Frits Kiggen
Encyclopedia
Frits Kiggen is a retired Dutch
sidecarcross
passenger and the 1981 World Champion
in the sport, together with his driver Ton van Heugten
.
He has also won the Dutch national sidecarcross championship twice, in 1979 and 1980, and the European amateur sidecarcross championship in 1975. Additionally, he has taken part in the Dakar Rally
on a number of occasions.
In 1982, he and Van Heugten took part in the Dakar Rally. He again took part in the competition in 2004, 2005 and 2007 in the truck category, for GINAF
.
His racing partner of many years, Ton van Heugten, died on 27 March 2008 of a heart attack, aged 62, in his home town of Amersfoort
.
Kiggen did not return to this competition until 1979, now racing with Ton van Heugten, the two becoming a very successful combination. They won the Dutch championship twice together, in 1979 and 1980.
From 1980 onwards, the European championship was renamed the FIM World Championship and Van Heugten/Kiggen, finishing fourth in its first year, became the second World Champion in 1981, despite Kiggen, breaking his collar bone during the season and having to be replaced with Sies Hurkmans for four races.
Kiggen continued to race with Van Heugten until 1986, achieving four more top-three finishes in the World Championship. Kiggen also raced with other drivers in this time an finished his World Championship career on the side of Jan Bakens in 1988.
Source:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sidecarcross
Sidecarcross
Sidecar-cross racing, also known as sidecar motocross, is very similar to regular, solo motocross but with a different type of motorcycle chassis, and with a team of two people riding together instead of one, a driver and a passenger. While not confirmed most articles seem to show Sidecarcross...
passenger and the 1981 World Champion
Sidecarcross world championship
The Sidecar Motocross World Championship is an annual event, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme , held since 1980. Previous to that, a European competition was held from 1971 onwards....
in the sport, together with his driver Ton van Heugten
Ton van Heugten
Antonius Maria van Heugten was a Dutch sidecarcross rider and the 1981 World Champion in the sport, together with his passenger Frits Kiggen....
.
He has also won the Dutch national sidecarcross championship twice, in 1979 and 1980, and the European amateur sidecarcross championship in 1975. Additionally, he has taken part in the Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
on a number of occasions.
Biography
Kiggen took out the 1975 IMBA European sideacrcross championship, an amateur competition, on the side of Jan Nouwens.In 1982, he and Van Heugten took part in the Dakar Rally. He again took part in the competition in 2004, 2005 and 2007 in the truck category, for GINAF
GINAF
GINAF is a Dutch truck manufacturer which produces trucks mainly for heavy duty off-road transport, construction and agricultural work. About 250 trucks are made each year in the company's factory in Veenendaal in the Netherlands...
.
His racing partner of many years, Ton van Heugten, died on 27 March 2008 of a heart attack, aged 62, in his home town of Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
.
Sidecarcross world championship results
Frits Kiggen made his debut in the European Championship, a predecessor of the World Championship, in 1976, in 1976, on the side of Broer Dirkx.Kiggen did not return to this competition until 1979, now racing with Ton van Heugten, the two becoming a very successful combination. They won the Dutch championship twice together, in 1979 and 1980.
From 1980 onwards, the European championship was renamed the FIM World Championship and Van Heugten/Kiggen, finishing fourth in its first year, became the second World Champion in 1981, despite Kiggen, breaking his collar bone during the season and having to be replaced with Sies Hurkmans for four races.
Kiggen continued to race with Van Heugten until 1986, achieving four more top-three finishes in the World Championship. Kiggen also raced with other drivers in this time an finished his World Championship career on the side of Jan Bakens in 1988.
Season by season
The competition which was to become the sidecarcross world championship in 1980 originated as the FIM Cup in 1971 and was renamed to European championship in 1975. Kiggen's results in these competitions were:| Season | Driver | Equipment | Position | Points | Races | Wins | Second | Third |
| 1976 | Broer Dirkx | 29 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | Ton van Heugten Ton van Heugten Antonius Maria van Heugten was a Dutch sidecarcross rider and the 1981 World Champion in the sport, together with his passenger Frits Kiggen.... |
Weslake-Wasp | 6 | 82 | 14 | — | 1 | 3 |
| 1980 | Ton van Heugten | Yamaha-EML | 4 | 126 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 1981 | Ton van Heugten | Yamaha-Wasp | 1 | 169 | 14 | 9 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | Ton van Heugten | Yamaha-Wasp | 3 | 102 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 1983 | Jan Bakens | Yamaha-EML | 9 | 46 | 6 | 2 | — | — |
| 1984 | Ton van Heugten | Folan-Wasp | 2 | 232 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1985 | Ton van Heugten | Folan-Wasp | 3 | 238 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 1986 | Ton van Heugten | Folan-EML EML Sidecars The EML Sidecars company, short EML, is a Dutch Sidecarcross and Quad frame manufacturer, having won numerous worldchampionships in this sport.EML stands for Einmalig, meaning unique.-History:... |
3 | 39 | 2 | — | 2 | — |
| Benny Janssen | Maico-EML | 6 | 58 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | |
| 1988 | Benny Janssen | Jumb0-EML | 10 | 24 | 2 | — | 1 | — |
| Jan Bakens | Folan-EML | 17 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Overall 1976 - 1988 | 1091 | 108 | 24 | 16 | 18 |
Source:
Netherlands
- Champions: (2) 1979, 1980
External links
- The official FIM website
- http://www.digiphoto.com.pt/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=26547Pictures of Frits Kiggen's truck at the 2007 Dakar RallyDakar RallyThe Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
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