Continental Report

CONTINENTAL REPORT

B. R. NICHOLLS

HALLMAN, HALLMAN all the way in the 250cc moto-cross and Rolf Tibblin back at the top of the 500cc moto cross championship. Honda takes a drubbing on the road racing front where Minter’s hope of a world title disappears following a crash at Brands Hatch which gives Phil Read a chance on the Gileras. Those are the month’s headlines so for more details read on.

Following his disastrous (?) start to the season when he only managed to gain second place in the opening round of this year’s championship, Torsten Hallman has not put a wheel wrong since, and riding in a manner which can only be described as perfection he is now placed in the enviable position of having scored forty-six out of a possible forty-eight points. Runner-up to him in both the West German and Luxembourg meetings was Czechoslovakian Vlastimil Valek on the works CZ, and the twelve points thus gained have taken him into second place in the table in front of Dave Bickers, who has only managed a third place to add four to his eight scored in Spain at the opening meeting. With the best eight meetings to count, the fair-haired Swedish world champion could retain his title on the result of the next two meetings.

But if the 250cc title is boring, then the 500cc boys are making up for it in their class. For now, after a slow start, last year’s champion Rolf Tibblin has gone to the top with 20 points from a possible forty. You will remember than Sten Lundin won the opening meeting reported last month that was held in Austria; well, he won again at the next round held in Switzerland where Bill Nilsson was runnerup. But the most significant point of this Swiss round was the jubilation of Jeff Smith who finished in third place, highly delighted with the showing of his 420cc BSA. His joy proved well founded when he won the following round held in Denmark after a good scrap with Tibblin. Each won a race but Jeff got the verdict on the time factor, his overall time for the two races being better than that of the champion. However, the following two meetings saw Tibblin the victor with Smithey second but only five points separate the first three in the table and the tempo there is getting quite hot.

The road racers can hardly claim such an exciting position yet as only two championship meeting have been held, the Spanish and West German, and no 500cc race has yet taken place. Derek Minter, the Güera number one rider, is out following a crash at Brands Hatch which will probably keep him out for the rest of the season. So John Hartle takes over at number one spot and Phil Read has been signed as his teammate. Phil, in fact, rode his first race on the Güera at the West German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, finishing third.

But what a pointless and useless circuit this is and utterly unsuited as a world championship venue in my opinion. Almost five miles long, it consists virtually of two straights joined by a couple of bends — even the fifties lapped at almost ninety miles per hour so it was small wonder that every other race was won at well over the ton. Biggest surprise was the single-cylinder Morini ridden by Tarquinio Provini which beat the Honda fours to win at over one hundred and sixteen miles an hour. So with maximum points from two meeting this Morini has proved itself on the tricky Montjuich Park circuit at an average of 72 mph and then at Hockenheim with 116 mph, nearly half as fast again. Hartle was out of luck at Hockenheim with the 350 Güera but has been doing well on his 350 and 500cc Nortons with double victories at Bourg en Bresse and St. Wendel. He also finished second to Mike Hailwood (MV) at the Austrian Grand Prix where the Hungarian ace Laszlo Szabo scored a convincmg 125 and 250cc double victory on MZs. Fritz Scheidegger took the sidecar honours from Max Deubel.

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It was refreshing to see the MZ concern get visas for the West German meeting at Hockenheim and it is to be hoped that this is the thin end of the wedge that will allow them access to all the World Championship meetings. There is little doubt that they can give an excellent account of themselves and probably even win a title — a title which can mean little when it is not possible for all to compete, who want to do so, because of political barriers. But whether MZ races or not, Honda looks like they are having their work cut out keeping Morini and Suzuki in check. Although Jim Redman won the 350cc race at Hockenheim with consummate ease I doubt if he will win in the Isle of Man.

So we may well see an MV versus Gilera battle between Hailwood and Hartle fought out over the true rider’s circuits to decide the title. Hailwood, incidentally, could win three T.T. races again this year, or even four if he elects to ride in the 125cc class as well on an MZ or EMC. He has an almost unrivalled knowledge of the mountain circuit plus the promise of MV bikes for the 250, 350 and 500 classes. The 250 will be the twin whilst the other two machines would be the usual fourcylinder devices. Hailwood is the only rider ever to win three races in one week and if he were to do it again this year (which he maintains is his last on bikes) it would be a fitting record to set and very difficult to beat.

Lesser news on the road racing front is that the first DMW Hornet production racer has appeared on the circuits. Initially this was on the continent in the hands of Colin Lyster at Bourg en Bresse in France where it finished fourth and then at a British meeting where it was fifth with gearbox trouble in the hands of John Cooper.

The first of the season’s long distance production machine races was held at Oulton Park and was the 1000 kilometer race. Teams of two riders contested the event and it was won by Joe Dunphy and Paddy Driver riding a 646cc Matchless twin in just over eight hours and ten minutes for an average speed of 76.29 mph. Second were last year’s winners Phil Read and Brian Setchell who lost the lead they had built up when Setchell crashed after a slight rain shower. Biggest surprise of all was the showing of the 250cc Hondas, one of which finished fifth overall and beat all the 500cc and 350cc machines that had entered.

Finally, the trial of the year in the opinion of most riders and spectators is the Scottish Six Days event and this year the winner was Arthur Lampkin riding a works 250cc BSA. Never an easy trial to win, as any event lasting six days plays on the nerves as much as riding skill, Lampkin rode brilliantly, losing seven marks. Runner-up was Mick Andrews who lost twenty to gain the 350 cup and he was also a member of the works AJS team that won the team award. •

WORLD ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS