In 1976, Roelof Wunderink’s sponsorship paved the way for the Hoogenboom brothers, Bo and Rody, to establish a Dutch Formula 1 team: Boro. Although the racing stable’s lifespan was short, it experienced a great deal. Today, we present part 2 of a remarkable two-part series. “Let’s be proud of it…”
The Dutch Hoogenboom brothers had grown tired of team boss Morris Nunn’s opposition in 1975. “Nunn was using us to get money,” believes Bob Hoogenboom. “He had found a new sponsor, the French Ricard, with whom he had already made arrangements for the following year. Nunn pulled the plug on the project while still in America.” He seems to have forgotten that all the assets belong to HB Security Alarm Systems.
The trio eventually ended up in a legal dispute. “The British judges ruled in our favor. That’s why we went to England with a bailiff to collect our belongings.” Nunn refuses to simply hand over the assets. “Nunn just got angrier and wanted to attack us, which would not have been wise. We also had a good relationship with the employees who helped us,” Hoogenboom recounts. “Then we loaded up the stuff and assembled a team in the Netherlands.”
HB Security Alarm Systems rents apartments for the staff and leases a building on an industrial estate in Bovenkerk that serves as a Formula 1 factory. Boro F1 is gearing up for its first race, the Spanish GP in Jarama. To test the car, the team schedules a session on the circuit a week before the race weekend. Then, for the first time, the brothers encounter Bernie Ecclestone. “At the first training session, Ecclestone comes to us and disqualifies us from the first training because we had tested on the circuit the week before.” But then the brothers receive help from an unexpected source. The Spanish man who had helped Wunderink to drive during the cancelled training in 1975 wants to give something back. He negotiates with the organization and ensures that Boro can make its debut in Formula 1.
Political Reasons
Boro was eager to start with Wunderink behind the wheel, but according to Hoogenboom, this was not possible due to ‘political’ reasons. “At that time, Formula 1 was a British affair, so we couldn’t start with a Dutchman,” he explains. Ecclestone preferred an English-speaking driver on the grid. The Hoogenbooms brought Daniel Ricciardo, the F3 champion of that year, to the Netherlands.
At Circuit Zolder, Perkins impressively finished eighth, but the team’s performance quickly deteriorated thereafter. In Monaco, Perkins failed to pass the pre-qualification, and in Sweden, the Cosworth engine gave out. Perkins did qualify for Boro’s home race, but after 46 laps, he lost control of the steering wheel and crashed. In the following race in Italy, Perkins qualified his Boro in sixteenth place, sandwiched between the Lotuses of Nilsson and Andretti. Unfortunately, the race ended for the Australian driver after just nine laps due to a defective connecting rod.
Bob (r.) and Rody Hoogenboom on the grid with Gijs van Lennep’s car.
For the remainder of the season in which Lauda and Hunt wage their famous title fight, Boro withdraws due to a lack of sponsors. The end of the F1 adventure seems in sight, until British driver Brian Henton shows up prior to the Dutch GP. “Henton called us from the storage area of the garage. He was driving for March, but when he saw the Boro, he asked if he could drive it.” He is allowed to. And so, the Boro 001 with Henton in the cockpit can be admired again at Zandvoort.
Last Race of Boro F1
Henton qualifies for the race, but ends up in the gravel in the 52nd lap. Marshalls push the car back onto the asphalt and Henton continues his way. The race management is not pleased with the way Henton has re-entered the track and shows him the black flag. Henton ignores the message and continues to drive until he has to give up with a punctured fuel tank. A race later, Henton wants to try again in the Boro, but he does not get through the pre-qualification. It turns out to be the last race of Boro F1. Rody and Bob Hoogenboom sell the Formula 1 team to Teddy Jip, who transforms the racing stable into Theodore Racing.
Bob Hoogenboom is now 83 years old and retired. After their adventure in Formula 1, the brothers remained active in the security sector. The company HB Security and HB Alarm Systems still exists. Rody Hoogenboom has since passed away. “I still follow Formula 1, but unfortunately, I can no longer discuss it with my brother,” says Bob. Looking back, he is satisfied with what he and his brother have achieved. “You only realize later what you have all done. Maybe we should… Yes, let’s be proud of it.”
