Lex Beels

Hercules Alexander (Lex) Beels was born in 1916, from Heemstede, Holland (very near the Zandvoort circuit), was a regular 500 racer in Coopers and own cars. He began with a Mk III in 1949 and finished third at Zandvoort behind Moss and Aston but beating Brandon and Dryden and followed this with a second at Goodwood in September to Peter Collins. His "unauthorised" Goodwood appearance in a British race led to a rapid rewriting of the rules for foreign competitors competing in British national races, fortunately with a sensible outcome.

For 1950, he switched to his own Cooper derived Beels cars. He finished third in his heat at Monaco in May but failed to finish in the final.

Over the next seven years, Lex became one of the most travelled 500 drivers. Some notable results include fourth at Avus in  July 1951, second in a Cooper at Porrentruy in Switzerland in July 1952 and second at Namur in Belgium in the same month. Lex acquired  the Bill Whitehouse Cooper Mk VI to take second at Chimay, Belgium 24th May 1953, second at Orleans 22nd May 1955 and a win at the Roskildering August. Third at Halle Salle Schleife in East Germany in June and first at Dessau in September 1956. 1957 proved successful in Germany with wins at Wismar in May, Sachsenring in August, Bernau in September 1957 and Dresden.

A curious race at Zandvoort, 10th June 1951. Jan Flinterman (ex-Moss Cooper Mk II) beats Lex Beels (Beels) for second place by 2 cm. Unseen is that both had been waiting for Otto Dillenius, in the only car to survive, to take the chequered flag before beginning a pushing race for the line!

Domestic life with the Beels looks blissful. Photo courtesy Philip Krabbendam

Lex and family enjoy the sunshine at Prescott International, July 1952

Some results for Lex:

Zandvoort 30th July 1949, 3rd

Goodwood 17th September 1949, 2nd

 

Monaco 20th May 1950, 3rd in heat, DNF in final

Zandvoort 23rd July 1950 Grand Prix, DNF

Ostend 14th August 1950 Coupe du Monde, 4th in heat, DNF in final

San Sebastian 3rd September 1950, DNF

 

Zandvoort 10th June 1951, 3rd

Avus 1st July 1951, 3rd in heat, 4th in final

Zandvoort 21st July 1951 - Dutch Grand Prix, 8th

Nürburgring 29th July 1951 Grand Prix, DNF

Freiburg 5th August 1951, 12th

Grenzlandring 9th September 1951, 9th

 

Luxembourg Grand Prix 22nd May 1952, 7th

Nürburgring 24th May 1952, 11th

Boreham 2nd July 1952 Festival of Motor Sport, DNF

Porrentruy 13th July 1952, 2nd

Namur 20th July 1952, 3rd in heat, 2nd in final

Prescott Hill 27th July 1952, 2nd in International Match with Pim Richardson

Boreham 2nd August 1952 Daily Mail International, DNF

Skarpnäck 14th September 1952, 4th

 

Chimay 24th May 1953, 2nd

Amiens 9th June 1953, DNF

Falkenberg 19th July 1953, 9th

Skarpnäck 11th & 12th September 1953, 4th in heat, 4th in final

Agen 27th September 1953, 3rd in heat

 

Orleans 30th May 1954, 4th

 

Helsinki 8th May 1955, 4th

Orleans 22nd May 1955, 2nd

Roskildering 21st August 1955, 1st

Castle Combe 1st October 1955 Avon Trophy, DNF

 

Halle Salle Schleife 17th June 1956, 3rd

Circuit de Narbonne 8th July 1956, 2nd in heat, 4th in heat

Dessau 23rd September 1956, 1st

 

Halle Saale Schleife 28th April 1957, DNF

Wismar 5th May 1957, 1st

Helsinki 12th May 1957, 7th

Leipzig 26th May 1957, DNF

Sachsenring 18th August 1957, 2nd

Bernau 15th September 1957, 1st

Dresden 22nd September 1957, 1st

 

Loroche 1958, 1st

Lex loses his rear suspension, probably Halle Saale, April 1957.

Please get in touch if you can tell us more of Lex's life