Boy Hayje – F5000 | The “forgotten” drivers of F1

1975 F5000 Zandvoort. Photo | Archief – Henk A. Hazelaar

1975 – The talented Dutchman got picked up somehow by Toine Hezemans, who duly bought the former James Hunt Hesketh March 721G-731/3 and installed a 3.4 Ford GAA V6, and replaced the original 731 deformable structures with his own sloping ones… a jump from Formula Ford to F5000, good idea! Here they are with the still unpainted car, what must be the first shake-down run at Zandvoort. © Martin Fokkens and info Ed Brunette

1975 F5000 Zolder

1975 Zolder. Photo Douglas Noordhoorn

1975 Zolder. Photo Christian Wolf

F5000 1975 Zandvoort ex James Hunt. Photo Erik de Jong

F5000 1975 Zandvoort ex James Hunt. Photo Erik de Jong

F5000 1975 Zandvoort ex James Hunt. Photo Erik de Jong

F5000 1975 Zandvoort ex James Hunt. Photo Jeannette Jonkers

Whit Sunday race weekend, Monday 19th. May 1975. Round 6 at Zandvoort, of the Shellsport 5000 European Championship. Boy Hayje interviewed for television by Ruud ter Weijden. In the background left to right Tonio Hildebrand, the person with his back to the camera unknown, Toine Hezemans and mechanic Martin van der Spek. This could be the private tests prior to the race weekend, where Dutch ace Roelof Wunderink had a frightful accident at Tunnel Oost – the spot where we lost Piers Courage, Roger Williams and Chris Lambert years before – which effectively ruined his F1 career. It might be Peter Hemmes, Roelof’s mechanic, in the blue jacket on the right. Photo Harry Opheikens and info Ed Brunette

1975 F5000 Zandvoort. Photo Harry Opheikens via FB

1975 F5000 Zandvoort. Photo Harry Opheikens via FB

1975 F5000 Zandvoort. Photo Harry Opheikens via FB

1975 Zolder. Photo Christian Wolf

1975 – Shellsport European F5000 Championship, round 6, Zandvoort 19th. May 1975. After local ace Roelof Wunderink was seriously injured, during pre race testing, in a heavy shunt at the notorious Tunnel Oost, it was down to the even less experienced Boy Hayje, to uphold Dutch honours. Boy qualified the former, Hesketh Team’s March 721G/731-3, converted with a 3.4 Ford Cosworth GAA V6 engine, in sixth. In the race he battled with Gethin, Scott and Pilette, though he narrowly kept it together surviving a high speed spin, losing time but still able to finish fifth. Photo Guido Fohr and indo ed Brunette

Boy Hayje, in the ex-Hesketh March 721g/731-3 modified by Hezemans, with sloping sidepods and powered by a 3.4 Ford GA V-6 engine. Here pictured during the Shellsport F5000 Championship round at Silverstone, August 28, 1975. He damaged the car severely at the May Thruxton meeting, after the differential completely locked, crashing into a marshall ‘s post, I believe… he did run a month later at Snetterton, so it was not beyond repair! At the fast Silverstone track he qualified 11th. recording 1:26.8, the short wheelbased car not really suited to the track. He was classified 14th. but retired when the engine cut out… Info from Ed Brunette