| Mike Hezemans | |
|---|---|
 Hezemans in 2019 | |
| Nationality |  Dutch |
| Born | (1969-07-25)25 July 1969 (age 56) Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Related to | Toine Hezemans (father) Loris Hezemans (brother) Liam Hezemans (brother) |
| Racing licence |  FIA Silver |
Mike Hezemans (born 25 July 1969) is aDutch racing driver who last competed forMarc VDS Racing Team in theBlancpain Endurance Series.
Hezemans is a two-time winner of theSpa 24 Hours, a three-time winner of the24 Hours of Zolder and a race winner in theFIA GT Championship, in which he was runner-up in points four times.
Hezemans began karting in 1981,[1] most notably finishing third in theKarting World Championship and runner-up in theKarting European Championship in 1989 before stepping up to car-racing the year after by racing in the Dutch Production Car Championship.[2]
After spending four years betweenPorsche Carrera Cup Germany andPorsche Supercup, which included a podium at the 199124 Hours of Spa, Hezemans joinedLotus Racing Team for the1996 BPR Global GT Series.[3] Continuing withLotus Racing for 1997, Hezemans competed in theFIA GT Championship and the24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT1 class.[4]
In 1998, Hezemans returned to the GT1 class of theFIA GT Championship for a part-time schedule with Team Hezemans, before switching to the GT2 class andRoock Racing for the second half, during which he scored a podium in the season-ending race atLaguna Seca.[5]
Following his third season in theFIA GT Championship in 1999 where he only scored four points, Hezemans joined Carsport Holland for the following year.[6] After taking his maiden series win atMonza,[7] Hezemans won again at theA1-Ring andBrno to end the season runner-up in points.[8][9]
Hezemans remained with Carsport Holland for 2001, this time partneringJeroen Bleekemolen. The pair won at theHungaroring andEstoril on their way to runner-up honors in the GT standings.[10][11] Partnering up withAnthony Kumpen for 2002, the pair won the second-to-last race atDonington Park as they finished sixth in points.[12] During 2002, Hezemans took the first of three consecutive24 Hours of Zolder wins.[13]
After podium-less stints withForce One Racing Festina andGPC Giesse Squadra Corse,[14][15] Hezemans returned toGLPK-Carsport for 2005 alongside Bert Longin and Anthony Kumpen.[16] The trio won atImola and the third-to-last round atZhuhai en route to a sixth place in points at season's end.[17][18] The trio was retained byGLPK-Carsport for 2006,[19] but were only able to muster a win atLe Castellet and four more podiums to finish the season seventh in the GT1 standings.[20]
Staying with Carsport Holland for 2007, Hezemans was partnered byJean-Denis Délétraz while also being joined byMarcel Fässler andFabrizio Gollin for theSpa 24 Hours,[21] which they won, helping them to finish third in the GT1 points.[22] Gollin then became Hezemans' full-time teammate for the 2008 season as Carsport Holland strengthened their partnership withPhoenix Racing.[23] The duo scored a lone win inAdria and ended the season runner-up in points.[24]
Hezemans initially signed with Racing Box to race in the24 Hours of Le Mans for 2009,[25] but after said deal broke down, Hezemans returned to theFIA GT Championship, joiningPekaRacing nv alongsideAnthony Kumpen.[26] The duo took their first win of the season inOschersleben,[27] before winning the24 Hours of Spa on their way to runner-up in the GT1 points.[28]
Staying in the newly-rebrandedFIA GT1 World Championship for 2010, Hezemans joinedPhoenix Racing / Carsport.[29] Splitting the season withMad-Croc Racing,[30] Hezemans scored only one podium during the season, a third at the24 Hours of Spa.[31]
Hezemans remained in theFIA GT1 World Championship, joiningExim BankTeam China alongsideNicky Catsburg.[32] After taking his first podium atZolder,[33] Hezemans took pole atSilverstone,[34] before finishing third in both races.[35][36] During 2011, Hezemans made a one-off appearance in theBlancpain Endurance Series for KRK Racing Team Holland.[37]
In 2012, Hezemans returned to theBlancpain Endurance Series, joiningMarc VDS Racing Team alongside Bert Longin and Henri Moser.[38] After scoring his season-best result of sixth atLe Castellet,[39] Hezemans left the team before the season-ending round inNavarra and was replaced byNicky Catsburg.[40]
Hezemans is the son of 1970European Touring Car Championship championToine Hezemans,[41] and is the brother ofNASCAR Whelen Euro Series driversLoris and Liam Hezemans.[42]
Hezemans is the co-owner of Norwyn Development Group,[43] and lives inMiami, Florida.[44]
| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | FIAEuropean Championship - Formula A | 2nd | |
| CIK-FIAWorld Championship - Formula A | 3rd | ||
| 1990 | FIAKarting World Championship - Formula C | 32nd | |
| 2001 | Wouter van Eeuwijk Trophy | 10th | |
| 2002 | Wouter van Eeuwijk Trophy | 11th | |
| Sources:[45] | |||