Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
THE 1964 EUROPEAN racing season got off to a fine start with the Modena, Italy meeting, run as usual on the twisty 3.800 km (2.36 miles) long "aerautodromo" course in very overcast weather conditions, with a bit of rain at the beginning of the 500cc event, and a large attendance.
In the 125cc race Italian Champion Francesco Villa, on the debut-making Mondial rotating disc two-stroke (see March issue of CYCLE WORLD for pictures and description) took the lead after a fine duel with Bruno Spaggiari on the double ohc M.V. but stopped at the halfway point with engine seizure, a widespread trouble on racing two-strokes. So Spaggiari won at record speed though he always had to press on as hard as possible, seriously threatened by Ramon Torras on the water-cooled works Bultaco. In fact, the Spanish rider, 125 class winner at Modena in 1963 with the air-cooled version of the Bultaco, had a very slow start but with forceful riding, breaking by about 2 kmph (1.24 mph) his own 1963 lap record, overtook the whole field to finish second, only 2 inches from the winner!
Third was Italian privateer Giuseppe Visenzi on the Honda twin, followed by another Italian privateer, Giuseppe Mandolini on the double ohc Mondial, then Czechoslovakian Stan Malina who was debuting the new twin-cylinder, twin ohc C.Z. and, one lap behind, Texan Jess Thomas, the famous U.S.A. record man, newcomer to the Bultaco works team and gaining his first European racing experience with the Spanish two-stroke mount.
In the 250 race, there was great disappointment, for Provini and his Benelli were absent. (During training the Pesaro-buiit "4" was plagued by gearbox, ignition and suspension troubles; let's hope the new version with inclined cylinders and different frame, now in preparation, will be more successful!) Anyway there was the same fine racing with the Morini "single" riders Silvio Grassetti and Giacomo Agostini fighting with Bruno Spaggiari on the M.V. double ohc twin and Ramon Torras (200cc air-cooled Bultaco), relegating Emilio Mendogni (on another double ohc M.V. twin) to 4th position.
After widening the gap over Spaggiari, Agostini just beat Grassetti in the final 'sprint putting another fine victory, at record speeds, in the Morini bag. Machines used for this race were very similar to last year's, but it is known that successful experiments are going on with 3-valve and 4-valve heads, two carburetors being employed in each case. It will be very difficult to take away from Morinis the title of "fastest single cylinder machines" of the world! In an effort to stay in front of Mendogni, Torras tried too hard (as it frequently happens to him) and crashed, sustaining a broken collarbone, so 5th place after Agostini, Grassetti, Spaggiari and Mendogni went to Czechoslovakian Malina on the single cylinder and double ohc C.Z.
The 500cc race was indeed the most thrilling of the day, with Hailwood and Mendogni on the M.V. four, Venturi and Rossi on the Bianchi twin, Frantisek Stastny on the eight-valve Jawa twin, Alfredo Milani, at 40 making a comeback on the Gilera four, and many other excellent Italian and foreign riders.
Hailwood rocketed as usual into the lead while Venturi had to wait a few laps to attack world champion Mike from second position. His new tires, in fact, weren't sufficiently "run in" so he could not crank to the limit in the bends. But as soon as the "run in" was completed he pressed on Hailwood, while Mendogni was third ahead of Milani and Rossi, at close quarters. In the effort to put some more ground between himself and Venturi, Mike left the braking for the central hairpin bend until really too late and collided with Jack Findlay, who was fighting with Loro Vasco (Norton), Gilberto Milani (Aermacchi 350) and Otmar Drixl (Aermacchi 350) for the "single cylinder machines' " supremacy.
Findlay was forced to retire, fortunately unhurt, while Mike re-entered the race after crashing, but had to stop at the pits to change a footrest and make minor adjustments. So, when he could settle down again to serious racing he had lost almost three laps to the leader. He then concentrated on the "task" of taking teammate Mendogni from second position to the lead and he played some thrilling tricks on Venturi, much to the disapproval of the crowd and anxiety in the Bianchi camp. But although Mendogni actually gained the lead on one or two laps with the powerful assistance from Mike, Venturi replied with determined efforts and succeeded in crossing the finishing line first, to be taken in triumph by the enthusiastic crowd who reserved whistles for the M.V. riders and particularly for Mike.
So Mendogni had to be content with second place, ahead of Alfredo Milani, who won the duel with Rossi, Hailwood (two laps behind) and Loro Vasco, first privateer in front of Gilberto Milani, Stastny and Drixl.
