(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000

Родился: 21.12.1921 Хаген Умер: 03.05.2011 Хаген Сезонов в Ф1: 2 Лет в Ф1: 2 Гран При: 2 Старты: 2 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: - подряд: Лучший финиш: Лучший старт: 30 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: Круги: 7 - лидирования: Километры: 159.67 - лидирования: Очки: - за один сезон: - подряд:

Ф1: 1952-1953

Год	Команда	Шасси
1952	Bernd Nacke	BMW Eigenbau
1953	Gunther Bechem	AFM 50

Bechem raced a BMW sports car in 1950, but it seems his family were none too keen on him taking part in sporting competition. So, apparently, he entered the 1952 German Grand Prix under the pseudonym of 'Bernhard Nacke' in order to conceal his racing activities. Quite how he could have kept his secret should he have had any success it is hard to imagine!

By 1953, however, Günther, using his real name, had become heavily involved with the Borgward team and their neat 1500 cc Rennsports. The season's highlight was a third place and class win in the Nürburgring 1000 Km shared with Theo Helfrich.

This potent machine was certainly a match for the rival Porsche 550 sports, especially when fuel injection was installed. Bechem won the Eifel mountain meeting at the Nürburgring in May 1954. At the end of that season, the team headed for Mexico to compete in the gruelling Carrera Panamericana road race. Early on prospects for outright success looked bright when Günther led initially. But, after surviving one off-road excursion, he crashed heavily at the end of the fourth leg of this 2000-mile marathon. The car was destroyed and poor Bechem seriously injured. Happily he made a complete recovery, but he never raced again.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000