Grand Prix of Finland

GRAND PRIX OF FINLAND

BENGT BJORKLUND

THE FINNISH GP, run at Tampere, was the 9th event in the classic road racing championship, held on the 3.6 km long circuit of Pyynikki Park. 30,000 spectators gathered for the event and saw Mike Hailwood in top form win the 350cc and 500cc class events on his MV fours. 50cc champion Hugh Anderson had a spill on his Suzuki and lost to Anscheidt’s Kreidler, but came back to win the 125cc event. 50cc Event

50cc Event

One point separated Anderson and Anscheidt at the start; the winning Kreidler led from the start but Anderson brought his Suzuki into the lead by the second lap looking like a winner, followed by Anscheidt, Itoh and Morishita’s Suzukis. On lap four Anderson fell off and came back into the race in fifth place but finished in third behind Mitsuo Itoh.

125cc Event

Japanese Suzukis showed how great they are this year with Anderson and Frank Perris against Hailwood and Alan Shepherd riding MZs along with the East European Szabo. Honda fronted Redman and Taveri, and Anscheidt was on a very fast Bultaco. Szabo’s MZ was fast at the

start but soon Perris and Anderson moved their Suzukis into the lead. Shepherd was fourth on the first lap, retired with plug trouble, then rejoining the race he stormed towards the front again.

Hailwood’s MZ was in 3rd place on lap seven, behind the two fast motoring Suzukis. Last year’s 125 champion Luigi Taveri was riding easy with his 1962 works Honda which was rapid, but not fast enough to stay near the front. Suzukis were fast, but not reliable, as soon Perris’ machine simply stopped, much to everyone’s surprise, after leading for 18 laps. Anderson was now leading with Taveri in 2nd, Shepherd’s MZ was 3rd, riding brilliantly, after Hailwood had been forced to retire. Szabo came next, then Redman, who was lapped twice by the leaders on his pitifully slow Honda CR-93 production racer. Anderson’s lap times were the equal to Hailwood’s on the 350cc MV four!

350cc Event

No 250cc class was run at the Finnish GP, but Redman was in the seat of his 305cc production Honda twin, Taveri was to ride a similar machine. Takahashi was entered on yet another like Honda, but Hailwood’s MZ was the fastest in practice, and Shepherd on the 251cc MZ was also up front. The 350 race should be thrilling!

First away was Redman, followed by Hailwood and the Russian Sevastjanov on the CKB (Central Construction Bureau), then came Taveri and Sven-Olav Gunnarsson on a five-speed Norton. On lap two Redman led, but Taveri and Gunnarsson followed as Hailwood and the Russian touched at the “Town Hairpin” with the Russian falling off and Hailwood dropping back to fifth place. The race that followed was the greatest thing ever seen in Finland as Hailwood gunned his MV four lapping faster and faster with each lap with his front wheel off the ground on some of the up-and-down sections of the course. First he passed Sid Mizen (AJS) who was in fourth after the spill, on the next lap he passed Taveri and Gunnarsson and soon was furiously chasing the fast touring Redman.

Then the battle with the champion began in earnest. It took two laps for Hailwood to overtake Redman, and he did not relax once in the lead alone. Instead he showed the spectators just how fast the 350 MV would go. All interest now focused on Gunnarsson, the private entry in third place, who had spent all of his money tuning the Norton. His third place was well deserved, as he is one of Europe’s best road racers. England’s Frank Stevens spilled on his Norton in the first lap, blocking the road and forcing Sweden’s Arne Carlsson into the woods on his AJS. Estonian rider Endel Kiisa, riding another Russian CKB, also spilled later. 500cc Event

500cc Event

Final of the day was the “big” bike event, and on the line sat Hailwood on the “private” MV four and John Hartle on the Güera four riding for Scuderia Duke. Beside them Sweden’s Sven-Olav Gunnarsson sat astride his Norton; he made third fastest time in practice on the five-speed machine. On the first lap Hailwood led Gunnarsson and Hartle, in that order! The four was faster in the straights, but Gunnarsson was quicker braking and in corners. After one more lap Hartle passed him by only one length, another lap and Gunnarsson led again! The race speed was very high and Hailwood still led, but everyone was watching the Swede and the Britisher in 2nd and 3rd. Soon Gunnarsson’s clutch gave out and Hartle moved into second but not for long as on the 10th lap he too retired with gear box trouble.

Shepherd riding a Matchless moved into second place as Gunnarsson dropped further back with his slipping clutch. Soon Canada’s Mike Duff riding a Matchless passed him and then, three laps before the finish he hit a hay wall in the slow Paddock Bend and retired. Hailwood by now had lapped all of his rivals and was touring at unbelievable speeds. Frank Stevens finished fourth on a Norton, followed by Manxman Sid Mizen on a Matchless. Russia’s Sevastjanov was 6th on his overbored 350cc machine. Best Scandinavian finisher was Finland’s Resk, in 7th place.