Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B.R. NICHOLLS
CHAMPIONSHIPS START
The 1968 world championship series in road racing and motocross competition are under way.
At Nurburgring, it was a West German Grand Prix win for Helmut Path and his homebuilt four-cylinder URS machine. However, this meeting presaged a less lively season with works Hondas and Suzukis withdrawn from racing, leaving only Hans-Georg Anscheidt’s private Suzuki to contend with the factory Yamaha attack mounted by Phil Read and Bill Ivy.
Run over a short lap of the Nurburgring. the West German event included all classes, with Anscheidt, last year’s 50-cc class champion, gaining an easy win. He was followed home by three Kreidlers. Anseheidt also finished 2nd in the 1 25 race after Bill Ivy retired, leaving teammate Phil Read the winner. The positions were reversed in the 250. Read went out and Ivy won.
Man of the day was Giacomo Agostini (MV) for. pressed hard in the early stages of the 350 race by Renzo Pasolini (Benelli), Ago broke Hailwood's absolute record set on a 500 MV l our three years ago, and won the 500 race with consummate ease at a slower speed than his 350 win.
To round off the day there was the hero’s welcome for Path, whose win must have been a welcome success as he had seen John Blanchard crash his solo machine in practice. Blanchard was not hurt. Later, however, in the 350 race Blanchard experienced another purler, which resulted in a broken wrist and collarbone. The mishap means John Hartle will get the opportunity to ride the URS Métisse in the near future. He will be the ideal rider to develop the solo as he has invaluable experience on both MV and Gilera l ours.
The 350 race at the West German GP was sweet revenge for Agostini who had been beaten earlier at Cesenatieo. Italy, by Pasolini.
Some idea of the pace at Cesenatieo can be judged from the fact that Hailwood fell off. without injury, in trying to hold the two Italians. Agostini won the 500 race, but was beaten in the same class a week later by Hailwood at Imola, where Pasolini again won the 350 after Hailwood retired when leading.
EASTER IN ENGLAND
Hailwood, Read. Ivy. John C'ooper and Ron Chandler, all abroad to take advantage of start money, weren't in England for the traditional Easter race meetings. Though no multi-cylinder works machines were present to add excitement. Dave Croxford and Bell helmeted Rod Gould remained at home to provide some keen competition for holiday racing enthusiasts.
On Good Friday, the King of Brands title went to the rider with the best performance in three races. 350-. 500 and 1300-ec solo events.
It was a day of surprises. In the first race for production machines. Mick Andrew, who usually races a BSA, turned out on one of the Vincents built by Fritz Egli of Bremgarten. Switzerland. The touring machine has a Ceriani front fork and Campagnolo discbrakes. while the racing version mounts a Fontana front brake. This is hardly a mount for the rider set on winning; it is a prestige model for the true enthusiast.
In the 125 race. Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki) won easily after a bad start. No one could catch Vic Chatterton in the 250. in which Rod Gould took 2nd place on his Bultaco-framed five-port Yamaha that he brought from the U.S. (It won him S96 in that first race, but was to cost him dearly two days later at Mallory.)
In the 350 race Australian Kel Carruthers (Aermacchi) built up a commanding lead to no avail as an ignition lead broke with three laps remaining. This gave the win to young Martin Carney (Kawasaki), riding in his first 350 race. Alan Barnett (Kirby AJS Metisse) was 2nd.
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Until that day, Dave Croxford never had won a race at Brands Hatch. In the 500 race Croxford made no mistake. Barnett fell while chasing Croxford and let Malcolm Uphill (Norton) into 2nd spot. Then Uphill went one better in the 1 300-cc event as he gained his best short circuit victory so far. with Croxford 2nd and Gould taking 3rd. as he had done in the 500 race. So. to Croxford went the King of Brands title.
Incidentally, the Kawasaki ridden by Carney is one doctored by ex-racer Terry Shepherd to a capacity of 349 ce. This is one to watch.
So, to Mallory, where the Master title was to be decided over the 250, 350 and 500 events, with riders scoring points in the same way as the world championships. A retirement in one race does not mean elimination as at Brands. This was vital to Croxford. as he failed to make the 250 final after trouble in bis beat.
Gould had his share of bad luck, for in the 250 final he raced into a commanding lead over Chatterton, only to have the head on one cylinder crack and reduce him to 4th place at the Hag.
Croxford then beat Gould in a 350 heat for which Rod borrowed an H-D Aermacchi, but neither did well in the final, in which Garnithers made up for his Brands failure with a good win on his Aermacchi over the Nortons of Tony Rutter and Barry Randle, with Croxford and Gould 4th and 5th. This was an international meeting, but only one overseas rider made any showing at all. and that was Kent Andersson, the Swedish ace who won the 125 race on his MZ and also took 3rd in the 250 on a Yamaha.
Then came the 500 final, and. by winning the race, Croxford took the title Master of Mallory from Gould who was 2nd.
It was interesting to note that the scrutineers did not object to Rod’s Boll helmet, while at Brands he had to buy a new porridge basin before they would let him race. Gazing at it in disgust, he said. “It would be safer to wear the bloody box it came in.”
One thing is certain in sidecar racing: If Chris Vincent gets riled, the lap record is likely to be smashed. Just that happened in the sidecar final, because in a start mi.xup with another outfit that turned over, (’bris was last away. In four laps he was leading. Riding in perfect harmony with passenger Keith Scott, they hurtled through the field, passing such aces as Peter Brown and Norman Hanks to set a new record at 86.17 mph.
The following day at Crystal Palace. Vincent was again in top form to take both lap and race records. The large displacement solo race of the day was won by Paul Smart (745 Curt is Domiracer). Rod Gould was at Cadwell Park and. having repaired his Yamaha, won the 250 and made it a double by taking the 500 race as well. Back from retirement. Tom Phillips won the 350 on an Aermacchi. while the new Mini-menace, Ken Allen, was king of the three-wheelers.
Monday was not Dave Croxford’s lucky day, for at Oulton Park his 500-cc Seeley broke a crankpin, and in the 750 race lie was beaten by Ray Pickrell (650 Dunstall Dominator). Percy Tait, on the factory Triumph, at last scored the win that has eluded him so long. Kei Carru thers on his H-DAermacchi won the 35Ü. Stuart Graham (Suzuki) won the 125 race. The 250 event saw a shock win to Brian Kemp (Yamaha). Pip Harris (BMW) was the sidecar ace.
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CASTROL CASH
The 350 classes at Brands, Mallory and Oulton all qualified for this season’s C'astrol Challenge Trophy which will be decided over nine races. Points are scored on the same basis as for world championships, with a SI 200 prize to the winner at the end of the season. With two wins, Carruthers leads with 16 points to the 10 of Randle and Rutter. A cigarette manufacturer also is backing road racing with a series of four meetings. The first of these events was at C'rystal Palace. The race was won by Paul Smart. There is no doubt the Castrol Trophy is creating interest as Terry Shepherd is making sure that Carney rides his Kawasaki at the next round at Cadwell Park. The machine is basically the 250-cc road racer which has been bored out to 60.9 cc and stroked at 59.5 cc. Mahle pistons are used with new liners, crankshafts, rods, and big and small ends. To improve handling, the frame has been lengthened by 2 in. and the cradle has been stiffened. Carney will ride one in the Isle of Man, and Terry plans to have two other riders there as well. When he is fully satisfied with performance, he will market conversion kits.
HAILWOOD AND CARS
That next meeting at Cadwell should be a popular one with the fans for it will be the first opportunity in 1968 to see Mike Hailwood and Bill Ivy race. Indeed, it could be the last time Mike races bikes for a long time if recent tests on Ferrari ears are successful. Mike’s latest excursion into the four-wheel fraternity was not the happiest, though he did gain a solitary world championship point at Monaco. His own words were: “The or ganizers paid me spin money, not start gold.” Bikes are in his blood. Perhaps next year he will return to prove he is the greatest rider of all time.
MOTOCROSS MESS
Trouble in the BSA motocross camp came to a head recently with termination of Vic Lastwood’s contract just before the start of the world championship season. Whatever reasons may lie behind the sacking of this brilliant rider, it is difficult to understand how a company can afford to dispense with the services of its most successful racer. During winter months. Lastwood was far and away the most consistent, regularly beating the rest of the team.
Perhaps his fanatical desire to do well in this year’s world championship led to his downfall. Whatever it was. lie was not left out in the cold for long as Husqvarna was very quick to offer him a contract which he aceep ted.
The problem now will be to see if he can successfully switch from four-stroke to twostroke machinery, a change that both Tibblin and Nilsson failed to master. Husqvarna is riding high at the moment for the firm’s riders won the opening rounds of both 250 and 500 world titles. The first held was the 250 in Spain, one that the superstitious prefer to lose, for no rider has ever won there and gone on to gain the title in the same year. The man out to beat the jinx in 1968 will be Torsten Hallman, though he may well end up fighting an injury as much as trying to win races, for at the end of the second leg in Spain, he aggravated an old back injury. Fortunately tor him there is time for a four-week layoff before the next round in Belgium. It was very much a case of the old firm at the Spanish meeting, for runner-up was Joel Robert and 3rd Dave Bickers, both on CZ. Surprise in 4th spot was the Belgian Sylvain Geboers (CZ). He proved it was no fluke at the big inter national Good Friday meeting, the Hants Grand National. Decided over three races, it was consistency that counted, and Sylvain had a 2nd, 1st and 4th to win overall. The hard luck story was that of Hakan Andersson (Husqvarna), who won the first, but lost his chain in the second to put him well down the results list, even though he had 2nd place in the third race. John Banks (BSA) was best of the home riders, finishing 4th overall.
FAST FRIEDRICHS
A week later, in the first 500-cc motocross meeting in Austria. Last German Paul Friedrichs (CZ) gave notice in the most practical fashion that he intends to retain his title this year. Friedrichs won the first leg with ease and was out front in the second when his ignition packed up. A like fault stopped Banks in the first race, but he went like the wind in the second to win it from Sweden’s Bengt Aberg aboard one of the new 420-cc Husqvarnas. Aberg had finished 2nd in the first race, so did not have to bother about beating Banks to gain overall victory. All the other well established aces were in trouble one way or another which accounts for two newcomers finishing in 2nd and 3rd places. They were Russian Villis Brunis and Czechoslovakian Vaclav Svastal. both mounted on 360 CZ machinery.
DRAGGIN’ HAGON
A If Hagon has been at it again! Dragging his blown 1260-cc JAP on a newly sited and resurfaced Santa Pod quarter mile strip, he set his best ever time of 9.644 see. with a terminal speed of 148.59 mph.
MZ AT BLACKPOOL
Feature of the motorcycle show held at Blackpool was the appearance of MZ machines and, more important, the announcement by one of the MZ officials that the firm would contest the 125 and 250 classes of the road race championships this season. However. politics reared its ugly head at the first meeting held in West Germany with the usual childish arguments about not flying the Fast German flag or playing the national anthem if an bast German won a race. 1 his led to F.ast German withdrawal. It is high time the TIM declared void results at meetings where polities is allowed to decide who may and who may not race. Alternatively, the 1TM should make it quite clear to all organizers that where flags and anthems are concerned, it is all or none. It is a farcical situation and one that could be resolved if only someone had the courage to wave two fingers of scorn at a governmental edict and fly the F.ast German flag and play the anthem just for the hell of it. ■
