26 replies to this topic

[Vicuna]

This guy seems to have been outstanding in a Lotus 7 then 22 in South Africa in the early '60s.

Mike Lawrence's 'Grand Prix Cars 1945-65' refers to him becoming 'bush happy'.

Any further insights?

[MCS]

According to GrandPrix.com...

"A regular South African national racing contender who drove Ted Lanfear's Lotus 22, fitted with a 1.5-liter pushrod Ford engine, in the 1963 running of his home Grand Prix at East London in 1963. He later raced sports cars before turning his hand to racing motorcycles, winning the 1979 South African Championship."

Here's a good pic of him "leading" John Love's Cooper T55...

http://www.lotus7reg...ges/kzn1962.jpg

[Hieronymus]

Hendrik Brausch Niemann. A sincere and shy character and brilliant behind the wheel. Spectators loved him for the way he would take on cars like the Coopers and often clean them up.

Brausch's Lotus 7 is in Australia, I believe in the hands of Ivan Glasby. Brausch himself is apparently in the UK, Birmingham or Wales.

He also had a brother that raced - Jurgen Niemann. Note, they were not related to Nols Nieman, the Atlantic racer.

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by Hieronymus
Brausch himself is apparently in the UK, Birmingham or Wales.

Rhoshill, Wales, as is well known, he runs Gazelle Engineering there.

[ry6]

The photo is by Malcolm R. Kinsey.

[quintin cloud]

Rob are you thinking of this photo that you sent me from Malcolm R. Kinsey.



This phot was taken at the 1962 Natal GP (22 December)

[ReWind]

Originally posted by Hieronymus
Hendrik Brausch Niemann.

„Hendrik“ is news to me.

Isn’t „Brausch“ a derivative from Ambrausus?

[AAA-Eagle]

This is from our 8W Nostalgia thread :



I think any other photos of Niemann are welome

As for 1962 Natal GP held at Westmead I think Brausch was there a reserve entry (Lotus 7 1470 cc). Did he drive it there?

[barrykm]

Originally posted by MCS
According to GrandPrix.com...

"=He later raced sports cars......

One of my most vivid early motor racing memories is of Brausch Nieman setting the lap record at the Roy Hesketh circuit sometime in 1963, driving a red Alfa-engined Lotus 23, just so smooth and quick. That started my love affair with Lotus 23s.

[Hieronymus]

Wellcome back Rob

Think Brausch was a Durban boykie, if I'm correct. I am also sure that "Hendrik" was one of his names. Read this somewhere or heard it from the late Peter Mac.

At once stage Brausch's Lotus 7 was held together by tape, strings and wire...or perhaps it is just folklore. I can remember that he won in Lourenço Marques in this car and also in a 2-hour race at Roy Hesketh.

Somehow I recall, that he also had success in off-road racing in the 1970's, but perhaps I am thinking of someone else.

For interest sake: Check the spelling of Brausch's surname and that of Nols Nieman. A slight difference - one is with one "n" at the end, while the other has a double "n" at the end.

[Vicuna]

What is 'bush happy'?

[ry6]

Yes Quintin same pic.
Taken in heat one of the '62 Natal GP at Westmead.
We were going to use it in Springbok Grand Prix, but mislaid it at the printers!
For a while we thought the Cooper was Dave Riley's because the light was playing tricks but later identified it as John Love.

[Racecar]

Originally posted by Vicuna
What is 'bush happy'?

'Bosbefok'.




(Actually a SA military term, and not decently translateable ...)

[Hieronymus]

Originally posted by Racecar



'Bosbefok'.

I do not think, though, that Mike Lawrence had this expression in mind. Perhaps his "bush happy" comment refers to Brausch "doing some farming", i.e. running out of road once so often in his hard driving style. Perhaps also....that he went off-road racing. See my earlier comment, I am sure Brausch did some enduro off-road motorcycle racing.

[Hieronymus]

Full name: HENDRIK CHRISTIAAN AMBRAUSUS NIEMANN

Perhaps Jimmy Piget can confirm this?

[Vicuna]

Originally posted by Racecar



'Bosbefok'.




(Actually a SA military term, and not decently translateable ...)

Ok I 'googled' bosbefok and it is clearly South African (Afrikaaners?) slang and seems to indicate 'going crazy'.

I would have expected Dr Mike Lawrence to have used this term, particularly relating to a South Africa driver, knowingly.

So what happened to what seems to have been a sensational driver with one of the most remarkable 'careers in reverse' of any motorsport person I've ever heard of?

[Hieronymus]

Originally posted by Vicuna


Ok I 'googled' bosbefok and it is clearly South African (Afrikaaners?) slang and seems to indicate 'going crazy'.

I would have expected Dr Mike Lawrence to have used this term, particularly relating to a South Africa driver, knowingly.

So what happened to what seems to have been a sensational driver with one of the most remarkable 'careers in reverse' of any motorsport person I've ever heard of?

"Bosbefok" is Afrikaans slang and like Racecar also mentioned, used in a military milieu. The can be used for anything that ranges from "getting trigger happy" to post-traumatic stress syndrome. I do not know if Lawrence had this in mind, and if so, on what basis did he made this conclusion.

I doubt if Brausch ever served in the military. Born in the late 1930's, so if he was eligable for military service it must have been in the mid to late fifties. South Africa was not at war at the time, so there is no chance whatsoever that Niemann was involved in battle. The South African bush-war (from there the expression bushy/bosbefok) in northern Namibia, the Caprivi and Angola only took off in the 1970's and continued to the late 1980's. The only way that Niemann could get "bushy" as in "bosbefok" is if he served during this period. He was way too old by then, unless he was a reserve force member or a PF. Can't see a chap of 40 years plus wasting his time and health on senseless, military picnics...

[Jeff Weinbren]

A couple of shots of Niemann's "Aerodynamic 7"!

http://img112.exs.cx...niemann27ii.png


My first attempt at posting images, hope it works,
Jeff Weinbren.

[Hieronymus]

Very nice pic, Jeff! Thanks.

[Hieronymus]

Photo of Brausch at Killarney in Cape Town early 1964.

[Huw Jadvantich]

Vicuna , how interesting that you should be looking into this. I haven't been on air here for a while, but have been looking into the History of Lotus 7, and quite independently had come across this character last week. The 1962 South African GP had so many entries a qualfying time was set. A 1475cc 1958 Lotus Seven Series One of Brausch Niemann – easily qualified for a place on the start-line. Neimann’s Lotus Seven – running a 1475cc engine with four Amal carburetors and a chassis that had been halved lengthwise and reduced by two inches to comply with Formula One regulations – eclipsed eight Coopers, a BRM, four Lotus 18s and two Lotus 20s, all of which were non-qualifiers.
Jim Clark qualified his Formula One Lotus-Climax V8 on pole with 1.35.02. Brausch Niemann qualified his Lotus Seven in 1.41. Clark led all the way and won the race itself, with the Seven finishing in a respectable tenth place having beaten three of the Climax-powered Lotus racers. Through the speed trap Niemann was timed at an astonishing 127mph. Apparently Chapman who was there with the winner J.Clark, said it was the most remarkable performance he had seen in a Lotus 7.

[Vicuna]

Grate minds...

[ry6]

It was the Rand Grand Prix at Kyalami that Brausch did such a good job of qualifying the Lotus 7 for not the 1962 SA GP. The Rand GP was held a few weeks before the SA GP.

The SA GP was at East London and was the World Championship decider which Graham Hill (BRM) won after Jim Clark's Lotus 25 had trouble late in the race while leading. Graham Hill then clinched the world Championship. This event, the SAGP, had far more "works" and foreign entries than the Rand GP.

[Gabrci]

Brausch Niemann will be reunited with his Lotus 22 at a classic event at Nogaro early October. Talking about a rare public appearance of an old driver… although they have been very active on Facebook with his wife for many years and I think they even published a book about their motorcycling trips, I’m not sure if he attended any race meetings in the last 6 decades.

Perhaps more famous these days for refusing to correspond with fans and sign autographs than for his achievements as a driver, it will be interesting if he breaks that habit if there is anyone at this event who knows who he is.

https://www.facebook...mibextid=WC7FNe

[d j fox]

How’s this for obscure? Niemann had a one-off drive in a Willment Lotus Cortina at the 1964 Whit Monday Crystal Palace Saloon car race ( over 1300cc) he finished 6th behind the works Cortinas of Clark, & Arundell, team mate Gardner . 4th was Craft ( Cortina) then Baillie’s huge Galaxie
I believe he was a mechanic at Willments and probably worked with fellow countryman Bob Olthoff?

Edited by d j fox, 25 September 2024 - 11:12.

[pete53]

How’s this for obscure? Niemann had a one-off drive in a Willment Lotus Cortina at the 1964 Whit Monday Crystal Palace Saloon car race ( over 1300cc) he finished 5th behind the works Cortinas of Clark, & Arundell, team mate Gardner . 4th was Craft ( Cortina) then Baillie’s huge Galaxie
I believe he was a mechanic at Willments and probably worked with fellow countryman Bob Olthoff?

I was there that day. His name didn't appear in the programme with the Willment entry just showing as "driver to be nominated". He was driving the car that Bob Olthoff usually drove that year. Presumably his only race on British soil?

[dgs]

I was there that day. His name didn't appear in the programme with the Willment entry just showing as "driver to be nominated". He was driving the car that Bob Olthoff usually drove that year. Presumably his only race on British soil?

This is confirmed in volume 2 'A Record of Motor Racing at Crystal Palace by Richard Page. Book states, No 60, Brausch Niemann (Ford Lotus Cortina)  finished 6th, 15 laps, 17'18.0", 5th place was No 53 Sir Gawaine Baillie (Ford Galaxie) 5th, 15 laps, 17'13.4"