorsport, races where usual held from city to city. The first
races where held in France. The first time racing cars came to the
Netherlands was 1898 during the Paris-Amsterdam-Paris race. In 1903
during the race from Paris to Madrid many lethal accidents where
happen. One of the victims was Marcel Renault founder of the famous
French car manufacturer. This was the end of the city to city races
and they where looking to alternatives, the circuits arose. In the
Netherlands some primitive "races" where held on the sea-resort
Scheveningen. When the First World War broke out and racing was
stopped in Europe. After the war not much happened with motorsport
in the Netherlands while motorsport was rising in other countries.
After new circuits where build in the neighbour countries like
Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nürburgring in Germany also in the
Netherlands came the idea to build a circuit, but unfortunately al
these projects failed.
In the late thirties of the 20th century, major
Mr. H. van Alphen of the Dutch sea-resort Zandvoort came to the idea
to organize races in his town. Because the construction of a
permanent race track was to expensive, an alternative was found in a
construction site where they where building an expansion to the
town. The Royal Dutch Automobile Club (KNAC) supported the plans and
grandstands and a pits where built. On June the 2nd 1939 the first
practices where held and on the 3rd Zandvoort saw his first ever
race event! It was also the first real car race event in the
Netherlands.
Click on the map for a lap at the street circuit.
The track was 2,284 km (1.419 Miles)
long and had roughly the shape of an eight, with a big loop and a
small loop. It was a twisty and narrow circuit with two "long"
straights and overtaking was very difficult. A very remarkable site
at the circuit was the intersection Vondellaan - Van Lennepweg,
where the cars came from both sides right to each other! The
barriers where straw packets ...
A view from the grandstand. At the background you see the
intersection with the straw packets.
On Saturday the 3rth of June, 58 drivers appeared
to the start in 5 different classes. On the program where touring
car-races and sports car-races and from Germany came Hans Stuck
Senior with his Auto-Union and Manfred von Brauchitsch with his
Mercedes for a demonstration. These two car manufacturers where
dominate Grand Prix racing at that time. After some touring
car-races Hans Stuck Senior gave a demonstration with a car which
was especially build for speed records. This car has reached at a
German motorway a speed from 400 km/h (250 mph)! The crowd, not used
to speed on those days, was really enthusiast!
Start of the sports car race over 1600 cc with local hero
Piet Nortier (nr 49) on pole.
After the demonstration the sports cars came to
the start for the longest race of the day over 45 laps. Local hero
Piet Nortier won this race after a great battle with Breeman. At the
end Manfred von Brauchitsch gave a demonstration with his Mercedes
Grand Prix car. He drove at the short and twisty circuit with an
average speed of 103 km/h (64 mph). After this great day of
motorsport major H. van Alphen was convinced that there should come
a permanent circuit in Zandvoort! Unfortunately, a few months later
World War Two broke out. After the war the Royal Dutch Motorcycle
Association (KNMV) organized in 1946 and 1947 races for motorcycles
at the street circuit. In 1948 a
permanent
race track was opened in
Zandvoort and the street circuit was never used again.
Troubles for J.L. Molenaar with his MG.
The demonstration from Manfred Von Brauchitsch with
his Mercedes at the Vondellaan (above). Below you see the same site
in 2008 which is now a bungalow park!
Most parts of the former street circuit are still
there but at some sites it's hardly to imagine that it was a
racetrack once. The twisty part of the Vondellaan is gone now. In
1989 they built a bungalow park there. A remain from the first part
of the Vondellaan is now the entrance road to the parking of the new
permanent circuit at Zandvoort.
The picture above and the picture below show
the same site! Click at one of them and see how the former street
circuit looks now.
