Cees van Dongen

Cees van Dongen (1 February 1932 – 23 December 2011) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from the Netherlands. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1969 to 1981.

Motorcycle racing career Van Dongen was born in Rotterdam. He was the first non-Japanese competitor to ride a Yamaha in a World Championship Grand Prix race, when he rode a Yamaha RA41 to a 13th place finish at the 1961 125cc Dutch TT. His best season was in 1969 when he won the 125cc Spanish Grand Prix and finished the season in third place behind Dave Simmonds and Dieter Braun. Van Dongen was a 14-time Dutch National Champion in classes ranging from 50 cc to 500 cc.

Kent Andersson (23) and Dieter Braun (7) pursue van Dongen (29) in the 1969 125cc Dutch TT. Eventual winner, Dave Simmonds, follows behind an obscured rider.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pts 1961 125cc Yamaha SPA GER FRA IOM NED13 BEL DDR ULS NAT SWE ARG NC 0 1962 50cc Honda SPA FRA IOM NED8 BEL GER DDR NAT FIN ARG NC 0 1963 50cc Kreidler SPA GER FRA IOM NED8 BEL FIN ARG JPN NC 0 125cc Honda SPA GER FRA IOM NED7 BEL ULS DDR FIN NAT ARG JPN NC 0 250cc Honda SPA GER IOM NED BEL7 ULS DDR NAT ARG JPN NC 0 1964 50cc Kreidler USA SPA FRA IOM NED5 BEL GER FIN JPN 10th 2 125cc MZ USA SPA FRA IOM NED8 GER DDR ULS FIN NAT JPN NC 0 1965 50cc Kreidler USA GER SPA FRA IOM NED6 BEL6 JPN 14th 2 250cc Bultaco USA GER SPA FRA IOM NED14 BEL DDR CZE ULS FIN NAT JPN NC 0 1966 50cc Kreidler SPA GER6 NED IOM NAT JPN 13th 1 125cc Honda SPA GER NED8 DDR CZE FIN ULS IOM NAT JPN NC 0 1967 50cc Honda SPA GER FRA IOM NED BEL7 JPN NC 0 125cc Honda SPA GER FRA IOM NED5 BEL DDR CZE FIN ULS NAT CAN JPN 21st 2 1968 50cc Kreidler GER5 SPA IOM NED BEL 13th 2 250cc Yamaha GER SPA IOM NED11 BEL16 DDR CZE FIN ULS NAT NC 0 1969 50cc Kreidler SPA GER FRA NED BEL4 DDR CZE5 ULS NAT YUG 11th 14 125cc Suzuki SPA1 GERRet FRA IOM NEDRet BEL3 DDR5 CZE3 FIN3 NAT YUG 3rd 51 1970 50cc Kreidler GER FRA23 YUG7 NED BEL8 DDR CZE ULS NAT SPA 16th 7 125cc Yamaha GER FRARet YUG IOM NEDDNS BEL DDR CZE FIN NAT3 SPA11 17th 10 250cc MZ GER FRA8 YUG IOM 22nd 10 Yamaha NED6 BEL DDR CZE FIN ULS NAT SPA9 1971 50cc Jamathi AUT GER NED BEL DDR5 CZE SWE NAT SPA 22nd 6 125cc Yamaha AUT6 GER IOM NEDRet BEL4 DDR5 CZE SWE FIN NAT SPA 13th 19 1972 50cc Kreidler GER NAT YUG NED11 BEL DDR SWE 29th 2 Roton SPA9 125cc Yamaha GER8 FRA AUT NAT IOM YUG NED5 BEL DDR CZE SWE FIN SPA7 14th 13 1973 50cc Kreidler GER NAT YUG NEDRet BEL10 SWE SPA 28th 1 125cc Yamaha FRA AUT GER NAT IOM YUG NEDRet BEL14 CZE SWE FIN SPA NC 0 1974 50cc Kreidler FRA GER NAT NED BEL6 SWE FIN CZE YUG SPARet 21st 5 125cc Yamaha FRA GER AUT NAT NEDRet BELRet SWE CZE YUG SPA NC 0 1975 50cc Kreidler SPA8 GER11 NAT NEDRet BEL6 SWERet FIN11 YUGRet 16th 8 125cc Yamaha FRADNQ SPA13 AUTRet GER19 NAT NEDRet CZE11 YUG7 13th 9 Bridgestone BEL6 SWERet 1976 50cc Kreidler FRA18 NAT11 YUG8 NEDRet BEL8 SWERet FIN8 GER SPARet 15th 9 125cc Bridgestone AUTRet NATRet 13th 11 Morbidelli YUG6 NED7 BEL10 SWE FINDNS GER SPA10 1977 50cc Kreidler GERRet NATRet SPA YUG4 NEDRet BEL12 SWERet 13th 8 125cc Morbidelli VEN AUT17 GER25 NATDNQ SPA FRA YUG8 NED13 BEL9 SWERet FIN13 GBR21 24th 5 1978 50cc Kreidler SPA5 NAT NED9 BEL9 GER20 CZE12 YUG 15th 10 125cc Morbidelli VEN SPA15 AUTRet FRA NAT NED7 BEL9 SWE FIN GBR12 GERRet YUG 21st 6 1979 50cc Kreidler GERRet NAT SPARet YUG NEDRet BEL10 FRA 28th 1 125cc Morbidelli VEN AUT GER18 NAT SPADNQ YUG NEDRet BEL SWE FIN GBR CZE FRA NC 0 1980 50cc Kreidler NAT SPA15 YUG NED15 BEL GER NC 0 125cc MBA NAT SPA19 FRA NC 0 Morbidelli YUGDNQ NED18 BEL FIN GBR CZE GERSource: