George Dardenne

George Dardenne
Belgian Georges Dardenne was born in 1922, he managed to excel in two remarkably different sports. Immediately post-War, he competed as a bodybuilder, culminating in becoming the 1950 Mr Belgium, and coming fourth in the Mr Universe competition in the same year. He was also a successful weightlifter. He transferred to motor racing in 1953, using a Dyna Panhard Junior 750cc sports car. For 1954 he upgraded to a Cooper a Cooper Mk IV, which he acquired from John Brise, in 1954 '55 and '56. Some notable results include: La Louvière, Belgium 27th June 1954, 1st Mons, Belgium 11th July 1954, 1st Montlhéry 19th September 1954 3rd Mons 22nd May 1955 Grand Prix de Saint Ghislain, 1st in Heat DNF in final.	George in his Cooper, Mons July '54
He would return to both sports later in life. In the late 1970s he was running a Cooper-BMC Formula Junior. Then in the 1980s he not only wrote on the subject of bodybuilding (Historique de la Culture Physique) but backed it up by winning the Veterans class of the Belgian Bodybuilders championship. Georges died 24th September 2011 at his home in Liège. If anyone has more details, please get in touch.