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Hans-Otto Butenuth (HOB) 1930-1997


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#1 Lothar

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Posted 14 November 2020 - 15:47

Hi all,

 

this year would have been HOB's 90th birthday. This was not be be as he died from cancer in 1997.

 

 
Now I'm trying to list all of his races if possible. I got the first documents (racing programs, racing reports, result lists, photos) from JuPo 1958; the last from the IOM TT database from 1996. I suspect that I am still missing a lot of races, especially in the last few years. Obviously he rode in competitions like IHRO, Battle of the Twins, Sound of Thunder etc. He was also obviously on the road a lot in neighboring countries: CZ, NL, B, Lux, F, apart from the TT. There he rode on the Southern 100. Where else did he go? NW 200? When exactly?
 
There is a story that he crashed at Sarah's cottage, through the gate and into the flower bed and then to Noble's. Does anyone know exactly when that happened?
 
 
Who has more details?
 
 
How was that with the license? Was there an age limit and - if so - what? Bill Beevers spoke of 55 years when he wasn't admitted to the TT anymore. Were there different country-specific regulations? Allegedly, HOB finally had a French license. Weren't they all registered with the FIM and therefore standardized?
 
 
Thank you very much for any help!

Edited by Lothar, 14 November 2020 - 18:11.


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#2 StanN

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Posted 18 November 2020 - 02:35

On TTwebsite.com, under the section Under the Chequered Flag they have a summary of HOB’s racing career. It states that in later years the competition license he held stated his birth date as April 1, 1936. As they state, Don’t ask. Maybe that is how he got away with racing in the Island as late as 1996.

 

The incident you mention is reported to have taken place in practice at the 1963 TT when the crankcase of his Manx clipped the curb at the bottom of Bray Hill, he sustaining only a broken leg but also doing a bit of landscaping in one of the gardens on the left. I guess coming off at the bottom of Bray Hill he was lucky to get away with ONLY a broken leg!

 

Mention is made of his racing in GPs and Internationals all over Europe with occasional visits to English circuits such as Mallory, Oulton, Snetterton, Cadwell and Silverstone and, later in his career the North West 200 and the Ulster GP.

 

Hope this helps in your search for information about HOB. A search of Dave Riley’s website of race event programmes may turn up some of the events HOB competed in.

 



#3 Michael Ferner

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Posted 18 November 2020 - 15:12

Bill Beevers did retire from TT competition at 55, but I think that was an FIM thing - remember, the TT was still a world championship round, then. I don't think there was an age limit later on, witness the careers of Bill Smith, Steve Murray, Bud Jackson etc. Also, in the early years, there were George Cowley senior, Frank Applebee senior and some others, who were reportedly 60 or older (although I'm not sure how reliable that info from period newspapers is - according to those reports, they sometimes "jumped" a few years from one TT to the next!!). So, Butenuth would have had no problems competing in the late eighties and early nineties.

 

By the way, HOB competed also in Endurance racing, early eighties at the very least, from memory.



#4 Lothar

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Posted 18 November 2020 - 15:38

Hi Stan and Michael,

 

thank you for your messages.

 

I have checked Dave Riley's programs to some extent and with some success. I could not find any program, results lists or similar for the Ulster GP and/or NW 200. Any recommendations on that?



#5 Geoff E

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Posted 18 November 2020 - 20:11

Frank Applebee senior ...

 

I imagine he was Frank WIlberforce Applebee (b 1862) who was celebrating his golden wedding in 1936. 

 

Newspaper report - "He started racing in 1902 and retired only a few years ago".

 

Frank Alfred Applebee was born in 1887.

 

Senior made window blinds.  His son was a Motor car and Cycle dealer in 1911, Managing Director, Motor Agents in 1939.  They died in 1941 and 1952 respectively.



#6 Michael Ferner

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Posted 19 November 2020 - 12:14

Okay, so Applebee really was (at least almost) 60 when he last competed in the island (1922). Mind you, the papers had him 59 years old in 1920, and 60 in 1921. Cowley, on the other hand, was reportedly 53 in 1920, 57 in 1922, and 61 in 1924 - go figure! :stoned:



#7 StanN

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Posted 19 November 2020 - 17:02

Hi Lothar

 

I had a look through my race programmes but only have a few for International events as I only had a National license when I raced in the UK from 63 to 67.

 

2 events that showed entries for HOB were the April 10, 66 Race of Aces, International at Snetterton where he had entries in the 350 on a Norton and the 500 on a BMW RS, #53 in both races. I do not have the official results for this event but my handwritten results for the 350 heat race do not include HOB in the first 15 places that went on to the Final and I did not record the results for the 500 Heat race.

 

The second programme is for the 67 TT where it shows entries in the Junior on a 347cc Honda twin, #74 and in the Senior on a 498cc HOBU four, #57. I don’t have results for the 67 TT but these are available with a search.

 

I have 2 programmes for the Southern 100, 61 and 64 but neither shows HOB. Too early I guess.

 

I do not have anything for the Irish races and a quick web search did not find any results for the period HOB would have been competing, but they may be out there somewhere.

 

Stan



#8 Lothar

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Posted 20 November 2020 - 08:18

Hi Stan,

 

thank you very much.

Especially TT 1967 information was very helpful as I didn't have those details.

In the meantime I found ssome of his results not from Southern 100 but Pre TT races:

https://southern100.com/

Unfortunately still nothing about Ireland and/or Northern Ireland 

Please also see PM.

Thanks a lot.



#9 Robin127

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Posted 23 November 2020 - 00:53

He raced a 500cc BMW at Jehonville in the Belgian Classic Club meetings in late August in both 1995 and 1996.  I remember seeing him there, I didn't go in '97 and '98 so I don't know if he raced then.  He isn't listed in the programmes for '99 and 2000 and I don't remember him being there those years (the last ones I attended).


Edited by Robin127, 23 November 2020 - 00:57.


#10 ChiliFan

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 14:41

1993-08-07 Ulster Grand Prix

12th Place (90.34 mph) - 1st Historic Race

12th Place (89.88 mph) - 2nd Historic Race

 

1994-08-13 Ulster Grand Prix

11th Place (96.64 mph) - 500/1000 cc Classic Race

 

Unfortunately no info on the bikes he was riding.



#11 ChiliFan

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Posted 25 November 2020 - 14:56

1992-07-19 1. Ceska Tourist Trophy - Hořice
Position unknown (1969 BMW R 75 RG) - Category 8, Post-war motorcycles (1948 - 1967) over 350cc
 
1993-07-11 2. Ceska Tourist Trophy - Hořice
Position unknown (1969 BMW RS 75) - Category 10, Solo motorcycles 1965 - 1968
 
1995-07-09 4. Ceska Tourist Trophy - Hořice
Position unknown (1969 BMW 750 R 75) - Category 10, Solo motorcycles 1965 - 1970

 

Programs can be found here: http://www.rejmi.cz/CTT---Horice.html



#12 Lothar

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Posted 26 November 2020 - 21:27

Thank you to all those who have posted any information. Please keep looking for more...