René Baeten

René Baeten (10 June 1927, in Herentals – 5 June 1960, in Stekene) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1947 to 1960. Baeten is notable for winning the 1958 F.I.M. 500cc motocross world championship.[1]

René Baeten
NationalityBelgian
Born10 June 1927 (1927-06-10)
Herentals, Belgium
Died5 June 1960 (1960-06-06) (aged 32)
Stekene, Belgium
Motocross career
Years active1947 - 1960
TeamsFN
Championships500cc - 1958
Wins8

In 1953 and 1954, Baeten finished second in the 500cc European motocross championships to Auguste Mingels.[2][3] In 1957, the F.I.M. upgraded the competition to world championship status, and again Baeten would finish in second place, this time to Bill Nilsson on an AJS motorcycle.[4] In 1958, Baeten would ride an FN motorcycle to claim the 500cc motocross world championship, defeating Nilsson and Sten Lundin.[5] He was honored for his achievement with the 1958 Belgian National Sports Merit Award. Baeten was killed in a racing accident in 1960.[6]

References
  1. "René Baeten career profile". bestsports.com. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  2. "1953 500cc European motocross championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  3. "1954 500cc European motocross championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. "1957 500cc motocross world championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  5. "1958 500cc motocross world championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  6. "René Baeten profile at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 28 December 2015.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.