Dutch road racing star of the day: Peter Politiek

The Dutch road racer of yesteryear, where has he been, what he does today and how he views the sport of road racing today. Each week we present you a Dutch road racing top of yesteryear in the section “The Dutch road racing top of the time” and we ask them all a series of (the same) questions. This week: Peter Politiek.

Who is Peter Politiek?

• Last name: Peter Politics
• Nickname: Mr. Politcs
• Born: 13-7-1984
• Residence: Amsterdam
• Partner: Sanne
• Start your career in road racing: 1998
• Been active in: ONK 125cc, ONK / IDM / EK 250cc, ONK / IDM / EK Superbikes, Supermono, Classics in the Netherlands and USA, Wild-Card 250cc TT Assen.
• Number of titles: 2 in the US while studying and running there for a year
• End of road racing career: 2012
• Current occupation: director / owner of an engineering firm
• Facebook: mrpolitics59 /
• Twitter: –
• Instagram: @ 59motorcycles / @politiekjr

How did you come into contact with road racing at the time?

We lived on an old farm in Twente and my sister and I practiced equestrian sports from a very young age. My father (Peter senior) was already involved in motorsport at the time, he was preparing motorcycles and blocks for, among others, Supermono rider Stefan Slootjes. He was still driving rallies and off the road back then.
In such an environment, you naturally get a little bike pushed quickly under your buttocks and I started motocross around the age of ten. The Yamaha TZR Junior Cup was launched in 1998, which was a very logical step for us. For a few more years I tried to combine equestrian sport, motocross and road racing, but of course it did not work optimally. When I was 16, we gave up riding and motocross to focus entirely on road racing.

With which pilot did you have the best fights on the track?

They are not necessarily pilots but specific races / fights that accompany you. There are quite a few.

• • In 2009 Bob Withag and I came back from injuries, when we both came from Borne and fought together for the Race of the Champions victory the entire race. What I finally managed to take with 3 thousandths. Great fight and good memories.
  • Leading the way in an international Classics race at the Salzburgring under changing conditions. It starts to rain a little harder and after a short fight he is overtaken by former world champion Phil Read who is on a slightly softer compound and clearly has more grip. If you still have to lose to someone, that’s okay.
  • Win and lose battles in the AHRMA Championship in USA with several legendary road race names (Doug Poland, Jake Zemke, Jay Springsteen, Gary Nixon, Andrew Stroud, Dave Roper, Maria Costello)

The best bike you’ve ever ridden and why?

’78 Ducati 900ss, because it’s just super cool.

What is your favorite trail that you have ridden and why?

The old TT Circuit Assen with the Noordlus. Long, beautifully flowing trail. Competed in the 250cc Grand Prix as a wildcard in 2002.

What’s the strangest and most hilarious thing you’ve ever seen racing?

In 1999 I took part in the Yamaha TZR Junior Cup and thanks to the media I was allowed to participate with this TZR for a few sessions in a private test on the (old) TT circuit of the MuZ 500cc Grand Prix team where Jurgen van den Goorbergh rode. this year.
During one of the full sessions on the Veenslang at 160km / h and is piloted by Jurgen on his MuZ which went towards 300km / h. One of the few times I got really scared on a bike.

What’s the best thing about running?

Wonderful memories of races / circuits and connections with people from Australia to the United States. One way or another, motorsport has also opened up a lot of doors to completely different things. Nice relationship with my father with whom I lived this whole adventure.

What did you do after your active career in road racing?

I started working in our family business in Zoetermeer, Vandervelde Protection. An engineering company that focuses on the corrosion protection of steel in soil, water and concrete (cathodic protection). A few years ago, I became manager and owner.

Are you still involved in sports in one way or another?

I occasionally do tests (on the track) and introductions for Moto73 and Motor.nl. I also drive Trackdays and a sporadic race with a Ducati 1098. This year I hope with this 12 year old engine to take a point at the IDC Superbikes.

Which current driver do you have a lot of respect for and why?

Danilo Petrucci. Not the most talented, did not follow the right path, but got here only by pushing. Pure engagement and emotion without the chatter.

Who do you consider to be the greatest (currently active) road racing talent in the Netherlands and why?

Zonta van den Goorbergh and Collin Veijer. I think they are the only two with the right talents and the right advice to develop (internationally). This is the only way to progress at the moment. At the NK / IDM level, Ricardo Brink is of course a boss right now.

How do you see the current race with your experience, both nationally and internationally?

Nationally, the level is quite depressing. There are a few (very) fast guys, but the top is very narrow. It is of course also crying that it is necessary to invest so much in equipment for so little driving time and exposure. If I can drive my 10+ year old Ducati without electronics in the points, that says enough. So, if people really want to take international steps, all they have to do is devote themselves abroad with the right advice and the right financial resources, just like Zonta and Collin. And then you also have to be lucky not to already have two heads more than the Spaniards and Italians at puberty.
However, if you’ve already turned the button and it’s just for fun, you can have fun at various championships in the Netherlands and neighboring countries. Such a wide range of amateur championships is, of course, awesome.
I think enough has been written about Dorna’s international dictatorship. Personally, I think it’s a shame that with Dorna’s takeover of WSBK they didn’t just make Superbikes a share class. This had resulted in some nice full fields and some crazy wild card promotions.

Wednesday 19-05-2021: The Dutch road racer at the time:….
Due to the huge success of this column, we, the Racesport.nl editorial team, have decided to continue with “The Dutch Road Racing Driver of the Time” after March 1st. However, starting in March, we’ll limit the section to once a week and only post it on Wednesdays so it doesn’t get overwhelmed by busy racing weekends.

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