Photo: Henry ten Dam Private Collection
For a privateer like Tom, race meetings in Holland like Tubbergen, Hengelo etc were a welcome opportunity to bring in some extra money. He took up the opportunity to race the Wilddam RG500 at the Dutch International meeting, as long term rider Alan North was still out injured with a broken leg. Tom finished third in the race.
Report
Henny ten Dam, was director of food canning business in Almelo and sponsor of motorsports.
His son Henry explains the name Wilddam,
'The name Wilddam is a factory name that traded in game and poultry (wild & Gevogelte) like turkey and chickens. Also it makes chicken soup and vegetables soup.
Wild = Wild & gevogelte
Dam = last part of my father's name
= Wilddam'
Wilddam was a great game and poultry company employing many people in the 60s and 70s.
Henny enjoyed great prestige in the world of motor sport and particularly in road racing. His sponsored riders included: Alan North, Klass Hernamdt, Peter Looijesteijn, Gerard van der Wal and Guus ten Tije
He often lent his motorcycles from some famous riders such as Jack Middelburg, Boet van Dulmen and Tom Herron
Henny ten Dam pictured with Boet van Dulmen
Photo: Henry ten Dam Private Collection
I asked Tom's great friend Jon Ekerold for his memories of this race meeting.
Thank you for your kind wishes.
Although I was at Tubbergen that year, I don't recall the actual circumstances regarding Tom's involvement with Henny, although I would guess, because it was a Dutch meeting, Henny was supporting Tom on a one off basis just for that race.
It would have allowed Tom to earn extra prize and start money, which was always welcome. The only time I rode one of Henny�s bikes was in Schwannenstadt in Austria when he gave me Alan's (North) RG500 to ride. Quite often, we would find sponsorship at meetings where a local business or individual wanted extra publicity, and I suspect this is why Tom is on Henny's bike. As I already had a Dutch sponsor, Opstalan, I wouldn't have been involved with Henny in Holland.
Kind regards,
Jon.
Alan North takes up the story:
Hello Stephen
Your e-mail has been forwarded to me by Jon Ekerold, regarding the RG500 Suzuki that Tom rode at Tubbergen in 1978. I missed the full season that year, due to a broken leg that took a long time to heal, following complications.
Henny ten Dam had bought a new TZ350 and RG500 for me to race in 1978, the Stuart Avant RG500 was used in 1976 and 1977 and then sold. It looks like Henny let Tom ride this bike at Tubbergen, seeing as I would not be using it at all that year.
I think the blue mudguard and seat were still the standard Suzuki colours, before being painted in the Wilddam colours?
Hope this throws some light on the subject, and all the best for 2010.
Best Regards,
Alan North
Technical Manager
Yamaha Distributors
Sadly, Henny ten Dam passed away in December 1997 but his contribution to the world of motor-cycle racing will never be forgotten by those who were fortunate enough to know him and by those riders whom he helped and supported.
Stephen McKeown
December 2009