Jack Middelburg (30 April 1952 – 3 April 1984) was a Dutch professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Together with Wil Hartog and Boet van Dulmen, he was part of a contingent of Dutch riders who competed at the highest levels of Grand Prix racing in the late 1970s.[1] Middelburg never earned a factory-sponsored race bike, yet managed to post some impressive results.
| Jack Middelburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Middelburg at the 1980 Dutch TT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Dutch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 April 1952 Naaldwijk, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 3 April 1984 (aged 31) Groningen, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Motorcycling career
editMiddelburg became the second Dutchman to win the Dutch TT in 1980, and in 1981 he pulled off an unexpected upset when he defeated the defending world champion, Kenny Roberts at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.[2] His British Grand Prix victory aboard a Suzuki RG500 marked the last time a privateer competitor would win a 500cc Grand Prix race, as motorcycle Grand Prix racing became increasingly professional during the 1980s.[3] His best years were in 1979 and 1981, when he finished in seventh place in the 500cc world championships.[4]
Middelburg was killed while competing in a street circuit race in Tolbert, Netherlands in 1984.[5][6] On 2 April, he lost control of his motorcycle, and was run over by Boet van Dulmen. He was rushed to hospital,[7] and died a day later.[8]
Career statistics
editGrand Prix motorcycle racing
editRaces by year
edit(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 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 350cc | Yamaha | VEN | GER | NAT | SPA | FRA | YUG | NED 11 |
SWE | FIN | CZE | GBR | NC | 0 | ||
| 500cc | Suzuki | VEN | AUT | GER | NAT | FRA | NED 11 |
BEL | SWE | FIN | CZE | GBR | NC | 0 | |||
| 1978 | 350cc | Yamaha | VEN | AUT DNQ |
FRA | NAT | NED 13 |
SWE Ret |
FIN | GBR 16 |
GER | CZE | YUG | NC | 0 | ||
| 500cc | Suzuki | VEN | SPA | AUT Ret |
FRA | NAT | NED 15 |
BEL | SWE 13 |
FIN | GBR 14 |
GER 11 |
NC | 0 | |||
| 1979 | 500cc | Suzuki | VEN | AUT 15 |
GER 7 |
NAT 7 |
SPA 7 |
YUG Ret |
NED 7 |
BEL DNS |
SWE 2 |
FIN 4 |
GBR DNS |
FRA | 7th | 36 | |
| 1980 | 500cc | Yamaha | NAT DNS |
SPA 15 |
FRA Ret |
NED 1 |
BEL Ret |
FIN Ret |
GBR 9 |
GER 8 |
9th | 20 | |||||
| 1981 | 500cc | Suzuki | AUT 8 |
GER 8 |
NAT 7 |
FRA 9 |
YUG DNS |
NED 5 |
BEL 6 |
RSM 7 |
GBR 1 |
FIN 4 |
SWE 3 |
7th | 60 | ||
| 1982 | 500cc | Suzuki | ARG 9 |
AUT Ret |
FRA DNS |
SPA Ret |
NAT | NED Ret |
BEL Ret |
YUG 6 |
GBR | SWE | RSM 5 |
GER Ret |
16th | 13 | |
| 1983 | 500cc | Honda | RSA | FRA 10 |
NAT Ret |
GER 11 |
SPA 8 |
AUT 8 |
YUG 11 |
NED 6 |
BEL Ret |
GBR Ret |
SWE DNS |
RSM Ret |
12th | 12 |
References
edit- ^ "Ryder Notes: Assen Memories". superbikeplanet.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ "Middelburg In Upset". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. 2 August 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
- ^ "SUZUKI RG500: RG BARGY". amcn.com. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Jack Middelburg". MotoGP.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ Jack Middelburg career profile at Motorsport Memorial
- ^ "Cycle Racer Dies Of Injuries". The Modesto Bee. 4 April 1984. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ "Jumping Jack zwaar gewond". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 2 April 1984. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Middelburg bezwijkt aan verwondingen". Trouw (in Dutch). 4 April 1984. Retrieved 7 March 2022.