Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B.R. NICHOLLS
MONTESA VS. BULTACO
There is no doubt about Montesa’s bid to topple rival Bultaco from the top in trials. In the past three weeks, Montesa signed two top British riders. First was Lawrence Telling, who won the Bemrose (CW, Feb. ’69) on a kit form Montesa. He recently was joined by Sammy Miller’s most consistent opponent, Gordon Farley. This is the third works ride in as many years for Farley. The first was with Triumph, which withdrew from the game. For 1968 he was a works Greeves man, but has forsaken that firm for an 18-month contract with Montesa. So, the Spanish concern now has a strong team of three, as Don Smith already is receiving factory support.
In the last of the 1968 battles counting toward the British Championship, which Miller already had won anyway, Telling finished equal with Miller on 14 marks lost, with victory going to the champion on the special test; just one mark behind came Farley, still Greeves mounted. So, for this event at any rate, the 250-cc machines held off the new 125 challenge.
The rise of the 125-cc bogwheeler seems the 1969 point of interest in trials world. Whether the 125s will oust the 250s or the larger capacity two-strokes will continue to hold the buying public will be determined. Dennis Jones, doing well in the European championship series, is bound to increase sales of the little Suzuki. John Hemingway, with good riding, also will attract attention to the 125-cc Sachs-powered Sprite. Cotton now is turning attention to a small capacity machine which uses the Italian Minarelli engine. In the long run, however, it is the winning machine that the public buys. That is why Bultaco really holds the ace card. With Miller winning with monotonous regularity, it is the Bultaco name that is in the forefront.
With the European trials bike and American trail bike market as the rich reward for success, the battle for supremacy should be intense and exciting.
EASTWOOD INJURED
Last month, Vic Eastwood, the Husqvarna works rider, was heading for top honors in the television series, but the same series that has made his name a household word has seemingly wrecked his world title bid for 1969.
Vic now is nursing a compound fracture above the right knee, result of a crash at the second of the commercial company meetings which were run in bitterly cold weather over a rock hard frozen course that made for fast, tricky riding.
In the first race, BSA works man John Banks took the lead on Lap 2 from Arthur Browning (380 Greeves) and was never headed. His teammate, Jeff Smith, then took Browning to make it BSA 1st and 2nd.
Meanwhile, Eastwood was left at the start with a stalled engine, so was running like a scalded cat, picking off rider after rider as he made his way through the field to finish 4th.
He managed a better start his second time out, but had been passed by Banks and Dick Clayton (Greeves) when his rear wheel stepped out, with the resultant tragic crash.
Smith also crashed at the sandpits. He was knocked unconscious and suffered an arm injury that was causing pain a week later at the national network meeting.
If Eastwood was missing, nevertheless the name Husqvarna was not eclipsed. Riding magnificently, Alan Clough won both the 250 and 750 Grandstand trophy rounds to put himself in 2nd position overall in the 250 class. The 750 race was the first time he had scored in that capacity in the present series.
Leader in the 250 class is Malcolm Davis (AJS) by a margin of four points over Clough, but it would have been greater if he had not fallen while dicing with Clough at the head of the field in the latest round. Clough was certainly the man of the day, as he won three races and earned 4th in another. Arthur Browning (Greeves) was consistent with three 2nds and a 3rd.
In the race that Clough did not win, Banks was the victor. However, it was an invitational event, not counting for trophy points.
In a second invitational race, Banks, almost on the finish line, leading on the last lap, crashed so spectacularly in front of the TV cameras, that viewers jumped out of their armchairs to get out of his way.
A quiet 4th place in the 250 event went to Mick Andrews on a full sized Ossa, with a sombrero sized cylinder head. Andrews, who spent a considerable part of 1968 working at the factory in Spain, reports the large head is designed for use with a five-port barrel. Motocross fans in the U.S. will have the chance to see Andrews in action later this year when he tours on the Inter-Am motocross series.
Those who saw the riding of Adolf Weil during 1968 will realize that the Maico motocross model is flying, and is capable of great things. This view obviously is shared by Swedish ace Ake Jonsson. He has signed to ride for the West German factory in 1969. Weil probably was the most improved rider of 1968. The interest now shown by the Maico concern brings back memories of superiority of that marque in the first year of the Coupe d’Europe, in 1957, forerunner of the world championship. Maico mounted Fritz Betzelbacher won the title. The aim now, though, is for the 500 title. Jonsson’s signing by Husqvarna, with Eastwood’s injury, will have weakened the Swedish factory attack before the season starts. The spectacular Belgian rider, Roger de Coster, could be just the man to strengthen Maico ranks. Meanwhile, the BSA assault will be mounted by John Banks and Dave Nicoll.
LET’S POLL TOGETHER
British enthusiasts once again have voted in the Motor Cycle News annual poll for “Machine of the Year” and “Man of the Year.” On the machinery side, the Norton Commando was voted tops with 21 percent; the Suzuki Hustler was 2nd with 17 percent; and the Triumph Daytona was 3rd with 11 percent. It is indicative of the large range of machines available that these were the only three to win double figures in the voting. If readers wonder what happened to Triumph and BSA Three machines, the simple answer is that they’re not yet available to the British public.
The Man of the Year was a much closer struggle. Dedicated sidecar world champion from West Germany, Helmut Fath, was the winner with 13.1 percent, just shading the 13 percent of double world champion Phil Read. Then came Mike Hailwood with 12.9 percent, Agostini with 12.6 percent, and John Banks with 12.5 percent.
Enthusiasts are well aware of the reasons that a machine such as the Commando wins the award. The road test (CW, Sept. ’68) gives a complete report on this 750-cc mile eater, which is capable of standing-start quarters in under 13.5 sec.
Helmut Fath, the dedicated and brilliant engineer, and world champion sidecar racer, is not as well known. For that reason, CW readers will be able to find out all about this remarkable man in a profile in the near future.
MAD BRANDS
Everyone knows only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun, but that is little excuse for the insanity that went on at Brands Hatch two days before the end of 1968.
Eight years ago, a Christmas motorcycle race meeting was held. It was a fabulous day of racing in brilliant sunshine, very cold, but definitely fine.
For this latest venture, however, the sun made no appearance. In fact, both the finals were contested in snow showers. It was a “no holds barred” effort, with the solo class comprising three heats of machines from 125 to 1000 cc, and two heats for sidecars and three-wheelers up to 1300 cc.
Early morning frost and ice on the circuit had just about cleared by the time practice started at 11:30 a.m., but during the lunch interval light snow started to fall, and the first heat saw Dave Croxford (496 Seeley) and Ray Pickrell (745 Dunstall Domiracer) snaking viciously away from the start, only to be beaten by Ron Chandler, riding an experimental 496 Seeley in the lightweight frame specifically built for the 350 model (CW, Dec. ’68). The use of the frame for the 500 is a logical extension of the exercise. It has a redesigned rear sub-frame, strengthened to prevent whipping. Internally the engine was using a new Seeley press-fit big end assembly and Hepolite heat-treated piston designed to prevent cracking.
The second heat was won by Peter Butler (649 Boyer Triumph) and the third by Ian Goddard (246 Padgett Yamaha). And the snow was still falling.
The first sidecar heat went to Chris Vincent (654 BSA), but not before he had been given a surprise by David Chapman, who finished 2nd on his 1150-cc Double Triumph, the engines of which are mounted side by side. The 6 5 0-cc powerplant is conventionally placed in the motorcycle frame. The 500-cc engine, by reason of its location, is known as “the spare in the chair.” Third place also was of interest as Norman Hanks and his pretty passenger, Rose Arnold, had forsaken their BSA outfit for a 996-cc NSU TTS-engined machine built by Rob Pyett and now owned by Craig Hinton. Hinton is an NSU dealer, so the engine should be a flyer by the time he is finished with it. In automobile racing trim, this powerplant can deliver 95 bhp. And, the NSU Prinz engine’s piston displacement is 600 cc, which qualifies it to race in the 750 class of the TT. Furthermore, the Prinz engine has proven quite reliable in the past.
The second Brands Hatch sidecar heat was dominated by the 1275-cc Greenwood Mini, now driven by 19-year-old Andrew Chapman, who had the doubtful privilege of proving it is the machine, not ability. Chapman went on to win the final from Vincent, who could be consoled by setting fastest lap of the day.
It was still snowing when the solo final got away. With Pickrell soon a spectator, with magneto trouble, Croxford pulled out a wide lead from Chandler in a secure 2nd place. Alan Barnet (496 Kirby Metisse) lost his 3rd place when the handling went awry with frozen rear dampers. It was taken by Brian Hunter (496 Coleshill Matchless), who made excellent progress during 1968 and obviously will be a man to watch in 1969. Hunter has that deceptive, unhurried style that is the mark of a champion.
It must have been the first time ever that a road race program has been completed with snow falling the whole time. Thankfully there were no serious accidents, but it must have been a financial disaster for the organizers.
YAMAHA QUITS GP CIRCUIT
Yamaha has withdrawn from international grand prix motorcycle racing. The firm made its position official after months of speculation in the motorcycle press that 1968 would, indeed, be Yamaha’s final season on the Continental racing circuit.
Double world champion Phil Read and his teammate and rival Bill Ivy have been notified that their services as riders will not be required for the 1969 season. Read joined Yamaha in 1964, and since then has raced to four world championships for the sponsoring firm.
When the notification was made official, Read said, “This means there will be a new champion in both lightweight classes next year. Without the contract money I got from Yamaha, I can’t afford to compete in the world championship races.” Read estimated that his expenses for a season’s racing throughout Europe and a trip to the U.S. for a try at Daytona are more than $5000. Read, at his dealership booth in the London Boat Show, said, “No further comment.”
Ivy, on the other hand always outspoken, reports he has purchased a new Formula II Brabham racing car and henceforth will compete in automobile racing.
There is a good probability that Read may be attracted by offers from other manufacturers, but those tremendously swift 125and 250-cc Yamahas which dominated the lightweight divisions of GP racing through 1968 will become only museum pieces. Under FIM regulations for 1970, the machines would be ineligible for grand prix competition. [Ö]
