Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
BY B.R. NICHOLLS
ROBERT BEATS JINX FOR TITLE
The 250 world motocross title battle has been dominated by two men for the entire series: volatile Joel Robert and his countryman, the more reserved Sylvain Geboers. Both Belgian, both CZ riders and both after the title. Robert was out to break the jinx that no rider who had won the Spanish round at the beginning of a season had secured the title. In the first nine meetings, either Robert or Geboers had won every round except the West German, where Adolf Weil took the honors on his works Maico.
Sweden was the venue for the 10th round. Robert made a bad start in the first race, but he fought through to finish 5th. Geboers won, and Olle Pettersson (Suzuki) placed 2nd. Things did not look good for Robert, but he fought back to take the lead in the second leg. His glory was short-lived, for his engine went sick on Lap 2 and he retired. Once again, Geboers went on to win from Pettersson and take maximum points.
From Sweden, the contenders went to Finland where home rider Kalevi Vehkonen (Husqvarna) took the lead from Geboers in the first race and held it to the flag. Geboers placed 2nd and Robert 3rd. The second leg saw a dramatic change of fortune; Pettersson won and disaster struck Geboers. His front forks broke two laps from the end just when it seemed victory was his. This let Robert into 2nd place, giving him overall victory from Pettersson.
A young Russian rider, Vladimir Kavinov (CZ), stole the limelight by winning both legs. Geboers was 3rd in the first and Robert 5th. But clutch trouble struck Geboers in the second race, and Robert finished 2nd overall and retained the world title by the narrow margin of 6 points.
It is obvious from the points table that the two Belgians were streets ahead of the opposition in 1969. It also is clear that ex-champion Hallman had a very bad season, primarily because of a recurrence of a back injury. It seems doubtful that he will regain his old fire, but his experience will win him many races yet. Olle Pettersson’s 3rd place, after breaking his leg last year, is a tribute to his courage and to the bike he has helped develop. In the right hands, the Suzuki could win a title. Lastly the Czechs-can they pull out that little extra and win the Trophée des Nations team event the Belgians are so keen to capture when held in their own country next month?
ILL FORTUNE BOGS BANKS
The 500 motocross title has been much more wide open than the 250; the last five rounds saw five different winners. John Banks (BSA) won in Russia, and Paul Friedrichs (CZ) took the West German round.
Then came the Belgian round on the famous Citadel circuit at Namur. One of the most demanding courses in Europe, it is narrow, twisting and fast, much of it through trees on a difficult hillside—a real rider’s circuit. It tamed champion Friedrichs and the Swedes, Bengt Aberg and Arne Kring on their Husqvarnas, but it did not tame Banks. To local hero Roger de Coster (CZ) fell the lot of taming it. A thunderstorm the previous day eliminated dust problems, and practice showed de Coster easily the fastest. “He jolly well looked it, too,” said Jeff Smith, having his only grand prix outing of the year.
Adolf Weil (Maico) set the pace on the first lap, but by the third, de Coster was in front, and Banks was moving up to 5th behind Friedrichs. Both Aberg and Kring had been involved in pile-ups that led to their retirement before half distance. At this point the order was de Coster, Weil, Friedrichs, Jef Teuwissen (Husqvarna) and Banks. Then Banks passed the Belgian and joined battle with Friedrichs, setting a pace that took them past Weil. The crunch came on the next to last lap, when Banks and Friedrichs hurtled side by side into a corner. Friedrichs loused his braking, stalled and Banks was through, but there was no catching de Coster, who won by 11 seconds. Friedrichs’ error dropped him to 5th behind Weil and Teuwissen with Smith 6th.
In two laps de Coster had pulled back a dozen places, and the crowd buzzed excitedly as he took 6th at the halfway point. Banks, in 4th place, apparently was unaware of the threat. A few laps later he moved into 2nd spot and with three laps to go, took the lead. But by then de Coster was 3rd and still closing the gap. First and 2nd into the final lap, Banks was determined to win by over 11 seconds to gain overall victory, and de Coster equally intent that victory should go to Belgium. And it did, by the narrow margin of 3.4 seconds. The crowd went wild. De Coster won from Banks, and Weil placed 3rd, his best ride of the season. Teuwissen got the better of Friedrichs, and veteran Jeff Smith was 6th.
It had been a magnificent day of racing in nearly ideal conditions, no dust problems and bright, sunny weather. The same could not be said the following week at the Ettelburg circuit where Luxembourg played host. Bright, sunny weather created a problem that makes racing dangerous and ruins it for the spectator, quite simply, dust.
In such conditions, a good start is essential. As the pack roared into the first corner, Dave Nicoll (BSA) took a wide line to gain a quick lead from Arne Kring (Husqvarna) at the end of the first lap. Aberg was 3rd. Nicoll continued to take advantage of his position until he started to catch the tail-enders; then he, too, suffered. Slowly Kring caught him,
but on the final lap, when it looked as if he might snatch the lead and recapture his early season form his engine soured, leaving the BSA man clear. Jaroslav Homola (Jawa) had fought into 2nd place, and the following positions were taken by Banks, Aberg and Friedrichs.
In the second leg, Aberg took the lead from Nicoll, but at the end of Lap 1 Nicoll was ahead once again. Ake Jonsson (Maico) held 2nd, and Aberg was down to 3rd. It took another four laps for Aberg to regain his 2nd place, by which time Banks had gone out with a puncture. Then Friedrichs fought through to the lead. Nicoll had dropped to 3rd, but it was good enough to ensure overall victory. Friedrichs and Aberg were 2nd and 3rd.
His 3rd place gave Aberg the title lead from Banks, and he extended it still further a week later at the French round when he was the overall winner from Friedrichs, with de Coster 3rd. Friedrichs has found form too late. The title is now a straight battle between Aberg arid Banks. With only two rounds left, the table reads:
THE HUTCHINSON 100
One week before the Ulster Grand Prix, the Hutchinson Hundred road race meeting is held at Brands Hatch. A big international affair, races are run in the reverse direction to that normally used, so that home riders have no advantage over newcomers to the course.
Star attraction at this year’s meeting was Spanish rider Santiago Herrero on the works Ossa, making his first appearance on a British short circuit.
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Main event of the day was the senior championship for machines from 175-1000 cc, which was decided over two legs. Winner of both was Rod Gould (350 Yamaha). Machines troubles had sidelined similarly mounted Phil Read, who was dicing with Gould when forced out on both occasions. Herrero was 5th in the first when the big end went, but, undaunted, he and his mechanic set to and in a couple of hours fitted a new crankshaft, just in time to enter the 250 race. At the fall of the flag, he shot away from the grid to take a lead he never lost throughout the 12 laps. Slow to start was Read, who carved through the field to take 2nd, 3 seconds behind Herrero.
Britain’s new world champion, Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki), had earlier won the 125 race, which was marked by the speed of the V-twin Derbi two-stroke ridden by Australian Barry Smith. Smith led until the last lap when Simmonds nipped past. The 350 race saw Gould off in fine style, intent on gaining the Mellano Trophy awarded to the rider whose race speed comes closest to, or exceeds by the greatest margin, the lap record for the class. In his effort he clipped .8 second from Hailwood’s lap record. But this was his sole reward, as two laps from the end he slid off without injury and retired. This let in Mick Andrew (Seeley), who just held off Alan Barnett (Kirby Metisse) with Peter Williams (Arter AJS) 3rd.
Andrew then had another close call in the production machine race. Riding a Norton Commando, he finished a length in front of Tony Smith (650 BSA), who had set a lap record while chasing the leader. Andrew is without doubt the man of the season. He improves with every outing and has the makings of a champion. He finished 2nd to Gould in both big races on the Kuhn Commando, but has yet to tackle the hard world of the grand prix circus.
The second of the big races saw Herrero out again, pitting the little Ossa against the big boys. The crowd loved it as he showed the local scratchers the way around. After early high jinx he tucked in behind Dave Croxford (Seeley), then nipped ahead on the last lap for 5th place. Gould won, but behind him Andrew was involved in a three-cornered scrap with Alan Barnett (eight-valve 700 Rickman Metisse) and Paul Smart (750 Francis Norton) who finished in that order.
Who won the Mellano? Helmut Fath probably would have, had he not broken his leg. Georg Auerbacher (BMW) took his place and, hard though he tried, could not catch world champion Klaus Enders (BMW) until the final, when Enders mistook the last lap flag as a warning signal. Auerbacher whistled past, but Enders regained the lead, only to run short of fuel on the last half lap which includes two stiff climbs. That settled it. Auerbacher went on to win; though almost 2 mph down on the previous lap record, his race speed captured the Mellano.
Enders set a new lap record, knocking a second from Fath’s figure, and he also won the second sidecar event as a consolation. Enders was not the only one to be caught by that last lap flag, which is a recognized FIM signal though not frequently used. Herrero, too, sat up, thinking it was all over, but his mechanic’s gestures soon had him cracking again. Now we have the end of season internationals with the prospect of Hailwood racing again but with little chance of competitive machinery against Agostini.
NEW NORTON BLOOD
Norton Villiers recently appointed Peter Williams engineer in charge of racing for the Norton division. A racer of no mean ability, he is known to American enthusiasts because he has ridden at Daytona. Williams has the very practical knowledge of present day racing at his fingertips, as he rides Tom Arter’s Matchless and AJS machines and a Commando in production events. At the “Hutch” he rode a very interesting Matchless in a new frame with Ceriani forks and cast elektron wheels fitted with Dunlop tubeless tires and Lockheed disc brakes on both wheels.
Six cast spokes and four self-tapping screws on each side hold the tire to the rim. Williams claims this arrangement saves 3.5 lb. on the weight of the front wheel. He was pleased with his 10th place in the second big race, so no doubt the experiment will continue. Little has been done in this field, though it seems essential for some form of spoke to be used because a solid middle presents too much gyroscopic mass. [o]
