John Hugenholtz

Who was John Hugenholtz?

Johannes Bernhardus Theodorus "Hans" Hugenholtz, in English-speaking countries a.k.a. John Hugenholtz was a Dutch designer of race tracks and cars.

Hugenholtz's father, of the same name, was a Protestant minister and peace activist who moved his family to Purmerend in 1918 and Ammerstol in 1924. Hugenholtz studied to be a lawyer and became a journalist by profession, but his interests were in cars. As a young man he was an motorcycle racer. He founded the Nederlandse Auto Race Club in 1936 and was director of the Zandvoort racing circuit from 1949 to 1974. He further founded the Association Internationale de Circuits Permanents in Paris, and the Pionier Automobielen Club in 1956, leading to the Fédération Internationale des Voitures Anciennes. Hugenholtz is best known as the designer of a variety of circuits used for Formula One which have been praised for their challenging nature and innovative features. The latter includes the use of multiple layers of stretching, chainlink fences to slow down and catch cars running off the track, decreasing the chance of driver injury compared to the customary solid barriers.