Racing for Holland

Racing for Holland is a Dutch motor racing team started by Jan Lammers in 1999. The team is initially specialised in endurance races such as 24 hours of Le Mans and FIA sportscars series. The team also participated in the A1 Grand Prix as the A1 Team The Netherlands. It would eventually continue as Racing Team Nederland under ownership of Frits van Eerd and Jumbo.

Netherlands Racing for Holland
Founded1999
Founder(s)Jan Lammers
Folded2009
BaseAmsterdam, Netherlands
Team principal(s)Jan Lammers
Former seriesFIA Sportscar Championship
A1 Grand Prix
Le Mans Series
Superleague Formula
Noted driversNetherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen
Netherlands John Bosch
Netherlands Val Hillebrand
Netherlands Jan Lammers
Netherlands Jos Verstappen
Teams'
Championships		2002 FIA Sportscars
2003 FIA Sportscars

History

Racing for Holland was incepted in 1999 as Talkline Racing for Holland. The team would participate in that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans in collaboration with German Konrad Motorsport, with drivers Jan Lammers, Tom Coronel and Peter Kox, and Talkline serving as mainsponsor. Talkline would withdraw sponsorship after the 2000 race, in which the team was disqualified after Tom Coronel left the car for more than 30 meter to collect his lost rear tire, starting a struggle to find funding. In 2001 Racing for Holland for the first time took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans without help of Konrad Motorsport, resulting again in a DNF. However, Racing for Holland were showing a fast pace ever since their debut on Le Mans and they finished for the first time in 2002, in 8th place, and a year later a best ever finish in 6th place.

Sportscar Racing
Racing for Holland's Dome S101-Judd at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, showing a special paint scheme for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Racing for Holland has for many years campaigned a Dome S101 sportscar powered by a Judd engine in the FIA Sportscar Championship, Le Mans Series, and the most of all the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including a best of sixth place overall in 2003.

With the Dome-Judd combination, Racing for Holland was successful in winning the FIA Sportscar Championship in 2002 and 2003 after having finished third in 2001. In the Le Mans Series, Racing for Holland has not had as much success, finishing ninth in the LMP1 standings in both 2005 and 2006.

Sponsors

Unable to find one major sponsor for the team after Talkline's withdraw from sponsorship, Jan Lammers started an unusual sponsor programme. Instead of a few major sponsors, he set out to find many minor sponsors. The team sold small square spaces on the car, either in white lettering on a black background or vice versa. This gives the car a chequered appearance with the only other notable colours being red, blue (colours of the Dutch flag) and orange (the colour of the Dutch royal house).

Later on, after the team's success in various events, the cars became more prominently styled with large orange or black and silver colours; however a hint of the chequered sponsorship squares always remains visible.

Shortly before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Racing For Holland liveried their cars for the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans in the motif of a soccer ball, having received support from Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruijff. The move was also intended to show their support for the Dutch team.

Complete series results
A1 Grand Prix Results[1]
Year Car Team Races Wins Poles Fast laps Points T.C.
2005-06 Lola A1GP-Zytek Netherlands A1 Team Netherlands 22 1 0 0 69 7th
2006-07 Lola A1GP-Zytek Netherlands A1 Team Netherlands 22 1 1 0 57 5th
2007-08 Lola A1GP-Zytek Netherlands A1 Team Netherlands 20 0 1 0 87 7th
2008–09 A1GP-Ferrari Netherlands A1 Team Netherlands 14 2 3 1 75 4th
  • T.C. = Teams' Championship position, DNF = Did not qualify, NC = Not Classified.

References
  1. A1GP complete Archived 2007-12-26 at the Wayback Machine resultsresults.a1gp.com
  2. 24h of Le Mans complete results Archived 2011-02-22 at the Wayback Machine wsrp.ic.cz
  3. FIA Sportscar complete results Archived 2009-05-21 at the Wayback Machine wsrp.ic.cz
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