Tulpenrallye 1950

Lex van Strien dies after the first rally. The organization committee doubts whether one can continue without the big leader and realizes that there is no immediate replacement. Nevertheless, it is decided to continue with a formula in which more tasks are delegated to the members of the committee. Piet Nortier is the new chairman, and also responsible for setting out the special stages. Jos van Calsteren and Jacques Lioni take over the secretariat, while Beeck Calkoen is in contact with the government. Bram van der Vlugt becomes the clerk of the course and Han van der Heijden takes care of the accommodation and all activities in Noordwijk. Jelle Sybrandy is responsible for the results centre, Cees Rijshouwer is head of the technical committee and Geert Hoogeveen organizes the final test in Zandvoort. In addition to the R.A.C.’s South, East and North, there are 40 other car clubs involved in the organization of the event. This year the special stages will be introduced to ensure a classification during the rally so that this is no longer only determined at the final test in Zandvoort. The Tulpenrallye is the first rally to introduce this system. This makes the rally unique in Europe, as well as the bol-pijI system introduced this year (later in the world often referred to as the “Tulip” system). This system works well. Of the 189 classified crews at the finish, 63 (30%) still have no penalty points.

The ten approach routes come together in Chalon-sur-Saone. The first special stage is in the Vosges and consists of a route that will return in many of the following Tulpenrallye’s. The route is called Route of the Fifteen Mountains (150 km). From Belfort the route leads to the Ballon d’Alsace. At the top of this it heads towards Masevaux, after which the crews drive via the Route Joffre to Bitschwiller and Goldbach. The Route de Crêtes then takes the participants over the Col Amic and Col de la Schlucht to Gérardmer. Then another loop follows over the Col des Feignes and the Col Grosse Pierre (via La Bresse) back to Gérardmer. Two weeks before the rally, there is still a lot of snow on the route. This is removed by French snow plows. However, when it starts to snow again just before the start of the stage, the Dutch officials have to do a lot of work to allow the special stage to continue. Eventually this succeeds. The Route of the Thousand Curves, from Luxembourg to Liège, is also a special challenge. In the total route of 220 km there are no straights of more than a few hundred meters in length. After the participants return to the Netherlands at Eijsden, another loop through our country via the north and the Zuiderzeedijk (now Afsluitdijk) will return the crews to Noordwijk. The cars are inspected at the finish in a large tent, under the direction of Cees Rijshouwer and then placed on the boulevard that is completely closed as a parc fermé.

The 285 teams at the start, with more than half of them from the Netherlands, clearly prove the rapidly growing popularity of the Tulpenrallye. The classification test at Zandvoort is only set out after the start of the participants and is secret. First there is a slalom with some pylons, after which the crews drive the Hunserug in opposite direction. At the top the cars must be turned to drive down again as fast as possible. At the bottom the car has to be stopped again, after which some backwards driving must be done and then one goes back to the start via the pylons. This test is not so much about the pure speed of the car, but especially about the skill of steering.

Hans Kreisel is in the lead for a long time, with his small Renault. But eventually, when the faster cars start, they have to settle for the 8th place. The test in Zandvoort is being held on Thursday, after which the participants will be extensively involved on Friday and Saturday with trips to the Keukenhof and other attractions. Every evening there is a cocktail party and on the way back on Thursday the foreign participants are welcomed by the mayor of Haarlem.

Ken Wharton (with Langelaan and Dorsett) wins the rally again, with 43.598 seconds on the final test, and proves to be a very good driver (at the finish in 1949 it was thought that he would have had a lot of advantage in adjusting his car to the test); this time with Ford Pilot. The Coupe des Dames is won by Mrs. Joy Cooke, also with Ford Pilot. Ken Wharton gives a short speech in Dutch during the award ceremony, with 121 prizes, and the Lex van Strien Memorial is being awarded to Klaas Barendregt as best Dutchman (2nd).