The country is breaking open. The regained freedom of movement ensures that the fun things in life are increasingly dancing with the old normal. Event organizers are stirring again. Such as Business Rally Events, which has put together an exceptionally successful and RIVM proof rally. This is driven by more than 100 teams during a radiant Sunday. Auto Motor Klassiek is there at the invitation of Sicco Dijkstra and will witness a beautiful caravan with classics and youngtimers on 13 June 2021. With delighted participants, this will take you along the most beautiful places in Fryslân.
The rally consists of two stages: from Bakkeveen to Lemmer, and from Lemmer to Sexbierum. A considerable part of the proceeds will go to the new MFA in the finish place Sexbierum. The participants are divided into a sports class and a tour class. Some are very fanatical, others see the maps from the downloadable route book as ballast. They expect a tour, until the intention becomes clear thanks to the briefing in the mailbox. This will be a day of numbers, letters, a regularity of 39 kilometers per hour and a photo assignment. And that is experienced by everyone in their own way. The common denominator is the tireless old-fashioned fun that radiates from the participants. They enjoy from B to Z, the letter A does not count for the points, it is one of the nice snakes under the Frisian grass.
Photographer Spijker and I also drive the rally, but do not participate in the rankings. Bolletje-dart, route maps and photography is a combination that we do not choose. With the Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super we ride ahead of the troops and in between the troops. The best of both worlds come together. We are early in Bakkeveen. That's where the participants trickle in, everything is ready, from coffee to Castrol lunch bags. This is a moment of reunion with old acquaintances. I catch up with Asmes and after a year and a half the reunion is as usual. It does me good.
Also special is the meeting with a young lady, who has been a diabetes patient since she was six. Today she is there with her grandparents, and they say that as Mantas Team regularly drive rallies for Type 1 Diabetes abroad with a full theme stickered Manta-A from 1972. The proceeds go to charity, the Diabetes Fund. An impressive story that touches me and at the same time fits the radiant weather conditions. There is always hope, and the way the young lady sees the bright side of life is an example. This is how the day starts with an intense and extra beautiful load.
Part one of the rally exposes many gems. The field of participants takes a diverse choice of old and young classics and drives through beautiful places with beautiful greenery, over beautiful inland routes and along idyllic pictures. After a few search pictures it goes straight through the Tjongervallei. Meanwhile Bart and I make intermediate stops with the Giulia, we are proud of our press car for one day and in the meantime see Audi Cabrios, a BMW Z1, a few MGs, a beautiful early Capri, a Volvo PV444, an NSU TT, a Mercedes-Benz R107 and a Peugeot 203 pass us by. We want to see much more. But as is the case with every rally: there is time between the departing teams, who have the most difficult time with the assignments, the balls and the arrows and the search for letters and numbers.
On to Lemmer, where all participants meet at Lemmer Beach. Time for the photo assignment. There we get a picture of the field of participants. Frans- the owner of our Alfa- and his daughter Maria enter with the green Giulia TI with 2000 Nordmotor. Cor and Miranda drive their beautiful DAF 66 Marathon Coupé onto the site. I'm a very happy one this weekend Alfa Romeo driver, but the Toyota heart beats unabated when I discover a few beautiful classic copies of the Japanese manufacturer at the place of the stopover. A beautiful Landcruiser, a beautiful Tercel and the excellent Corona RT40 of the Strikwerda women's team make me more than proud of the impressive brand.
It's time for part two. In the prelude to that, we meet Peter de Roy with his cool and original Dutch Renault 4, also such a love. A press of the horn and a box from the window opens the way to old-fashioned fun that is continued later in Sexbierum. But first we drive the second test at intervals via the rolling Gaasterland and the dike roads on the banks of the IJsselmeer.
The first stretch in particular - near Nijemirdum and Oudemirdum - shows beautiful panoramas. And a perspective on the classical future, which suddenly becomes concrete when the team Sicco Dijkstra passes with the Honda CRX. Watch out, they'll be goldcrests. The first piece of Gaasterland is a harbinger of a revised driving discipline. This is different cake. Here the classics and young timers merge with swaying motorcyclists and an innumerable number of cyclists. It is a discipline in itself. Looking ahead, anticipating and avoiding two-wheeled oncoming traffic. The organizers have no extra points in store for this continuous series of slalom tests, but part two is an agility test in itself. It gives even more fun to the rally. And on our ride with the Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super, which does not budge at all. And her beautiful Nord sound intimately intertwines with the enchanting sight of the route, which briefly puts us on the wrong track. We will soon find that out again.
One more stopover. Harlingen, through which the sun shines relentlessly and a man of Italian descent loves to be with us Alfa poses. And then: on to the finish, opposite hthe beautiful company of Sicco Dijkstra. Of course he exhibits his collection, and that is a feast. The terrain opposite is designed as the end point of a fantastic route. Participants enter, and the large parking lot gives young and old a classic color. Even there we see a number of participating teams for the first time. The hamburger and coke taste delicious and enhance it after a day of old-fashioned classic driving along and through the most beautiful places. It is also a day of meeting old and new acquaintances. This is what makes the experience of driving with young and old so beautiful. This is why I love this profession and this world so much.
Of course: the beautiful rally creates prize winners. The Poorte team wins the sports class, the Van Seumeren team wins the tour class. But this well-organized rally has no losers. Because everyone enjoys the fun things from the old normal in their own way. From the realization that it is allowed and possible again. And that realization makes every team a winning team on Sunday 13 June 2021.
Many thanks to Sicco Dijkstra, Frans de Groot and Business Rally Events organizer Wopke Hettema.
another wonderful article , written with warmth and passion .
You even imagine yourself a participant……………….