In memorial Jan de Groot.

 A year before i was born, my countryman Jan de Groot saw light in the nearby municipal of Havelte (25 Km from Assen)

 Big Jan as we always called him was in his young days an excellent rider in the Enduro in the small classes and he gained 3 National Titles in the 50 and 125cc.

 It was therefore not to our surprise that Jan with his insight and knowledge of the matter started in the late 1960s with local agricultural dealer Bennie Akkerman from the Frisian municipal of Rotserhaule the so-called AGS factory of frames and motorbikes for grass track and motocross.

 AGS was by than the biggest seller in the Netherlands and mostly the bikes were equipped with engines from Puch, Sachs, Casal and Zündapp. Later became the company also the sole import of AJS MX bikes equipped with the well-known Starmaker villliers engine.

 After the AGS period Jan start working as the technical man for the at that time Importer of Kawasaki in Holland, Bruinsma in Amsterdam, were actually his roots were laid leading him to act as a team boss in the Kawasaki factory team as the British Alec Wright resigned.

 In between that Jan act as being the Technical man behind the Venko Honda MX team of the Dutchman Hen Koster and Jan achieved what many of us had then not yet expected, by gaining the world title with the flamboyant south African Greg Albertijn in 1992, and 93.

 Later acting as Kawasaki’s team captain, also Stefan Everts in 1995, Sebastien Tortelii (96 and 98) and Mickael Maschio in 2002, gained their world title on material looked after by the team of Jan de Groot.

 Big Jan was a quiet friend, who did not say much in contrast to the undersigned about his sport, in which he put in al he had and his whole soul, but what he said was true and testifying of a large knowledge of the matter, developed by the years gone

 Jan suffered for years from a feared sickness, of which one can hardly win. The last time that I spoke him was at the GP in Germany, were as always Jan was in a good mood. He will be missed by all here in Holland, who know that our sport will remain as will do the fine memories we have on this great sportsman.

Palmaris Jan de Groot:

More than 10 years Manager Kawasaki Racing Team

Enduro careier:

Dutch Champion Enduro 1965 50 cm³

Dutch Champion Enduro1970 125 cm³

Dutch Champion Enduro 1971 125 cm³

 Business career:

 1967-1975: Own motorcycle factory/tuning enter AGS

1975-1980: Technical Coordinator from the Dutch Importer of Kawasaki

1980-1984: Technical Coordinator from Gerrit Wolsink

1984-1993: Technical coordinator/Manager from the Dutch Venko/Honda MX team

1994: Technical coordinator Kawasaki Racing Team

 World championships achieved as MX Team Manager

1992 Greg Albertijn 125 cm³ Honda

1993 Greg Albertijn 250 cm³ Honda

1995 Stefan Everts 250 cm³ Kawasaki

1996 Sebastien Tortelli 125 cm³ Kawasaki

1998 Sebastien Tortelli 250 cm³ Kawasaki

2002 Mickael Maschio 125 cm³ Kawasaki

 Herman E Hoff

People say i am the one but best MX speaker in the scenery