Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
SHOCK MONTH sums up the story for this set of notes. The new BSA's nowhere in the first round of the 500cc moto cross, a Russian second to Torsten Hallman in the Swiss round of the 250cc moto-cross, ex-M.V. teamster Remo Venturi wins the 350cc race at Imola, and George Brown breaks the world record time for the standing start kilometre.
So with these headlines let's take a closer look at the news. After four rounds of the 250cc moto-cross world championship the Swedish holder of the title, Torsten Hallman, has ridden his Husqvarna into a very useful lead with thirty points, only two short of the maximum possible. He is the only rider to score in all the rounds held so far, and has a twenty point lead over the second man Alan Clough (Greeves). Dave Bickers (Greeves) is third with the eight he scored at the opening meeting. Since then he has been unable to add to his score, being beset with mechanical troubles of one sort or another.
Three men hold joint fourth place with six points: Johansson has not added to his last month's total; Vlastimir Valek, the Czechoslovakian CZ works rider, got his six with runner-up spot at the French round, and in similar manner the Russian Igor Grigoriev scored in Switzerland. Yes, mounted on a CZ (the works models being much lighter this year with the extensive use of alloy castings) the Russian was the sensation of the Swiss round and, as this was his first International meeting this year, he is obviously going tobe a man to watch. So for that matter is Valek, for he was all set to take maximum points from Hallman when he lost his gear lever in a collision with a post and had to retire. After four meetings the first six in the 250cc World title table are as follows:
Russia's moto-cross surprise did not end at the Swiss 250cc meeting for on the same day the first 500cc round was being held in Austria, and Sweden showed that her riders intend to carry on where they left off last year — at the top of big moto-cross. The winner was ex-champion Sten Lundin, mounted on a Lito, who led Bill Nilsson, Rolf Tibblin and Per-Olaf Persson to a Swedish 1-2-3-4 victory. Riding a Czechoslovak Eso machine was Russian Stanislav Kaduschkin, who took two championship points for his fifth place in front of the luckless John Burton, riding one of the old 500cc Gold Star BSA models. John took a quick lead in the first race only to puncture a tyre on the second lap, yet he managed to change the rear wheel and still stay in the hunt. Then in the second leg he was balked by Tibblin when lying second; this let past Lundin and Nilsson, but John finished a good third to gain sixth place overall.
"Ifs" always produce a different result to any race, but if his luck were to change and Dame Fortune smiled on him, then Burton could win the title. A better bet however is teammate Jeff Smith, but not unless they get the new 420cc unit construction BSA motoring a darn sight better than at this first round, for neither Smith nor Arthur Lampkin had a cat in hell's chance on the fast Australian circuit, though Smithey did finish seventh overall. 500cc moto-cross after one meeting:
Now an item to make the dragsters think. George Brown, riding his supercharged Vincent 'Super Nero,' recently completed a standing start kilometre in 20.51 seconds, which is knocking on the door of 109 m ph. Naturally it cannot qualify for the world record as it was only one way, there was a strong head wind and the bike was not streamlined. Brown's world record for the standing start kilometre, being the mean of a two-way run, stands at 20.573 seconds for a speed of 108.74.
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On the international road racing front, the Gileras and M.V. have clashed at last at Imola, and whilst in the 500cc class both Minter and Hartle got the better of Hailwood, they themselves found their hands full in the 350cc event when exM.V. teamster Remo Venturi won on a Bianchi. In his dice with Venturi for the lead, Minter cranked it over just that little bit too far and found himself sitting the race out, fortunately with nothing worse than a badly grazed ankle. But the honours were well and truly with the brilliant Italian as he set up the fastest lap.
At one stage it was doubtful if the Bianchi camp would race, but a fastest practice lap by Venturi persuaded them to »go ahead. Let's hope they decide to enter the World Championship, for with someone like Mike Duff to ride in the Isle of Man and Ulster Grand Prix, the big Italian twin could cause the biggest shake-up in years — the only fly in the ointment being the 350cc Honda four which must be a faster device.
Tarquinio Provini rode the single cylinder Morini as only he can to win the 250cc race, but the acid test will surely be at the Spanish Grand Prix where a win could mean a tilt at the world title. Degner on the new rear-facing-exhaust Suzuki won the 50 and 125 events and in the former there were six different marques taking the first six places, Suzuki, Derbi, Benelli. Tohatsu, Demm and Kreidler.
But Kreidler put on a better show at the Nurburgring, taking first three places. Japanese star Kunumitsu Takahashi proved his race fitness by winning the 125cc race, with Redman the 250 victor. Mike Duff won the 350 and finished second to Rudi Thalhammer in the 500 with Max Deubel winning the sidecar class. Duff, by the way, had a works Bultaco ride at Imola in the 125 class but ended it ienominiously by testing the friction qualities of his leathers when he took too big a fistful of front brake. Dropping it has not ruined his chances, though, for he will race it again in the Spanish Grand Prix.
"Where is Alan Shepherd?," you may ask. Well, many people have seen hidden sinister meaning in his non-appearance at Imola and it is true that he has not excelled on his two outings so far this season, but his contract does state two Italian meetings and the world championship events so we shall see Alan next in the Isle of Man, probably a little rusty from lack of race practice unless he gets the call to Italy in the meantime. It is interesting to note at this stage that Mike Hailwood has already sent in his entry forms for the T.T. in all four of the classes that M.V. can contest.
