East German Grand Prix

EAST GERMAN GRAND PRIX

SACHSENRING, not used for a championship motorcycle Grand Prix since prewar years, hosted this year’s East German GP. Twisty and very demanding, the 5.43mile course has always been a favorite with the regular “Continental Circus" riders.

Over 200,000 spectators watched Jim Redman on his six-cylinder Honda beat the Yamahas of Duff and Read by over two minutes, in a race bothered with rain for almost all the 96 miles. With this important win the Honda rider is still in contention for the 250 title but has only three wins to Read’s five. Third place went to Englishman Derek Woodman, MZ.

Both Agostini and Hailwood on the three-cylinder MVs were quicker in practice than Redman on the Honda four. Derek Woodman, 251cc MZ. was almost 10 seconds faster than either of the Vostok fours; there must be plenty of teething troubles, since both of the Russian machines retired in the race. At the start Hailwood’s engine did not get cracking for at least half a minute; his teammate

got off to a good start with Redman and led at the end of lap one. However, this was due mainly to the fact that the dashing Latin was getting in some hair-raising wobbles and slides on the wet roads, bouncing off straw bales and curbs to the extent that Redman didn’t care to pass and have "Jocko" behind him. Three laps from the end it all came to a halt when the MV blew up and Redman came home over a lap ahead of Woodman. Hailwood had retired on the second lap but easily won the 500 race the next day, by over a minute from Agostini.

Frank Perris got his first Grand Prix win on the 125 Suzuki in the absence of partner Anderson, who collected an ankle injury in an English scrambles a week earlier. Dieter Krumpholz, MZ, gave Perris a real scrap but it ended when the East German machine began to misfire badly, a fate suffered by the MZs of Rosner and Woodman. Except for Perris the only nonMZ in the first half-dozen was Bruce Beale on a production racing Honda. •