Dutch Gp
DUTCH GP
HEINZ SCHNEIDER
THE DUTCH TT is still the finest of all Continental motorcycle Grands Prix, and with the Isle of Man races still doubtful, it may well have been the meeting of the year. Usually held in brilliant summer sunshine, even this year's rain and bitter cold could not spoil the event.
Racing came back to the 500cc class at Assen after nine years a class which had become dull after all opposition to MV Agusta had pulled out of the game in 1957, and which looked to remain dull when the new Honda thrashed the MV at last month's West German Grand Prix. In Holland, Jim Redman had to pull out all stops to beat Giacomo Agostini and his modernized MV. Mike Hailwood even dropped the bike trying to keep pace. All solo wins went to the Honda camp, except the 125cc class. Taveri and Bryans scored a one-two on their fifties, Mike Hailwood won the 250 and 350 and is now fairly sure to win both titles this year. Champion Scheidegger had an easy ride to net the third win in a row on his BMW engined outfit.
350cc RACE
Heavy rain stopped only minutes before the start. Many riders lined up in barbour suits pulled over their leathers. Cold made one shiver even in the press box, and it must have been hard work to race a motorcycle under these conditions.
Honda's Golden Boy Mike Hailwood was alone in the front row as both 251cc Yamahas of Phil Read and Bill Ivy, which had qualified second and fourth, and Jim Redman on the second Honda had not turned up. Mike shot off the line first. Derek Woodman on the 251 MZ tucked away in his slipstream for half a lap. Giacomo Agostini on the MV-three and Renzo Pasolini on the H-D Aermacchi, fol lowed.
After little more than half a lap riders flew past again behind the paddock in sight of the grandstands, just having completed a medium fast right hander and a left hand hairpin, accelerating through a full bore left. Mike still led the field with Agostini at his tail, both dicing as if it were dry, raising long splashes of water when cornering on the limit. Woodman had dropped back to third place. A considerable distance behind, five riders tried for third place, for two laps held by Woodman, until his MZ-twin was slowed by misfiring, caused by a faulty magneto. Pasolini, (H-D Aermacchi), England's star John Cooper, Billie Nelson (both on Nortons) and young Stuart Graham formed the group. The "reliable twins" Gustav Havel and Franta Stastny on their old Czech Jawas followed, riding close together, as usual, in the GPs, not making each other's lives harder than they had to, trying to outlast the opposition with their four-stroke twin's stamina.
Mike and Giacomo finished the event unchallenged, having lapped all the opposition. Renzo Pasolini beat his English rivals for third, although until half distance, was challenged hard by Stuart Graham. Cooper, after leading the group, had dropped back when he touched a valve of his Manx. Graham held fourth place and then the Jawas came home, grabbing the last places with points. Derek Woodman on the spitting MZ beat Nelson and Cooper whose engines had really gone sick. Just for their own excitement, Australian newcomers to Europe, Kei Carruthers and Malcolm Stanton, put up a terrific slipstream show, which Kel ended to his advantage. Canadian Rodger Beaumont finished 17th and last, with his Norton badly off-sound.
50cc RACE
There were more Japanese newcomers to the game, three Bridgestone twins, which were being tried for the first time in European racing. Only their shining red and yellow finish distinguished these ten-speeders from the blue and silver Suzukis. Ex-Suzuki teamster Isao Morishita leads the team along with England's Steve Murray and Paris-housed Australian Jack Findlay.
The two Hondas of Taveri and Bryans led through the eight laps, Ralph being first for most of the distance. But in the end, Luigi, who is better on points, got the checkered flag. Hugh, on the only good two-stroke, saved Suzuki's honor. Anscheidt and Yoshimi Katayama got their Suzukis round the distance, and Morishita took at least one point for the new Bridgestone. Ernst Degner (Suzuki), in a come-back after his bad injuries received in 1964 at Monza, suffered from a slow engine, and Jack Findlay had trouble to hold off an old private Kreidler on the straights with his new Japanese twin.
250cc RACE
Yamaha had entered five bikes in a vain effort to hold Phil Read's championship title, which they are very unlikely to keep. Japan's Akiyasu Motohashi joined the team, Mike Duff limped about in the paddock but could not score in the race, and a certain "Bob Anderson" was a new name in the Japanese firm's entry list. Indeed, it proved to be the Bob Anderson who had been British champion a couple of times, as well as a reputable competitor in continental meetings. In 1961, he had taken to car-racing, proving that not every brilliant motorcyclist must become a firstclass man on four wheels. After tests last week, he had found a liking to the twostroke four and decided to give motorcycles another try. A good fifth place was the reward.
The track had dried during the tiddler race, and the quarter-liters could be gunned through the bends during the opening stages. Hailwood, Phil Read, Bill Ivy, Derek Woodman and Jim Redman led off the line. Close behind Ginger Molloy, on the water-cooled Bultaco single, held off the opposition of Bob Anderson and Motohashi. Jim Redman got second place in lap two and after 12 of 17 tours the Ivy Yamaha stopped, running on three pots only. That gave Woodman back his fourth place. MZ had turned up with the old engines again; the new one piece engine is still not ready to race. Also, the 125 three was not seen at Assen. There is the possibility that these engines will be outdated as soon as they have reached the track.
Ginger Molloy was forced to retire and back in the field, remaining Bultaco works rider Tommy Robb fought hard to hold his advantage over Bultaco privateer Gyula Marsovszky.
Mike, Phil Read, Jim Redman and Derek Woodman got the first four places. Just before taking the flag, Mike proved the sport he always is, slowing the Honda six to let twice-lapped Englishman Gary Dickson (Bultaco) repass him to do one more lap and finish 12th behind Stastny (Jawa).
125cc RACE
After the lunch interval, the 125 class ]set off on a track dried by strong winds. Yoshimi Katayama (Suzuki) beat Luigi Taveri (Honda five) off the line. Phil Read's Yamaha did not fire as soon as it should, but after half a lap he had closed up to Taveri, and he ended the lap in the lead. Bill Ivy on the second Yamaha pulled Suzuki's Hugh Anderson in his slipstream. To mix the makes more, Akiyasu Motohashi (Yamaha) tried to hold off Frank Perris (Suzuki). Heinz Rosner and Derek Woodman on their MZ singles held eighth and ninth, ahead of Mike Duff, who had a slow start.
(Continued on page 98)
Second lap saw Bill Ivy at Taveri's tail, and from the third lap Bill Ivy led the race to another 125 win. Phil Read's engine slowed so Luigi could repass him after nine laps to save second spot for Honda.
The Joe Ehrlich equipe, represented by rider Rex Avery, could not give much credit to the English two-stroke developer's big 500cc project, when the 125, with some experimental parts, went out, having run at disgracefully low revs.
500cc RACE
The big capacity event, usually kept alive only by privateer groups fighting for the back places, got back its personality when Jim Redman (Honda), (iiacomo Agostini (MV) and Mike Hailwood (Honda) lined up in the front row.
Rhodesian Jim got his four cracking first, followed by the Italian. Mike took a long time to start his bike and disappeared down the straight in a thick bunch of private entries. Behind the paddock, Redman's Honda screamed past well in front of the MV, Mike having come up to third place. At the end of lap one, Agostini hung in Jim's slipstream. Young Englishman Ron Chandler, so far completely unknown on the continent, led the privateers on a Matchless with a fairly clear advantage over Marsovszky, Franta Stastny, John Cooper and Stuart Graham.
Experienced Mike screwed on all the Honda's 80 bhp to get near the rivals and make his intimate knowledge of Giacomo's riding pay off. On lap three, with Ago leading, Redman practiced one of his winning tricks, rushing through "Kniebocht" — the last curve of the track, much faster than Ago, and, having kept his bike in the higher power band, pulled along the Italian in front of the pits, only to be repassed on the first half of lap four. Flying Mike parted company with his Honda, just when he caught up with the leaders. He had tried too hard but escaped unhurt.
Mike's retirement obviously worried Jim, until now a safe bet for this year's title. He dropped back, lap by lap, until mid-distance of the 20th lap race, he was back eight seconds. Then Redman recovered and started reducing Ago's lead. In lap 16 he sat on his tail, and again the seasoned Honda veteran could scare the MV rider in the fast right-left section which follows the pits. Tremendous applause from the crowd, excitement at his pit and a share of Jim's laurels were the Italian's deserved reward for his magnificent show, which was a bitter need in big capacity racing.
SIDECAR-RACE
Max Deubel on his blue and white BMW got the engine firing first out of a second best starting position. He is able to assist his passenger Emil Horner pushing the bike, while the kneeler-men are more or less trapped in their fairings, only able to touch the road with one foot. Scheidegger, his BMW now equipped with a Lyster-disc-brake in the front wheel, set off in pursuit, chased by Georg Auerbacher and Colin Seeley. The 13 strong field became BMWs only when Terry Vinicombe on the Kirby-BSA struck trouble and young Norman Huntingford, who had done well in recent English meetings, came off the Seeley-Matchless, crashing fatally. His passenger, Roy Lindsay, escaped unhurt but shaken.
Colin Seeley had beaten Georg Auerbacher at the end of lap one to take third position. Entering Kniebocht second time, Scheidegger had to use all his stopping power, having passed Deubel on the outside with 30 mph difference in speed. From then on the Swiss title holder could ease off to score third win in three meetings.
