Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
BARRY BRIGGS HONORED
Barry Briggs, doyen of the speedway tracks of the world for so long, has been honored for services to the sport by the award of the M.B.E. during the Queen's birthday honors list. It is a prestigious honor which has gone to several road racers but it is the first time a "cinder shifter" has been so acknowledged.
"Briggo," as he is known almost uni versally to friends and fans alike, lost a finger in a crash at last year's world final just when it looked as if he could win for the fifth time. As a result of the crash he subsequently retired from league racing, though he still competes on the continent. He has been prevented from qualifying for this year's cham pionship as a result of not riding in the British league and the American riders over here have also been told they can not qualify for the title in England, though there are hopes of things being changed for 1974.
This is because the FIM ruling is that riders for the world championship must qualify in their home country, but the AMA does not run any speedway, and as the FIM's affiliate in the U.S. the AMA would have to if Yanks are to qualify. Stateside speedway is run by the Speedway Racing Association, so the simple answer is for them to become part of the AMA or is that too simple? There are three Americans involved in the dispute-Rick Woods, Sumner McKnight and Scott Autry. As a result of the decision Woods immediately flew back to the States, leaving a place difficult to fill in the Newport side for whom he was a popular high scoring team man.
BRIGGO SIGNS SCOTT
Scott Autry has been signed by Briggo to ride under the Team Briggs banner. Briggs is supporting four riders he considers as having great potential by supplying parts for their machines, and he reckons that they could reach the top during 1974. Scott, at 19, is the youngest of the Briggo boys and was chosen to ride in the recent Wimbledon International meet sponsored by the Wills cigarette company. "It's like a mini world final," said Scott when I spoke to him there. He was bubbling with enthusiasm.
Scott's very youthful looks and long blond hair belie the tigerish ability that he shows on the track. It is an ability that he is learning from Briggo and Ivan Mauger schooling. He is a teammate of Mauger, as they ride as a pair for Exeter.
Scott rode scrambles at the age of 11, dusting it up with none other than Jim Pomeroy in those young days, but forsook scrambles for speedway at the age of 16. One of his great assets is the keeness of his father, Don, who encour ages him and provides financial help. Autry senior came over for the Wim bledon meeting, but in such high-class company Scott could glean oniy three points out of a possible 1 5 to finish well down the field, but it all provided first class experience on a track that was watered, giving an inconsistent surface. Winner was Ole Olsen in a runoff with Anders Michanek, both having scored 14 points.
Scott was second in the U.S. na tionals at Costa Mesa in 1972 and rode for the U.S. team in South Africa. His best ride over here so far was for Exeter against Cradley Heath when he scored nine out of 12, all hope of a maximum going with his first race when he fluffed the gate. But Scott is going places and like Pomeroy has youth and enthusiasm on his side. You will be hearing more of him as he improves.
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The sport of motorcycle road racing is a hard one and only a fool would say it was not dangerous to rider and spectator alike. Obviously the greatest danger lies with the rider, for it is possible to protect the public.
JARNO AND PASO
In a recent race in Yugoslavia, four spectators were killed and the crashing rider also lost his life, but the element of risk has been harshly underlined by the Monza tragedy where both Renzo Pasolini and Jarno Saarinen lost their lives.
Their deaths have been blamed on the steel barriers that are a feature of racing circuits nowadays because the car drivers demand them as a safety factor. What is safety to them is an incredible danger to motorcyclists-so much so that there is even talk of separate circuits for bikes, but that is unlikely for economic reasons.
Oil on the circuit was said to be the initial cause of the accident at Monza, laid by a rider in the preceding race, but although there was the usual bush tele graph, no official warning was given. Safety has now become the all impor tant factor of racing and Yamaha, Har ley-Davidson and MV are seeking closer liaison with the FIM on the subject.
Road racing has lost two of its finest contestants, men who meant that extra bit to the sport because they gave it that little bit more. Pasolini was on the threshhold of success with the 350 Harley, Saarinen with the 500 Yamaha Four, showing that the MV is far from invincible and seemingly destined to be one of the all time greats of road racing.
As a measure 01 respect, Y amafla flas withdrawn from racing for the rest of the season and the weekend following the Monza incident, when Saarinen's funeral was taking place, withdrew its works riders from all competitions, in cluding trials and motocross.
Saarinen blazed across the scene last season, winning the world 250 title, and proved himself to be one of the top three, beating Agostini and the works MV with his private 350 Yamaha. His wins at Daytona and Imola this year on the 350 Yamaha and subsequent wins on the water-cooled Four in the 500cc class over Agostini gave road racing a real shot in the arm; now it seems for the rest of 1973 it is back to square one.
Along with slipperiness caused by car racing, the Armco steel barrier that is so hated by racing motorcyclists was also blamed by John Cooper for his broken leg, which he incurred in a crash at Brands Hatch. Cooper then said he intended to retire from racing, which was a natural reaction as he has had a poor season so far, although he started it as a works John Player Norton team rider.
Soon after his crash at Rouen it was obvious he was not happy with the bike, so he left the team to race a privately owned Triumph Three on which he had gained so much previous success. He was riding it at the time of his crash. The leg broke just above the ankle, which can often take a long time to heal, and Cooper has had to go back to hospital to have it broken and re-set. With problems like that, it is doubtful if he would be fit enough to ride again for three months.
Why is there Armco around the circuits? The answer is simply that the car drivers demanded it in the interests of their own safety and, backed by the FIA, they got it. The real danger lies in its closeness to the track edge, leaving no runoff space for a bike or rider sliding after a spill. What is worse, a crashing machine can bounce back into the path of other racers, and that was precisely the cause of trouble at Monza.
Removable Armco is out because the car people say it could lift when hit by a car, and so be an added hazard. The Formula 1 grand prix at Monaco looked like a high speed go-kart cum fairground dodge `em event with the present racing car profile rushing along between the barriers. Could that be the reason for falling attendances at car races?
t'or motorcycle races, straw t~aies are essential in front of the steel barriers, but they are not allowed to remain for car racing because they are an added fire risk, so a promoter is faced with the expense of constantly moving them and replacing ones that are damaged, which easily happens with the constant handl ing. It is a serious problem that will not be easily solved, but the FIM has a committee under Austrian former works Suzuki rider Berti Schneider, whose sole task is grand prix safety for spectators and riders alike. Whatever answers they come up with can only mean one thing: expense for the promoters-and that is the root cause of why there is a prob lem.
POMEROY'S TITLE CHASE
On the 250 world motocross title chase Jim Pomeroy has been having a bit of a bad time. In Poland he was involved in spills in the first race that prevented him from scoring, but did manage 5th in the second to add six to his total. But the following week in Yugoslavia trouble with his Bultaco kept him out of the points.
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Hakan Andersson won in Poland and the Russian Gennedy Moiseiev (KTM) took top points in Yugoslavia, so tha Andersson (Yamaha) now leads the table with 134 to the 94 of Heiki Mikkola (Husqvarna), followed by Adolf Weil (Maico) 89; Moiseiev, 69; Jiri Falta (CZ) 61 and Pomeroy (Bultaco) 56; then comes Hansen (Kawasaki), and Vehkonen (Montesa) to make it eight different makes of machinery in the first nine places-an incredible situation which I doubt has ever happened be fore; and not a Suzuki in sight! The reign of Robert is over. Roger DeCoster (Suzuki) still leads the 500 class but Willi Bauer (Maico) is finding form and now has 62 points to the 84 of the leader, with Van Veithoven (Yamaha) 3rd with 56.
At the latest rounl in Czechoslova kia, American Brad Lackey (Kawasaki) had his best ride in a world champion ship by finishing 7th in the second race
Lackey and Pomeroy between them should form the foundation of a good team for both the Motocross and Tro phee des Nations, at the end of the season.
