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| | '''Jan van der Maeyede''' (Born 23rd February 1967, Eindohoven, Holland) is a Dutch racing driver known more for his dubious off track actions than his racing career. Jan had a moderately successful career, driving in the [[Life GP Series]] and the [[F1RGP2C]] before his retirement from motorsport. Jan is married to Marie van der Maeyede, and has a son, [[Martin van der Maeyede]]. | | '''Jan van der Maeyede''' (Born 23rd February 1967, Eindohoven, Holland) is a Dutch racing driver known more for his dubious off track actions than his racing career. Jan had a moderately successful career, driving in the [[Life GP Series]] and the [[F1RGP2C]] before his retirement from motorsport. Jan is married to Marie van der Maeyede, and has a son, [[Martin van der Maeyede]]. |
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| − | ==Early Life, Upbringing, and early motorsport career== | + | ==Early Life, Upbringing, and early motorsport career== |
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| − | Jan was born in Veldhoven, a suburb of Eindhoven, to moderately wealthy parents on a cold February day. Jan initially showed an interest in football, becoming a fan of PSV Eindhoven, but things all changed when his father took him aged 7 on a rare excursion to the Zandvoort racing circuit to watch 1976 Dutch Grand Prix. Jan and his father stood at the mighty Tarzanbocht to watch the equally-mighty James Hunt in the equally-mighty McLaren win the race, just fending of Clay Reggazoni's Ferrari. From the first time the cars rounded Tarzan, Jan was hooked on motor racing, and grew up supporting such legends as Hunt, Niki Lauda, [[Callum McAllister]], Jody Scheckter, Jacques Laffite and [[Ed Kevin]]. Jan had firm aspirations of becoming a racing driver, and vowed to not let anything stand in his way.
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| − | Jan saved for months, and was able to buy a motor at a local boot sale to power a frame his father had built using tubular mild steel that had 'fallen off a back of a lorry'. Jan entered a kart race at Zandvoort, and despite his high hopes, he could only manage a lowly 7th place of 13 competitors. Undeterred, he persisted with his dream, and slowly became better and better, with podiums turning into victories, and victories turning into entries into the national karting championship. By now, Jan was in possesion of a proper kart and the skills needed to drive it.
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| − | However, as he progressed into his mid teens, more questionable things began to become bigger and bigger influences in Jan's life. Jan's mother worked at a street corner cafe, so Jan often visited with his friends as he was able to get money off food and drink, thanks to his mother. With Eindhoven being in Holland, some men would smoke cannabis at tables adjoining Jan and his mates. Although at first he didn't understand the strange smell and the strange men, he became more and more aware of drugs through his school and his friends. Eventually, Jan ended up asking the men for some cannabis, and inevitably ended up hooked on the drug.
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| − | As a result, his racing performances started to fluctate. Jan had moved to England to compete in Formula Ford when the drug started to show its real impact. Jan turned up for the last race of the season high, and despite the attempts of his father and two bowls of raw coffee to bring him back down, Jan went out and drove like a muppet, triggering a multi car crash at the first corner. He was out, and would eventually finish 5th in the championship.
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| − | Jan managed to keep the drug under control for two years, but an incident when he was 22driving in the British Formula 3 championship changed his career. Jan was leading the championship when he turned up for the 4th meeting at Donington Park, whilst still high. The team suspected something, and despite his best efforts to cover it up and play it down, an on site doctor proved the prescence of cannabis in Jan's system. As a result of this, he was excluded from all further races that year, and was banned indefinately from racing in Britain.
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| | [[Category:Drivers]] | | [[Category:Drivers]] |
| | + | [[Category:Dutch Drivers]] |
| | + | [[Category:Life GP Drivers]] |
| | + | [[Category:F1RGP2C Drivers]] |
