Now in its 74^th year, Circuit Zandvoort remains one of the world’s greatest driving challenges. A place where rhythm and racecraft rule supreme.

Racing at Zandvoort goes back to 1939, in that strange summer before the war, when the Netherlands hosted its first-ever international race on the streets of a seaside town named Zandvoort. The event was so popular that mayor Van Alphen decided to build a permanent facility in the dunes just north of the town. After the war, John Hugenholtz—who would go on to become one of the world’s greatest track designers (Suzuka, Zolder, Jarama, etc.)—would oversee the construction of Sammy Davis’s (not that Sammy Davis, the 1927 Le Mans-winning Sammy Davis!) layout that followed the already-present road in and around the dunes. The gates opened on the 7th August, 1948, and the track became an instant classic, one that remained a regular venue on the F1 calendar for decades. Demanding and difficult and loved by drivers and fans, it was only when finances became an issue that F1 reluctantly left in the mid-’80s. That didn’t alter Zandvoort’s pedigree one bit, though. Always a serious test of car and driver, the track remains home to the cream of European racing series, including the ADAC GT Masters, the FIA GT3 European Championship, the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, touring cars, and a world-class historics weekend. This track rewards talent like few others.