Gerrit van Kouwen

Gerrit van Kouwen
Nationality	Dutch
Born	(1963-07-05)5 July 1963 De Meern, Utrecht, Netherlands
Died	26 January 2024(2024-01-26) (aged 60)
British Touring Car Championship
Years active	1989–1990
Teams	JQF Engineering Pyramid Motorsport
Starts	13
Wins	0
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	42nd in 1989
Championship titles
1982, 1983	Dutch Formula Ford 1600

Gerrit van Kouwen (5 July 1963 – 26 January 2024) was a Dutch racing driver.[1][2][3][4]

Van Kouwen was born in 1963 at his father's car scrapyard in De Meern, the Netherlands.[5]

In 1982 and 1983 he was Dutch Formula Ford 1600 champion and went on to win the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1984,[6] the first Dutchman to win the event. Van Kouwen competed in the British Formula 3 championship in 1985, winning three races to finish the season fifth overall. A second season in British F3 followed in 1986 which saw van Kouwen improve to fourth overall despite taking only one victory during the season.[7] Van Kouwen later switched to touring car racing and was active in this category until 1992.[8][9]

Van Kouwen died of cancer on 26 January 2024.

Racing record

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Pts
1987	Linder Rennsport	BMW M3	MNZ	JAR	DIJ	NÜR	SPA ovr:7 cls:5	BNO	SIL	BAT	CLD	WEL	FJI	NC†	0

† Not eligible for points.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest lap.

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	DC	Pts	Class
1989	JQF Engineering	Ford Sierra RS500	A	OUL Ret	SIL 9	THR Ret	DON 5	THR 7	SIL 11	SIL 7	BRH Ret	SNE 7	BRH Ret	BIR 6	DON	SIL	42nd	4	17th
1990	Pyramid Motorsport	BMW M3	B	OUL	DON 8‡	THR	SIL	OUL	SIL	BRH 13‡	SNE	BRH	BIR	DON	THR	SIL	NC‡	0	0‡
Source:[10]

‡ Endurance driver – not eligible for points.

References

1. "Gerrit van Kouwen presteert goed". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 22 April 1985 – via Delpher.
2. "Gerrit van Kouwen trekt de aandacht". Limburgsch Dagblad (in Dutch). 22 July 1985 – via Delpher.
3. "Gerrit van Kouwen derde in Engeland". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 1 April 1986 – via Delpher.
4. "Westduits aanbod voor Gerrit van Kouwen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 25 November 1988 – via Delpher.
5. "Autosport-icoon Gerrit van Kouwen overleden". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 27 January 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
6. "Gerrit van Kouwen". Driver Database. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
7. Pye, Marcus (31 January 2024). "Obituary: Formula Ford Festival and British F3 winner Gerrit van Kouwen dies aged 60". Autosport. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
8. Pye, Marcus (31 January 2024). "Obituary: Formula Ford Festival and British F3 winner Gerrit van Kouwen dies aged 60". Autosport.com. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
9. Diepraam, Mattijs (26 January 2024). "Formule Ford-held Gerrit van Kouwen (60) overleden". Autosport.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 March 2024.
10. de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 30 October 2024.