West German Gp
West German GP
Forest Fire and a Homebuilt Four Bring Victory to Agostini and Fath
HEINZ SCHNEIDER
WITH LUCK and a jury decision, Italian Giacomo Agostini earned his first eight points toward another 50-cc world championship at the West German Grand Prix, opener of the 1968 season. The 4.74-mile Sudschleife portion of the famous Nurburgring had been burnt dry by the sun for weeks. Eventually one of the 200,000 spectators set a patch of Eifel forest on fire, forcing the 500 race to be stopped. More than half the distance was covered, and the riders’ positions at this time were recognized as official results.
Later in the day Helmut Fath on his homemade four-cylinder outfit scored his first grand prix win, a rare defeat for the BMW type bikes.
Prior to the fire, Hans-Georg Anscheidt had won the 50-cc race on his private Suzuki, and Bill Ivy had taken his 250-cc Yamaha Four to a win from Ginger Molloy’s Bultaco, after Phil Read had retired his Yamaha. On Saturday, it had been the other way around in the 125-cc class, as reigning champion Bill Ivy retired and Phil Read won on the small Yamaha Four from Anscheidt on the larger Suzuki Twin.
With no opposition from Honda, Giacomo Agostini appears set to win the 350-cc title as well as the 500-cc championship as Mike Hailwood did when he rode for MV. At Nurburgring, Renzo Pasolini on the Benelli Four was Ago’s sole opposition.
Because Honda has pulled out of grand prix racing, 250 and 350 champion Mike Hailwood and his teammate Ralph Bryans are out of bikes for title events. Suzuki, also out of the big game, at least allows Anscheidt and Stuart Graham to use Suzuki mounts in the grand prix events. That leaves Yamaha to fly the Japanese flag. Kawasaki, with Tommy Robb as top liner, puts in a half-hearted effort.
“New” engines, announced every winter, so far have failed to rise above entry status. Jack Findlay, down to ride the Fontana built C'ardani Three, went out on his familiar McIntyre-Matchless. Errol Cowan, entered on Colin Lystcr’s Lynton Twin, an English special based on half a car engine, rode an old Matchless. Alberto Pagani, who should have appeared with the Lino Tonti made Linto, two H-D Aermacchi cylinders on a special crankcase, did not show at all.
German 125-cc Maicos, based on the rotary valve roadster model, have been put to use by some private and semi-works men with little success. MZ’s sole works rider, Heinz Rosncr, who stood a good chance for leader board places in the 250 and 350 classes, and the East German privateers Harmut Bischoff, Thomas Heuschkel, Friedhelm Kohlar and Jurgen Lenk were sidelined by politics. Officials could not come to terms on the only thing which makes sport ridiculous flying the winner’s national flag and playing a recording of his national anthem.
MZ’s reputation, however, wasjield up by Neckermann, West Germany’s largest mail order firm. The company sells MZ and Jawa bikes, plus ESO speedway models, and fields teams in road racing, scrambles, ISDT-type trials, and on dirt tracks. MZ 125 production racers Siegfried Mohringcr and Dieter Braun came in 3rd and 4th, respectively. Mohringcr held 2nd place in the 250-cc race on an MZ Twin for a long time, until he fell on a patch of oil.
From Spain came an odd looking little Ossa, its air cooled 250-cc rotary valve Single engine hung under a frame which is welded up from aluminum sheets which form petrol tanks. Suspension control is by a confusing system of pipes for fluid and air, with no steel springs.
Compared with modern tracks, 40-year-old Nurburgring is cheating the fans who pay for grandstand seats. All that can be seen from the start area are the pits and two long parallel straights. The two curves which should be in sight are obstructed from view. At Mullenbach, at the far end of the circuit, spectators can see riders negotiate a medium left-hander, three fast right-handers after another (the bumpy surface giving a clue to the quality of framework), a hard righthander, and then violent acceleration up the hill and through the forest toward the pit area.
SATURDAY 125
With Phil Read and Bill Ivy favored, 44 riders lined up for the 13-lap 125-cc race on Saturday afternoon, after bikes, sidecars and racing cars had practiced. The two British riders on their Japanese Fours raced through Lap 1 with a bunch of placemen, including Dieter Braun, Siegfried Mohringcr, the young Swede, Kent Andersson. and Laszlo Szabo, the ex-works-rider, all on MZ bikes, and Hans-Georg Anscheidt on his Suzuki Twin.
Lap 2 saw Anscheidt in a clear 3rd place, the two Neckermann-MZ riders falling back, never separated by more than a few yards. They pulled away from Kent Andersson, who was attacked by Szabo, until the Hungarian’s water cooled racer failed, and Kel Carruthers on the fast Honda. Jim Curry joined the group on another Honda. From far behind, Angel Nieto on a Spanish Derbi Twin pushed through. With nine laps covered, Bill Ivy stopped at his pit, and Read came through alone. Ivy started his Yamaha and chased Anscheidt to regain 2nd place; then Ivy’s engine stopped for good.
While Read and Anscheidt made sure of their 1st and 2nd places, the Neckermann MZ riders changed positions until the more experienced Mohringer got the better of his teammate. Kcl Caxruthers led Kent Andersson for a short time, but then Andersson set the Australian Honda rider back to 6th spot. Angel Nieto snatched 7th spot from Jim Curry. Austrian Heinz Kriwanck on his Rotax two-stroke, an Austrian air cooled Single with a rotary valve, came in 9th.
AGO'S 350
Italian star Giacomo Agostini provided the fastest race of the weekend on the 350-cc MV Three, holding off the challenge of compatriot Renzo Pasolini on the Benelli 1 our. Pasolini had qualified best in 3 min., 12.2 sec. Agostini and Phil Read followed, 1.5 sec. slower. Read’s 350 Yamaha requiring 0.5 sec. more than his 250 bike to complete the lap. Neither Read nor 4th qualifier Heinz Rosner appeared on the grid, however.
Ago flashed off the line, but half-way around the 4.74-mile course, Pasolini caught up, sitting in the MV’s slipstream, f rom Lap 2, Giacomo pulled away from the Benelli rider, setting a new lap record in Lap 3 with 92.9 mph. a figure he did not better with his 50(Lee bike.
f rom the start. Ginger Molloy, on his new air cooled Bultaco, fought for 3rd place with Kel Carruthers on the Drixton-framed H-D Aermacchi. The Bultaco, according to Molloy. was not in top form. (For the Spanish GP, Bultaco is preparing a 500-cc mount, with a very low petrol tank and pressure fuel pump.) Carruthers, however, beat Molloy’s Bultaco on acceleration out of the last corner to take 4th place.
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Dan Shorey, always surprisingly qnick on his Nortons, fell hack from this group, but came home 5th, ahead of Bohumil Stasa on one of the lightweight CZ Singles.
ANSCHEIDT WINS THE 50
After a slow start - which lie can afford any time this season Suzuki’s sole representative, Hans-Georg Anscheidt, felt no need to open his throttle more than three-quarters to score an easy win in the 50-cc class with merely private opposition. The Japanese factory had flown in the latest 19-blip engine and 14speed gearbox to West Germany for the world champion to ride. Barry Smith (Derbi) led the opening half lap. and then appeared a secure 2nd until his little Single stopped. German Rudolf Kunz on a private Kreidler and Dutchman Matin Mijwart on a Jamati Single -a copy of the now obsolete Suzuki Single works bike plus Rolf Schmalzlc on another Kreidler now were after 2nd place. The Jamati retired, and the Kreidlers got the places.
Works officials of the Kreidler factory were watching the race closely. They give the impression that the small German company, for whom Anscheidt used to ride until the firm retired in 1965, is planning a comeback. FIM’s latest 50-cc regulations, allowing sixspeed Singles only, from next year on will help smaller firms such as Kreidler, Derbi and Jamati.
IVY'S 250
Phil Read grabbed the lead of the 250-cc race with his Yamaha Four, rated at 70 blip at the crankshaft. His teammate, Bill Ivy, got stuck in the middle of the field, but did not take more than half a lap to push through to scream after Phil.
Read and Ivy led out of Lap 1 with some distance on Englishman Rod Gould, on a special Yamaha Twin, and Kent Andersson, on the latest Yamaha five-port production racer, stock except for an Oldani brake he acquired the night before.
Read entered Lap 3 pointing at his radiator, and Ivy finished this tour alone. The Read Yamaha stopped out on the circuit, overheated and seized. Siegfried Mohringer. with the fast MZ Twin, at this time had carved through the field to hold 2nd place ahead of Gould, Andersson and Ginger Molloy. Herrero had come clear of Gyula Marsovszky on a Bultaco and German Dieter Braun’s H-D Aermacchi. Renzo Pasolini, with the works Benelli, had not started. Ginger Molloy managed to pass Gould and Andersson to take 3rd.
With only six laps to go. Mohringer lost his MZ on a patch of oil near the finish. MZ’s last chance was gone, as Laszlo Szabo had retired the Twin after Lap 1. Ivy carried on to win with 87.8 mph. and secure a lap record of 89.6 mph. Molloy was 2nd, with 4 see. over Andersson, and Gould lost ground to the Swede. Jack Findlay passed Marsovszky to take 5th.
WON IN A BLAZE
John Hartle and Peter Williams, in the 500, snatched the lead when riders were flagged off the grid. Giacomo Agostini flashed through the field to gain 1st place in the first curve, however. Agostini led for the remainder of the first lap. with Hartle on a Matchless Métisse and Williams on an Arter Matchless close behind. Rod Gould (Norton), Gyula Marsovszky (Matchless), Dan Shorey (Norton). Heinz Rosenbusch (Norton) and German 350-cc champion Karl Hoppe thundered through as the leading group.
Positions cleared up in Lap 2, when Hartle pulled away from Williams. Dan Shorey closed up to Peter to pass him later in the race. A pursuing group was formed by Marsovszky, Gould, Carruthers, Findlay, and Steve Spencer, an English newcomer.
Johnny Dodds retired his Norton; Gould fell back to 20th place; Findlay went out with clutch trouble; Carruthers stopped.
T he public address announcer warned repeatedly not to light fires in the dry forest. Just then, smoke began to bite spectators’ eyes. Agostini had just finished his 16th lap, and there was a sudden reshuffle in piacings. John Hurtle’s Métisse stopped, giving Dan Shorey 2nd, Peter Williams having dropped back a couple of yards. Steve Spencer’s Norton also stopped, so Marsovszky was an unchallenged 4th. Bohumil Stasa had crept up to 6th with his bored CZ 350-cc Single. And then, the organizers decided to flag off the race, eight laps short of the scheduled 26. The red flags came out. and Agostini rolled in, having completed 18 laps, with an average of 89.4 mph, and a fastest lap of 91.8 mph, both new records, but slower than 350 speeds.
SIDECARS
There was some confusion with the sidecar class as reigning world champion Klaus Enders was not able to qualify. To get his outfit still lower, the BMW engine had been robbed of its oil-sump, which is replaced by an oil tank behind the gearbox. 'I bis set-up created some difficulties with heat dissipation. In practice, the engine had not run properly, and Enders was allowed to start from the last row.
Second best in practice, Ceorg Auerbacher shot off the line, followed by Tony Wakefield. on a Pip Harris outfit, and Arsenins Butscher, on a BMW combination. Siegfried Schauzu, on the Cernían championship outfit, was 4th. Lastest man. Helmut l ath was in 5th place, ahead of Hans-Peter Hubacher, the Swiss with the 10-in. wheeled BMW.
Path came through in 3rd place after Lap I, his homemade fuel injected four-cylinder engine revving up to 14.000 rpm.
The next lap saw Lath in 2nd place-and Butscher go end over end with no worse results than a broken fairing. Enders was 4th behind Schauzu. In Lap 3, he set a new record of just under 81 mph. Then his left cylinder started to throw black smoke, the outfit spun once, out on the track, and the champion retired.
Helmut Fath ousted Auerbacher from 1st place, and as many times last season, he led the grand prix. This time, however, his engine did not fail. Auerbacher lost 2nd place to Schauzu. From far behind Johann Attenberger, the man who lies flat on his bike, came up to 5th place behind Luthringshauser. Veteran Otto Rolle crabbed his way up to 6th spot on his new combination.
With a lap to go, Schauzu turned on everything his BMW has, and, in half a lap, closed the 100-yd. gap between himself and Fath. Everyone expected Schauzu to be the winner, but lath came home alone, w'ith Auerbacher 19 sec. behind and Schauzu another 12 sec. rearward.
At tenberger, in a last lap effort, beat Luthringshauser for 4th place, and Koile earned one point for his 6th.
No leading bike finished the race unscathed. Helmut Fath was forced to drive without a clutch from Lap 1 in fear it might burn out if he disengaged it one more time. His rear wheel disc brake was blue down to the hub, and, because of an error with brake fluid, the hydraulic system had not worked for most of the distance, making Fath use only the cable-operated half of the four leading shoe front system.
The Auerbacher outfit also was plagued; a tight sidecar brake cooked up the fluid and made Georg tread the pedal a couple of times before the brakes worked.
