Gerrit Wolsink
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Gerrit Wolsink (born 3 March 1947) is a Dutch former professional Grand Prix
motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
racer. He competed in the
Motocross World Championship The FIM Motocross World Championship is the premier championship of motocross racing, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2. Race duration is 30 minutes plus two laps ...
s from
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
to 1981, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team alongside five-time World Champion
Roger De Coster Roger De Coster (born 28 August 1944) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and current Motorsport Director of KTM and Husqvarna North America. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1966 to 1980, most prominently as a ...
. A two-time 500cc Class Vice Champion, Wolsink was one of the top competitors in the 500cc Motocross World Championships. He is notable for winning the 500cc United States Motocross Grand Prix five times within a six-year span. __TOC__


Motocross racing career

Wolsink was born in
Hengelo, Gelderland Hengelo is a town in the eastern part of The Netherlands, province of Gelderland (not to be confused with the much larger city of Hengelo, Overijssel). The predominantly rural area it is situated in is known as the Achterhoek. Hengelo (Gelderla ...
where his father operated a shop that sold bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles and automobiles. His uncle was former motocross racer Bennie Hartelman, who had raced a
BSA Gold Star The BSA Gold Star is a motorcycle made by Birmingham Small Arms Company, BSA from 1938 to 1963. They were 350 cc and 500 cc Single-cylinder engine, single-cylinder Four-stroke engine, four-stroke production motorcycles known for bein ...
motorcycle in the 500cc Motocross World Championships against former World Champions such as
Sten Lundin Sten Lundin (20 November 1931 – 3 June 2016) was a Swedish professional motocross racer. Known for his relaxed riding style, he competed in the FIM Motocross World Championships between 1953 and 1966. A two-time World Champion (1959, 1961), Lun ...
and Bill Nilsson during the 1950s and 1960s. As a young boy, Wolsink spent time attending motorcycle races with his uncle which helped to spark his interest in racing. He began motocross racing using modified 50cc
moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. Historically, the term exclusively meant a similar vehicle with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle eng ...
s. Wolsink progressed to racing as a
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
aboard a Husqvarna motorcycle in the Dutch national championships however, his mother insisted that he should graduate from university. He was able to finance his education by racing motocross during the summer months. At the age of 21, Wolsink won the 1968 Dutch National Championship and competed in his first Motocross World Championship event at the
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
500cc Austrian Grand Prix riding a Husqvarna motorcycle. At the 1968 500cc Dutch Grand Prix, he placed ninth in the first moto (heat race), then he scored an impressive fourth-place finish in the second moto ahead of former World Champion, Jeff Smith ( BSA). Wolsink graduated from university with a
dental degree A number of professional degrees in dentistry are offered by dental schools in various countries around the world. Degrees Dental degrees may include: Bachelor's degree * Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) * Bachelor's degree of Dentistry (BDS ...
in
Periodontology Periodontology or periodontics (from Ancient Greek , – 'around'; and , – 'tooth', genitive , ) is the Specialty (dentistry), specialty of dentistry that studies supporting structures of Tooth, teeth, as well as diseases and conditions th ...
at the end of 1972 but, put his dental career on hold to fully commit to becoming a professional motocross racer. When
Åke Jonsson Åke Jonsson (born 5 October 1942) is a Swedish former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1964 to 1978 as a member of the Husqvarna, Maico and Yamaha factory racing teams. Jonsson was part of ...
left the
Maico Maicowerk A.G., known by its trading name Maico () is the name of a family company in the Swabian town of Pfäffingen near Tübingen. Founded in 1926 by Ulrich Maisch as Maisch & Co, the company originally manufactured 98 and 123 cc Ilo tw ...
factory team to join Yamaha's 500cc team after the 1972 season, Wolsink was hired to replace him alongside teammates Adolf Weil and
Willy Bauer Willy Bauer is a German former professional motocross racer. He was one of the top racers in the Motocross World Championships of the early 1970s. In 1973, as a member of the Maico factory racing team, he battled the reigning world champion, ...
. The first overall victory of Wolsink's career came in his first race as a Maico team member at the season opening
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
500cc French Grand Prix, where he took the win ahead of Oldrich Hamrsmid ( ČZ) and teammate Bauer. After placing fifth in the 1973 500cc World Championships, Wolsink participated in the 1973 Trans-AMA series in the United States. The Trans-AMA was an international series established by the
American Motorcyclist Association The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its motto, mission statement is "t ...
as a pilot event to help establish motocross in the United States. He won Round 2 held in John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and finished the series in second place behind his Maico teammate Adolf Weil.Trans-AMA Motocross Records
''American Motorcyclist'', January 1975, Vol. 29, No. 1,
Wolsink was contracted ride for the
Suzuki is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a va ...
factory racing team as defending champion, Roger De Coster's teammate for the
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
season. In 1974, Wolsink won the first of what would be four consecutive victories at the
Carlsbad Raceway Carlsbad Raceway was a motorsport facility located in Carlsbad, California. Carlsbad Raceway featured a ¼ mile dragstrip and motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved ...
, site of the 500cc United States Motocross Grand Prix. Wolsink was leading Husqvarna factory team rider
Heikki Mikkola Heikki Antero Mikkola (born 6 July 1945) is a Finnish former professional motocross racer and motocross team manager. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1967 to 1979, most prominently as a member of the Husqvarna factory racin ...
on the final lap of the second moto with Mikkola gaining rapidly. Wolsink lost control of his motorcycle and crashed as he reached the finish line, just as Mikkola was about to pass him. Race judges ruled that Wolsink had crossed the finish line first for one of the most spectacular finishes in history of the Carlsbad Raceway. His 1974 Carlsbad victory brought him to international prominence due to the race being broadcast on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
's highly rated ''Wide World of Sports'' television program. Mikkola eventually won the 1974 500cc Motocross World Championship with Wolsink ending the season ranked fourth in the world. After the world championship season, Wolsink returned to the United States to compete in the
1974 Trans-AMA motocross series The 1974 Trans-AMA motocross series was the fifth annual international series established by the American Motorcyclist Association as a pilot event to help establish motocross in the United States. The motocross series was an invitational based ...
where he won Round 4 in
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
and finished the series in second place behind his Suzuki teammate, De Coster. In
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, Wolsink improved to third in the 500cc World Championship as his teammate De Coster won his fourth title with Mikkola in second place. He won his second consecutive 500cc United States Grand Prix in 1975 as well as victories at the 500cc British Grand Prix and his home Grand Prix in the Netherlands. For the third consecutive year, he placed second in the Trans-AMA series in the United States, as his teammate De Coster claimed the 1975 series win.
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
was Wolsink's best year as, he finished on the
podium A podium (: podiums or podia) is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podiums can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of a ...
in seven of the twelve Grand Prix races including four Grand Prix victories (Switzerland, Finland, United States and Canada) as he engaged in a season-long battle with his Suzuki teammate De Coster. The championship wasn't decided until the final race of the season in Luxembourg where Wolsink lost the title by 6 points. When Heikki Mikkola signed a contract to race for the
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: People * Torakusu Yamaha, a Japanese businessman and founder of the Yamaha Corporation Companies * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organi ...
factory racing team in
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
, he became the dominant rider in the 500cc World Championship for the next two seasons while the Suzuki team struggled with mechanical issues. Wolsink ended the 1977 season ranked third in the 500cc World Championship behind Mikkola and De Coster but was able to win his fourth consecutive 500cc United States Motocross Grand Prix. Wolsink rebounded in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, winning the 500cc United States Grand Prix for the fifth time then winning the following 500cc Canadian Grand Prix to put him within reach of the championship points leader,
Graham Noyce Graham Noyce (born 18 February 1957) is an English former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1975 to 1984. Noyce was the 1979 500cc motocross world champion. __TOC__ Motocross career Growing u ...
(
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
) at midseason. However, despite only winning one Grand Prix race, Noyce was able to post consistent results to clinch the World Championship ahead of second placed Wolsink who finished just one point ahead of third placed
André Malherbe André Malherbe (21 March 1956 – 24 November 2022) was a Belgian professional Grand Prix motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1975 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Honda factory racing team where he ...
(Honda). Despite his performance, the Suzuki team released both Wolsink and De Coster at the end of the 1979 season, citing the desire to hire younger riders. Noyce and Malherbe were 10 years younger than the 32 year old Wolsink. In 1979, he worked as the stunt double for actor
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...
in the motocross scenes in the
Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...
film
Spetters ''Spetters'' (English translation: ''Splashes'') is a Dutch film released in 1980 and directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film follows the lives of three young men who have little in common but their love for dirt-bike racing. Set on the outskirts o ...
. He returned to race for the Maico team for the 1980 season however, by then the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers had begun to open a technological gap over the European manufacturers and the Maico motorcycles were no longer competitive. At the season ending 1980
Motocross des Nations The Motocross of Nations (MXON), also known by its original French name (''MXDN'') is an annual team motocross race, where riders representing their country meet at what is billed as the " Olympics of Motocross". The event has been staged since ...
event, he helped the Dutch team take runner-up position behind the powerful Belgian team. Wolsink received sponsorship from Honda of Netherlands for the 1981 season with the assistance of his former teammate, De Coster, who had been hired by Honda in 1980. He competed in his final World Championship race at the 1981 500cc Luxembourg Grand Prix at the age of 34. Wolsink won 22 individual heat races and 15 Grand Prix overall victories during his career in the Motocross World Championships. He was a two-time 500cc Class Vice Champion (1976, 1979} and an eight-time 500cc Dutch motocross national champion (1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976-1978). Wolsink also competed in
enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...
events for the Honda team. He rode a Honda to win the four-stroke class at the 1981
International Six Days Enduro The International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), formerly known as the International Six Days Trial (ISDT), is the oldest 'off-road' motorcycle event on the FIM Calendar. The ISDT was first held in 1913 at Carlisle, England. It has occurred annually, a ...
(ISDT) and was a member of the winning Dutch team at the 1984 International Six Days Enduro. After his motocross racing career, Wolsink returned to the Netherlands to resume his dental career. He restores old motocycles, mainly motocross bikes and bring them to auctions in Las Vegas every year.


Motocross Grand Prix Results

Points system from 1952 to 1968: Points system from 1969 to 1980:


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolsink, Gerrit 1947 births Living people Sportspeople from Hengelo People from Bronckhorst Dutch dentists Dutch motocross riders Enduro riders 20th-century Dutch people