Czechoslovakian Gp

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN GP

HEINZ J. SCHNEIDER

MIKE HAILWOOD MADE sure of the 350cc world championship with a win on the fast and dangerous road-circuit of Brno, where the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix has been held with world champion-ship status since 1965. Having won all five races of this class with the new Honda six, Mike leaves no chance for his closest rival, Giacomo Agostini and his MV-three, to accumulate enough points in the remain-ing four races to challenge the Honda equipe. That gives the champion time to concentrate on his 250 and 500cc rides, but it looks as if Mike’s eighth title in his 10-year-long career will be the only one for him to win this season. Phil Read and the Yamaha four seem all set to take 250cc honors, and Giacomo Agostini on his bigger MV is likely to defend his 500cc crown with success.

In tarmac-melting heat some 120,000 spectators watched lap and race records being broken in the four solo classes of 125, 250, 350 and 500cc; neither sidecars nor tiddlers competed at Brno. The 8.88mile circuit — winding through villages and mountains, the rough and bumpy surface representing a rigorous test of framework, suspension and rider’s guts, and a 2.5-mile straight in which three fast bends set an accent, matches fast engines against fast frames as a steep and long ascent does at the far end of circuit — resembles TT racing and allows speeds similar to the Isle of Man course.

For the motor-tourist the trip to Brno is a worthwhile effort — preferably on a motorbike, for which the narrow and winding roads seem to be made, and for an American there must be an extra thrill — traveling through a country with no Coca Cola advertising.

350CC RACE

Mike Hailwood and his Honda six, Silvio Grassetti and Renzo Paso'ini both on Benelli fours, and Derek Woodman on the big MZ got off the line first in the 350cc race. Giacomo Agostini, whose MV had fired at the same time as the Honda, somehow did not get going and was trapped in a slower bunch of riders. Mike Duff’s Arter-Harley-Davidson, the only Aermacchi to be listed under its American name, refused to start properly and Mike lost half a minute; then, he followed the field for a couple of laps, until his piston packed up.

First report from the course mentioned Hailwood leading Agostini and Pasolini on the faster of the two Benellis. But, after a lap. Ago was a yard ahead of the British Honda rider. Watching both bikes simultaneously on the rough surface gave a vivid impression of which bike never to touch if you are not Mike Hailwood; the Honda was jumping about and the MV was running as smooth as a hovercraft. Heinz-Rosner, by far the better man on the MZ this season, after a bad start came up from 13th place to eighth, then to fifth behind Derek Woodman, Grassetti — Pasolini retired his four — Alberto Pagani on the fastest works Aermacchi, Gustav Havel on his Jawa twin and Kel Carruthers with the Aermacchi Métissé. For four laps of 11, young Ago led the Honda, the long circuit giving him hope that he would not run into his usual trouble with tailenders to be lapped. Then the MV slowed down, Mike got by and won 5 seconds a lap on the Italian. Silvio Grassetti, by that time, had retired; Derek Woodman had to defend his third place against Havel — whose fourth position the Czechosolovakian spectators welcomed with tremendous cheers — Alberto Pagani and Heinz-Rosner.

Also applauded by the crowd, Giacomo Agostini came free-wheeling down the straight, to push over one lap behind as soon as Mike had taken the flag.

250CC RACE

I grabbed the chance to leave a thumbprint on the track before the organizers sent a street sprinkler around the course to cool off the tarmac, which really got soft. This gave the riders a break, because the officials would not allow the start of 250cc bikes before the road had dried again. Competitors squatted in the shadow, assuring me that there is nothing refreshing in a racing ride on a hot day, with heat from the engine increasing the heat outside the fairing.

As one man, the front row of Ralph Bryans, Bill Ivy, Mike Hailwood and Phil Read began push-starting two seconds before the flag was due to fall, and the rest of the field, everyone watching the bike in front, followed suit.

Phil Read came around first from the first lap, never to give up his lead. In the second lap, Bill Ivy ousted Mike Hailwood from second place to make it a Yamaha double. From then on, the race reveloped into a procession with Ralph Bryans fourth behind Mike, but apparently daring not to take his captain’s third place, which would have helped him to foster his second position on the championship table behind Read.

Only seconds before Phil Read crossed the line to win with a race speed of 97.3 mph — the lap record went to Bill Ivy with just 100 mph — Alberto Pagani and Ginger Molloy set off for a last lap tussle, narrowly avoiding being lapped.

500CC RACE

The signal for warming up the big bikes sounded just when Mike Hailwood crossed the line on the 250 bike, giving him no more than 20 minutes rest. Two places remained empty on the grid — a front row one belonging to Chris Conn, who dropped his 350cc Aermacchi Metisse, knocking himself out. A visitor to the hospital reported the biggest black eye ever seen and a huge patch of skin gone from the place needed urgently for sitting on a bike. The other one was Jack Findlay’s, the fast Aussie, thrown off in practice when a ball bearing in his gearbox seized. Gearbox specialist Michael Schaftleitner said this item had to be changed annually for safety sake; the Findlay one hadn’t been changed for three hard seasons. First thought to be on the danger list, Jack, on race day, was said to be able to ride the Ulster Grand Prix.

Mike Duff’s wife walked the grid cooling riders’ faces with a wet cloth. The beer trade boomed and the comfortable new press stand was hotter than hell.

Mike Hailwood again made the best start, followed by John Hartle, Australian Jonny Dodds and Giacomo Agostini. By a yard Mike led his Italian rival out of lap one, again the difference in roadholding between the Japanese and the Italian bike made one envy Agostini. The Honda people spent the practice session changing springs and suspension units. The frame is strengthened by gussets, but the engine seems to be the old model, not the ultralight one tried at Sachsenring.

From half distance on, Giacomo fell back, and Mike netted his 500cc win without challenge, covering the distance at 101.5 mph, and establishing the lap record at 103.9 mph. Changing positions several times every mile, the four riders on British singles, which were made once for that type of race, thrilled the crowd, and John Cooper, (Norton) who had never before ridden so hard on a continental circuit, beat Gyula Marsovszky (whose Matchless has an oil-cooler in the fairing) by half a wheel. Thirty yards behind, John Hartle brought home his Matchless, and Jonny Dodds was last in the group on his Manx.