Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
PRIDE OF PLACE this month must go to a fabulous piece of machinery that has arrived in this country from Milwaukee, to be raced in 1,000cc events by Lance Weil. It is the CYCLE WORLD motivated, Elite Motors-sponsored Harley-Davidson that seems set to give British fans a treat of real meaty, big, American V-twin racing.
Specially prepared by Dick O'Brien, the H-D race chief, the 883cc monster will be shown to the fullest advantage, because Lance will be racing it without streamlining. This will give the crowds the chance to see details of the near 80 bhp powerplant which he hopes will tame the opposition and inject new life into a class where, meeting after meeting, we see the same riders on the same machinery. What the fans will see is a power unit with such torque that the front wheel can be lifted when accelerating in any gear, or if the throttle is misused, the rear wheel will spin and a smoke trail is put down to frighten the opposition.
Based on the standard Sportster model, it is definitely a one-off job, for it uses the crankcases from the H-D record breaker. The two massive iron cylinders are fed by a 1-3/4-inch Tillitson carburetor. The coral red gas tank holds five gallons and is made of fiberglass while the oil tank is steel and holds six pints. The front end is all Italian, with Ceriani forks, Aermacchi clip-on bars and a 9-1/2-inch two-leadingshoe Oldani front brake. The rear stopper is an 8-inch H-D unit. Both wheels are 19 inches and come fitted with Goodyear T16 tires which Lance finds to be very good, "reminiscent of the Avon."
Lance's first outing with the big Harley at Lydden proved an auspicious coming out for the Yankee combination, for he turned a 70.71 mph lap, fastest for the meeting, and then went on to win his heat race with ease. In the final, a battle-royal developed between Lance and Tom Phillips, 750 Dunstall Norton, with Lance taking the lead in the third lap and holding it for the next six. At that point, Phillips pushed ahead and managed to hold off Lance's attack to the flag, to take the win by scarcely more than a tire width!
An unfortunate note on Weil's just-barely defeat was that his leathers were too tight for the Harley's riding position; as a consequence, he experienced cramping that held him a bit off form. This situation is currently being rectified by D. Lewis, Ltd., who are making him a new set of leathers — with white sleeves and red and blue trim stripes — tailored to his riding position on the big road burner.
Frank Scurria recently had a good day out on his Kawasakis in a club meeting at Brands Hatch, finishing second in a 250 race and following that with a third in the 350 class. Marty Lunde has stuck to the continental circus and is getting starts, which is more than Andy Lascoutx could do in his first season over here. This is a very real problem for newcomers to Europe, because start money is virtually the only means of earning a living. Unknowns fail to command start money, so either have to come prepared to finance a whole season getting known, or give up. Andy could not even get rides to prove himself, so has given up the unequal struggle and returned to the States. A great pity, especially after his class win at Le Mans.
This continual battle against the promoter sorts the "men from the boys," and the dedicated racer from the also rans, and keeps men like Weil and Lunde racing where others go home. But don't think that the problem of money is confined to the lower ranks; Hailwood receives just as much rough treatment from some continental organizers who realize he must race for the world championship points, as must those privateers who make up most of the field. It is an aspect of the sport in which the FIM seem unwilling to assist the men upon whom it all depends — namely the competitors. It could quite easily be solved by a simple scale of start and prize money. Any country wishing to hold a classic grand prix would be compelled to adhere to it or lose its classic status the following year. It goes without saying that such monies would be paid in freely convertible currency.
Following his superb display on the Isle of Man, Mike Hailwood went on-stage further a week later and won 250, 350 and 500 classes of the Dutch GP — all in the same day. It is virtually impossible to imagine the physical and mental strain of racing more than 270 miles on the nearfive-mile twisting Van Drenthe circuit at Assen. Fortunately, Mike had little opposition in the 250 and 350 races; but his last race against Agostini in the 500 class left him exhausted.
Is anything being done in Japan to ease Mike's task with the frightful handling of the 500 Honda? Rumor suggests new and even more exotic machines, and a sixcylinder with less overall height than the five hundred might not be such a handful. But, sooner or later, the Japanese must learn that a little less horsepower is more use over a wide band than greater horsepower over a small band. This will cer(Continued on page 106) tainly be the case if a plan for the fifties discussed recently is put into effect, for the FIM are worried about the present state of racing in that class and are determined to do something to keep it going.
B. R. NICHOLLS
Henry Burik, president of the CSI, is reported to have confirmed this at the Dutch GP, giving weight to their reasoning the fact that fifties are the dominant class on the roads of Europe. A suggested curtailment of six-speed gearboxes would certainly help the Spanish Derbi concern and prove equally frustrating for Suzuki, who would have to take a quick trip to the drawing board. If the FIM do take such a step, will it be the thin end of the wedge for the exotic, highly complicated factory raceware that dominates the classic scene nowadays? For, if more than six gears are taboo for fifties, are not four cylinders enough for any capacity?
Once restrictive measures start, there is no knowing where they will end, though the path seems to head more towards production racing, and that prevents the Honda 450 from racing in production events — despite the number produced — because it has an overhead camshaft!
Two changes I would like to see in the present world championship series are the extension of sidecar capacity to 750cc and an experimental "up to lOOOcc" solo category.
At the Mallory Park post-TT meeting there was a 750cc solo class, and it was won convincingly by Giacomo Agostini on the 498cc MV-3. But the interest lay in the fact that the first six men home were all on different machinery. Second was Dave Degens on his 649cc Triumph-powered Dresda Metisse; third, John Hartle, 496cc Matchless-powered Kirby Metisse; fourth, Pat Mahoney, 654cc BSA-engined Kirby Metisse; fifth Ron Chandler on his 496 Matchless; and sixth, Joe Dunphy, 499 Norton.
Agostini went on to win the 500 race from John Hartle, who merely changed the plug after his Senior TT race and regained peak power for the Kirby Metisse to beat Peter Williams on the Arter Matchless. This form put Hartle right back as a short circuit ace, for in the 350 race, he was last away on the Aermacchi Metisse, but fought through the field setting joint fastest lap with race winner Pat Mahoney, who was airing the special short-stroke Kirby AJS Metisse. Mike Duff also had a rotten start on his Aermacchi Metisse, but had a brilliant ride in fighting through to fourth place.
Mike Hailwood had no difficulty winning the 250 race on the Honda six, though he lay behind Vic Chatterton, Yamaha, for a few laps before clearing off and breaking the lap record. It was Chatterton's day, really, for he was also second in the 350 race on a 252 Yamaha, and second to Bill Ivy, Yamaha, in the 125 race, for which Vic was mounted on his Honda.
In the sidecar final, Chris Vincent really got motoring on his new 654cc BSA outfit, setting a new race record and equalling the record lap. The next three places were also taken by BSA-powered outfits — those of Peter Brown, Terry Vinicombe and Norman Hanks.
A week later, there was a round in the British championships held at Oulton Park, and Peter Inchley won the 125 race on the Terry Shepherd-tuned Bultaco, then scored his first win for the new AJS Starmaker racer by winning the 250 race from Trevor Burgess, Greeves. Dave Croxford, AJS, won the 350 final from Steve Jolly, Aermacchi, who has come to the fore this season and is riding very well at the moment.
Then, before the sidecar and 500cc finals could be held, a deluge of rain fell, flooding the track, so that the meeting had to be abandoned.
Most of the aces were racing at the Dutch when the Oulton meeting was held. And out racing again at the Dutch was Franta Statsny, the Czech Jawa ace. Lack of machinery prevented him taking part in the TT, which did not seem the same without him. But, for the Dutch, he had the brand new four-cylinder two-stroke V-twin for the 350 race. Unfortunately, Statsny was plagued by troubles and had to retire on the second lap of the race.
On the motocross front, the 250 class boys have been having an easy time of it, with only one meeting since the last report. The meeting, held in Italy, was dominated by the two championship leaders, Joel Robert, CZ, and Torsten Hallman, Husqvarna. Run over two races«as usual, the first provided a win for Robert from Hallman, with Olle Pettersson, Husqvarna, third. In the second leg, Hallman shot away in an endeavor to pull back the time deficit on Robert, but the Belgian was soon on hi-s tail. But, instead of playing the waiting game and ensuring victory, Robert tried to pass the Swede with disastrous consequences — he fell and could do no better than finish sixth at the end. This gave Hallman eight points to put him level at the top of the championship table with Robert, who collected four for third place. The six that he got for second (Continued on page 108) spot moved Pettersson into third place in the championship ahead of Arbekov. This means that the next round to be held will be vital, and the Russians realize it, for they have entered a team of four riders headed by ex-champion Victor Ar bekov. This will be the British round and full details will be given of this all important round next month.
I11Ij)~)I LaIII. 1 `JUIIU 11~AL ILIUIIII1. If the 250 competitors had an easy month, the same could not be said for the 500 class, for they have had a bout behind the Iron Curtain that took in three meet ings - the first of these being the East German where Paul Friedrichs was riding on home ground. And in atrocious condi tions, for it rained throughout the meet ing, he ran out an easy winner on his CZ from similarly mounted Dave Bickers. Friedrichs won both races, the first from Russian Vladimir Pogrebnyak, CZ, with Bickers third, and the second from BSA teammates Jeff Smith and Vic Eastwood, with Bickers fourth.
The following week, in Czechoslovakia, Friedrichs pulled further ahead when he won and Bickers failed to score. Once again, the East German champion won both races; in the first, he finished ahead of Belgian Roger Decoster, CZ, with Jeff Smith, third; while in the second, Smithy went one better and took second place on his BSA to gain second place overall.
Russian Gunnar Draugs crashed and was carted off with an ankle injury that kept him out of the following week's event which was the Russian round, held in intense heat which had a devastating effect on both men and machinery. It was a case of the survival of the fittest and few are as fit as Jeff Smith. In the first leg, however, Progrebnyak took the lead and led Smith home. But in the second, Smith reversed the decision with a greater time advantage to win in a state of collapse. Third was the veteran Czech ace, Vlasti mu Valek, Jawa. Now, although he failed to score in Russia, Friedrichs still has a nine-point lead in the championship after six rounds.
In the second round of the British 250cc motocross title hunt, Alan Clough, with
an injured knee, rode his Husqvarna against his doctor's orders to win from Freddie Mayes, Norton Villiers. As he had won the first round, this gives dough maximum points with Mayes in second place. dough is lucky to be leading, though, as the young Norton Villiers star Andy Roberton was in the lead when he lost his rear chain. But that's the way the "cookie crumbles," for dough has cer tainly had his share of bad luck in the past.
Fourth man overall was the all rounder Mick Andrews riding an Ossa. He has been chosen for the Great Britain Vase B team in the ISDT this year. The remainder of that team, as suggested last month, consists of Suzukis ridden by John Harris, Peter Fletcher and Peter Gaunt. The Vase A team will consist of army riders Ted Johns, Triumph, Peter Lasota, Greeves, and the BSAs of Mick Noyce and Mick Soames. The all-important Trophy team will be without Sammy Miller and will consist of John Giles and Ken Heanes on 504cc Triumphs, Roy Peplow, 500 Tri umph, Gordon Farley, 350 Triumph, John Lewis, 500 AJS, and Jim Sandiford, 250 Greeves. It will be a stern test for them in Poland, where the East German MZ team will start as favorites for the Trophy.
Back to the Ti' for two points that arose there, the first being that the Minister of Sport was in attendance and announced that the government hoped to give finan cial backing to coaching schemes for future motorcycle sporting activities. Dis cussions are to take place soon between the Sports Council and the ACU to see how best the schemes may operate. No details have yet been given, but it is thought that it would not solely concern road racing.
There is a possibility that the govern ment may help with the finance for send ing the British teams to the ISDT. The other aspect concerned tires and the fact that Goodyear was present, though unoffi cially, and also went to the Mallory meet ing, where among others, Mike Duff used them on his Aermacchi when he went from next-to-last away at the start of the 350 to finish fourth. He endorses the com ments made by Lance Weil, that the Goodyears are very much like the Avon. With Dunlop carrying the whole of motor cycle racing, being the only company at present fully committed to supplying rac ing tires, they too would probably be glad to see some opposition, not to mention the riders with another company to pay bonuses. U
