Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
JAPAN'S FIRST international road race meeting was held at the Suzuka circuit where Jim Redman and Tommy Robb shared the honours with two wins apiece. Jim Redman won the 350 and 250 classes on the Honda fours whilst Tommy won the 125 and 50cc races on Honda twins. Yes, the much rumoured 50cc Honda twin has nine speeds and is of overhead camshaft design. Tommy beat Hugh Anderson (Suzuki) by one second after Degner had crashed without injury. This new machine runs at something like 16,000 rpm and is wonderfully smooth. So the battle for 1963 honours is already under way. No doubt Honda was pleased with their win on home ground but was it tactically wise? Had Honda lost this particular race Suzuki might have been lulled into a false sence of security; a victory in the first classic of 1963 would then have given Honda a wonderful psychological advantage.
Florian Camathias has been riding a 250cc Honda four. With it he is confident that he can break all the records up to one hour for sidecars up to 500cc. He told me this at the London Motorcycle Show which he visited after preliminary tests at Moriza had been called off because of persistent rain. Also interested in records are the BMW concern who are preparing the latest works short stroke engine for Camathias to make attempts next year. On the racing side BMW still hopes to persuade Deubel to defend his world title in 1963 for if he does so successfully then for ten years in succession a German rider on a German machine will have won the world sidecar road racing championship. This would be such an advertising prop that I think Deubel will be persuaded to race again.
Cyril Smith, an ex-world sidecar racing champion died suddenly recently at the age of 43. A great character and colourful personality of the track, he always rode Nortons even after the BMW supremacy started in 1954. His most successful season was in 1952 when he won the world title despite an early season accident when he broke a collarbone and fractured his skull. He retired from racing in 1959.
One of the finest sporting events of the motorcycle calendar could take place in the United States in 1963 for a challenge has been issued to Britain's ace sprinter (drag racer to you) George Brown to take a team of three men to your side of the pond to ride against your top~ dragsters. A provisional team has been named consisting of George Brown, riding Super Nero (a blown lOOOcc Vincent), "Motor Cycle News" columnist Charlie Rous, riding Nero (lOOOcc Vincent) and Alf Hagon, our National Grass track champion, riding his 650cc two-speed Triumph special. Most likely obstacle to such an event taking place apart from the F.I.M. tie up is cost. Let's hope this can be surmounted.
Sammy Miller has regained his grip on the trials front with a win in the notorious Scott trial by 40 marks in front of Jeff Smith. This year's event was the toughest for a long, long time with only 27 finishers out of 185 starters. Tenth man in this event was Don Smith (Greeves) who with a carefully laid plan got from Yorkshire on Saturday to Paris by Sunday morning to ride in the International St. Cucufa trial. It was worth the effort for Don won the trial by one mark from Sweden's Sten Lundgren (Triumph). The following week he finished runnerup to Sammy Miller in the Mitcham Vase trial losing 37 marks to Miller's 19. Then came the British Expert's trial and here Miller with his ultra light 497cc Ariel won the title by 13 marks from 1960 winner Bill Wilkinson (Greeves) with Don Smith third. The sidecar class was convincingly won by Ron Langston and Doug Cooper (497 Ariel). So we had the spectacle of two ex-road racers winning the two Experts' titles on machines no longer in production. •
