Ben Pon

Bernardus Marinus 'Ben' Pon Jr (9 December 1936, Amersfoort, Netherlands - 30 September 2019) was a Dutch racing driver and businessman whose family name became synonymous with automotive history. His father, Ben Pon Sr, was the first dealer of Volkswagen cars outside Germany and instrumental in bringing VW to both the Netherlands and the United States, creating a lasting automotive legacy. Ben Pon Jr began his racing career in the United States, participating in sports car races with Porsche 356 models. In his first attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he immediately achieved an outstanding result, finishing tenth overall and first in the GT 1.

6 class. His co-driver in the Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth GTL was Herbert Linge. His Formula One career was brief and eventful. He competed in one Formula One race, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, driving the #15 Porsche 787 for Carel Godin de Beaufort's Ecurie Maarsbergen. Starting 18th on the grid, Pon completed only two laps before flipping his car on lap three and dropping out of the cockpit.

This dramatic incident led Pon to vow never again to race single-seaters, a promise he kept throughout the remainder of his career while achieving numerous successes in sports car racing with Porsche. Pon officially retired from professional sports car racing in 1965, though he returned for one final appearance at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing seventh co-driving with Vic Elford in a works Porsche 906. Beyond motorsport, Pon represented the Netherlands in clay pigeon shooting at the 1972 Summer Olympics, finishing 31st. He also established the Bernardus Winery and Lodge in Carmel, California, and owned the oldest wine negotiating business in the Netherlands, demonstrating his diverse business interests beyond the automotive world.