Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
WHERE DO WE GO from here? That is the question that the technical journalists always ask themselves over here after the Isle of Man T.T. races and whilst a lot of ink is wasted on the topic, this year they all seem to have the same theme, that the two-stroke is ousting the four-stroke, though at the moment only in the smaller capacity classes. In fact the smaller the machine the less chance the four-stroke seems to have. This point is emphasized by the first five in the 50cc T.T. being two-strokes and the sixth man home on a production Honda four-stroke being almost twelve miles an hour slower than fifth man. Then at the Dutch meeting there was no four-stroke entry at all in the 50cc event.
Over the past years the big cylinder twostrokes have invariably been unreliable and seizures have been a very real problem. So much so that "two-stroke twitch,” riding with a couple of fingers on the clutch lever, has become a standing joke amongst the racing men. The obvious problem amongst all two-strokes is heat dissipation, which is tackled in different ways by different designers. M.Z. have gone for water cooling but were not allowed to race in the Island, although they have proved elsewhere that their machines are every bit as quick and reliable as the Honda four. Yamaha, whose two-fifty is phenomenally fast, have stuck to air cooling but have an additional oil feed from a tank under the rider’s saddle to a pump on the top of the gearbox for selective force feeding. Suzuki have followed the principle “the smaller the cylinder the less the trouble.” To help prove it the fifty has always been a good machine. Last year’s 125 was a single and a bit troublesome but this year's twin is much faster and more reliable and, presumably following the same argument, they have gone in for a fourcylinder, two-stroke two-fifty racer whose appearance is more than eagerly awaited.
There is no doubt in my mind that unless Honda take drastic action they will find themselves next season in a similar position in the 250 class to that of the 125 class this year. If Yamaha, Suzuki, M.Z. and Honda were all in the 250 class next season then the sparks really would fly. But what of Morini, the faithful old four-stroke onelunger that Tarquinio Provini rides with such daring? He may well lose this world title for not going to the Isle of Man. Comparisons are odious and as Mark Twain said, “There are lies, damned lies and statistics,” but in the 1960 250cc T.T., since when the course has been improved and so has the Morini, Provini finished third on a Morini at 92.98 mph. This year’s third place was taken at 91.10 so it would appear that four championship points were thrown away. But then Redman, having increased his lead with a win at the Dutch meeting, threw the bike down on the road in the 125 race and broke a collarbone.
Thus the Belgian Grand Prix, held one week after the Dutch, assumes vital importance. It would be foolish for Redman to ride so if Provini wins he goes back to the front whilst if Ito wins then Provini draws level with Redman. But what a dilemma for Yamaha. They came over for three classic events only, and have so far finished second in two of them; a win in Belgium could possibly persuade them to stay on and have a real go at winning the title. This is quite within the capabilities of the big Japanese two-stroke, especially if another top flight rider is employed to back Ito. So although the four-stroke looks quite secure in the 250 class at the moment, the writing is on the wall for all to see.
Reverting to the 125 class, the watercooled, single-cylinder two-stroke E.M.C. is to be replaced by a twin which will also be water cooled, so they go one better than Suzuki by adding water cooling (what is known over here as wearing belt and braces). The championships are now equally open in the 350, 500 and sidecar classes as can be seen from the accompanying tables. The salient feature here is that two Güeras are heading the 500 class. They are in an enviable position over the lone M.V. of Mike Hailwood and, with the possible return of Derek Minter for the Ulster Grand Prix, might well sweep the 500cc championship.
The Dutch result spotlights the foolishness of Hailwood having no support once serious opposition arrives on the scene. Had Alan Shepherd also had an M.V., the story might well have been a different one. What will Count Agusta do now to defend the title he has held since 1958? If Alan Shepherd is not restored to favour and given M.V. mounts for the remaining classics, will Mike Duff be given the opportunity? Only the Count knows the answers; we must wait and see.
A considerable challenge would have to be mounted to stop Redman gaining the 350 title, for his lead of seventeen points after only three races is most impressive. Before leaving road racing altogether mention must be made of Canadian/Americans Maurice Candy and Jacques duPont who raced the C & D Special into twelfth place in the Isle of Man sidecar class. The engine is a one-off special and will no doubt form the feature of a special article at a later date, but the fact that it stood one hundred and thirteen miles at an average of 73.73 mph over the arduous mountain circuit speaks volumes for the care and brilliance which has gone into the preparation of the outfit and the engine in particular. Maurice and Jacques can be proud of their achievement in beating many more experienced men and putting the United States onto the leaderboard in a branch of racing that had hitherto been thought the reservation of Europeans.
The second of the big production machine races was held recently over five hundred miles and the winners were the same as last year, Phil Read and Brian Setchell riding a 650cc Norton S.S. It was a race of changing fortunes during which the winners had to repair a split petrol tank and the runners-up, John Holder and Sid Mizen on a 650 Triumph Bonneville, were less than a minute behind. The meeting had an International license and consequently gained entries from Spain and Germany. To Spain went the victory in the 250 class, for a 196cc Bultaco Metralla ridden by Francesco Gonzalez and Ken Martin won, beating a Geoff Duke-entered Royal Enfield ridden by John Hartle and Monty Buxton. A B.M.W. challenge was of no avail for the machines were wrongly geared for the Thruxton airfield circuit and consequently were never in the hunt.
These production machine races, though, are doomed to failure unless a more attractive formula can be found to attract the paying public. Watching for six or seven hours with the field getting ever smaller is not the most exciting way of spending time unless within direct view of the pit area. Another problem which now faces organizers in this country is that a property company is gaining control of the major racing circuits. Already Brands Hatch, Mallory Park and Snetterton are under one combine and the scene is being viewed with some misgivings as there is talk of riders being contracted to ride at certain circuits, but Oulton Park and Cadwell Park appear to be stumbling blocks in the path of big money. I think any fears are unfounded and that in the long run the sport will benefit from improved amenities for both riders and spectators alike.
And now moto cross, where Torsten Hallman has clinched the title in the 250 class. Riding his Husqvarna in the Swedish round he was again the winner and cannot now be beaten even if he does not ride again this season. But it was at the British round a couple of weeks earlier that his supremacy was so marked. Before the meeting, hopes ran high for a British win as the venue, Shrubland Park, was the scene last year of the Trophée des Nations win when British riders filled the first five places with consummate ease. But this time everything went wrong and the only home rider in the first six was Don Rickman on his 196cc Bultaco-engined Petite Metisse, which finished third overall. The public could hardly believe their eyes as, one by one, all the British aces went out with one trouble or another — Lampkin, Bickers, Banks, Griffiths, Goss — they all disappeared. Hallman won as he pleased, followed home by the Czech Vlastimil Valek on a C.Z.
The following week Valek caused a stir in the Czech round of the 500 title by riding a C.Z. bored out to 263cc. On this he won the first race and finished second to Tibblin in the second, but Tibblin was best on overall classification and so took eight more points toward another title. C.Z. are not the only ones with a bored-out two-stroke; Husqvarna have a 306cc model and it will be interesting to see if Hallman will now give this an airing in any of the remaining 500cc moto cross meetings now that his own title is assured. In the 500 title battle the British round, which is next on the list, is the all important one, for Jeff Smith must win if he is to stand any chance of catching the Swedish ace, Rolf Tibblin. Bill Nilsson is now right out of the running as he broke a leg in a recent Swedish national championship event and will not ride again this season. Even so he still occupies fourth place in the championship table. •
