Born in
Abbekerk,
North Holland, Hartog became the first Dutchman to win a 500cc Grand Prix when he claimed a victory at the
1977 Dutch TT. When
Suzuki factory team rider
Pat Hennen suffered career-ending injuries while competing in the 1978
Isle of Man TT, Hartog was hired as his replacement to help their number one rider,
Barry Sheene, defend his world championship. However, Sheene was unhappy when his Hartog won the
1978 Belgian Grand Prix ahead of
Kenny Roberts and Sheene in second and third places. He challenged Roberts and Sheene during the
1979 season however, he crashed while leading four Grand Prix races and ended the season ranked fourth in the 500cc World Championship. Hartog won five Grands Prix during his career. Standing over 1,80 meters tall, he was at a disadvantage against his jockey-sized competitors yet he still managed impressive results. With his penchant for wearing all white riding apparel, he was nicknamed The White Giant. (11) during the 1970 125cc Dutch TT. To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of his 1977 Dutch TT victory, Hartog was honored during the
2017 Dutch TT by riding a lap of the Assen TT circuit on the motorcycle he won on, accompanied by Freddie Sheene, the son of Hartog's late teammate, on one of his father's motorcycles. Wil's nephew, Rob Hartog, is a motorcycle racer who has taken part in the
Supersport World Championship and the
FIM Endurance World Championship. ==Career statistics==