Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
AT MID-SEASON the Italian Senior Championship is already concluded, the usual procedure for many years now. For various reasons the organizers don’t wish to hold their events later than June, so the final round was run June 21st over the twisty, up-and-down Sanremo circuit on the Ligure coast near the French border. It is famous for its stone walls, bridges and deep ravines!
VILLA HAS HIS PROBLEMS
Success for Spaggiari and the M.V. was indeed bad luck for Francesco Villa (Mondial). Although Villa won twice (at Cervia and Cesenatico), his new rotary valve Mondial, now fitted with a manually operated oil pump to improve lubrication, still suffered occasional seizure troubles which forced him to retire. Then at Sanremo a broken chain cost him a probable victory, for the trouble happened to him while leading. And not only this; in re-joining the fray he crashed while fighting “minus” one lap with the eventual winner Taveri, and sustained a broken collarbone.
But the good possibilities of the Mondial — first time on the racing grounds this year — were also proven at Sanremo. Villa’s younger brother Walter broke the lap record set last year by Jim Redman on the works Honda by over 2Vi mph, before slowing down with ignition problems. The other Mondial works man, Giuseppe Mandolini, overhauled the whole field after a very poor start to finish second, rather close to Taveri. It would be interesting indeed to see these Mondials in action against the most famous two-stroke machines such as the M.Z. and the Suzuki, but we must wait for the Italian GP at Monza since, for this year at least. Mondial is not willing to race in foreign classic events.
AGOSTINI A NATURAL
In the 250 class, Agostini/Morini supremacy was almost absolute. The 22-yearold rider from Brescia, who started his career in July 1961 and only this year has taken up GP racing, showed a wonderfully clean, natural style in winning five out of six championship rounds. At Rome he crashed and was forced to retire following an engine seizure, after he had already left eventual winner Jim Redman (Honda) far behind. And in each race he won he broke the records set last year by Tarquinio Provini on the same machine.
Retired at Modena but riding consistently in other meetings, Gilberto Milani came second in the championship tables with his works Aermacchi. a machine which turns in exceptional performances from its push-rod engine. Provini, with only three starts and a Benelli four which earlier in the season was far from competitive. has indeed had his problems. Now the Pesaro fire engine, continuously improved by Provini and technician Omer Melotti (previously at Mondial and a specialist on racing 4-strokes), has a better chance, but the championship is concluded. Anyway, there is good hope of international success.
With three fine wins, Remo Venturi won the 500 title. His Bianchi twin is now really a 500cc (73 x 59.5 x 2 bore and stroke), with about the same power as the four-cylinder models, precisely 70 hp at 10,200 rpm, one more gear (6 instead of 5) and less weight (290 lbs. as against 330 lbs.).
CAN'T WIN, WON'T RACE
The Italian M.V. Privat riders, Grassetti and Mendogni, after mediocre showings in the first three rounds, were then kept home by the factory, following its often unsporting policy “can’t win, won’t race.” Two other riders who rode well in the championships were Gilberto Milani with the 350 Aermacchi (weight a shade over 220 lbs!) and Guiseppe Mandolini, who has succeeded in getting, from the factory, one of the fabulous 1957 world champion Moto Guzzi single-cylinder, double ohc machines that is still very fast. •
