Helmut Niedermayr

Helmut Niedermayr (29 November 1915 - 3 April 1985): German racing driver from Munich who began his career in 1949 with a Relf BMW open-wheel sports car entered by Count Karl von Horn, acquiring the car in 1950 and continuing to race it in sports car events and rallies. He participated in one World Championship Grand Prix on 3 August 1952, driving an AFM-BMW at the Nürburgring German Grand Prix and scoring no championship points. In 1952 Niedermayr switched to a new Veritas RS for sports car races, with entries made under the banner of Renngemeinschaft Halensee which also fielded a Veritas Meteor and AFM 50 for him. He finished second with Theo Helfrich at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, but weeks later crashed into the crowd during a race at the Grenzlandring, killing at least 13 spectators and injuring 42.

He eventually returned to racing, appearing briefly in Hans Klenk's Meteor special at the 1954 AVUS GP before racing a Porsche in rallies and sports car events. He died in Christiansted, US Virgin Islands.