Continental Report

CONTINENTAL REPORT

B. R. NICHOLLS

Now THE CAT is really amongst the pigeons for the Honda concern who have on more than one occasion stated their continued support for road racing. Luigi Taveri. who won the world 125cc title for them in 1962. has now signed for Kreidler to race their 50cc in 1964. There is no doubt that the Germans mean business for they will have a team of three contesting the classics. In addition to Hans Georg-Anscheidt. who has been the lone runner for the past two years, and Taveri, no less a personality than Tarquinio Provini has been approached and is almost certain to sign for them. As the Italian Morini factory will not be entering the world title battle. Provini has also signed with Benelli to ride their four-cylinder 250cc machine in another attempt to gain a world crown. Provini's great battle throughout the 1963 season with Jim Redman was one of the highlights and only resolved by the very last meeting held at Suzuka. Redman will be lucky indeed to finish 1964 as the quarter-litre champion.

Actually Redman faces a very real threat of suspension following some frank talking to the steward at the Finnish Grand Prix. He has to face a disciplinary court for his “offense" in March, so he will not be prevented from racing at Daytona. This is one deplorable aspect of the F.I.M.. that they are only too ready to issue rough justice to the riders but seldom carpet organisers. Another point on the Redman case is that Jim was acting as team manager to the Honda equipe for the 1963 season, which is too much for any man to attempt. The F.I.M. can ban a rider, which means in fact his livelihood is taken from him; nothing so drastic can befall a team manager who does not race. I trust the court will bear this in mind when dealing with the matter.

If Redman were suspended Honda would be left with only Robb and Takahashi as experienced riders to contest four solo classes. There is no news at present of them approaching any other riders but it would appear that the only ones available to them are Hartle and Shepherd. Shepherd has been approached by Yamaha to ride in the T.T. and Dutch and Belgian Grands Prix but is hardly likely to accept such a limited contract, especially as his chances of getting the M.Z. out from behind the Iron Curtain look so rosy for 1964. Hartle seems the most likely man for Honda with Mike Duff a possible third man for Yamaha. But I think the team with Shepherd will have the world champion.

The most unpredictable character in the world of motorcycle racing. Count Domenico Agusta, is reported as having said at the Milan Show that his plans for 1964 are not yet decided although a new I25cc twin and 250cc four are available and the 500cc six-cylinder could be used. This attitude that has the scent of a paternal benefactor bestowing blessings on the

sporting public will no doubt bring a smile to many a face, especially when we remember the speed with which he has withdrawn from the lightweight classes. Mike Hailwood is the finest rider in the world and is an absolute certainty for the 500cc title again in 1964 but he could not contest all three classes without a supporting rider, so I don’t think we will see the lightweight M.V.s this year.

I hope I am wrong, for the 250 class potential with Honda, Benelli, Suzuki. Yamaha, M.Z. and an M.V. is beyond our wildest dreams. The disappointing thing is that no mention was made about a three-fifty model. We all know M.V. can win the 500cc class, but if the Count wants to prove anything then he must enter the classes where the competition lies and beat them fair and square to prove to the world that Italy still knows how to build a world beater. Or is that to be left to Benelli?

There is no hope of Gilera entering the battle again in 1964 for they will have nobody to ride the machines but I think that we shall see them again in 1965 making a really great effort with a full works team out. That is a long time ahead I know, and by then M.V. will probably have lost interest in two wheels and be concentrating on producing a car to make Mike Hailwood the first man ever to attain a world title on both two wheels and four, that is assuming John Surtees does not manage it before him.

Do you ever watch the television? Few can deny that they do and most will have seen wrestling on the magic box but now over here the sport that is beginning to steal the rating from the mat bashers is motorcycle scrambling, or moto-cross as it is better known these days. Jeff Smith, Arthur Lampkin, Dáve Bickers, Vic Eastwood and Dave Nicoll, to mention just a few of the principal stars, are now becoming names talked about along with Kildare. Jim Hardy, Ben Casey and Dick Van Dyke. There was trouble when the A-C.U. signed a contract giving the B.B.C. sole screening rights for Saturday television but it appears to have been a very wise decision, for their cameramen seem to have the right approach to screening events to the best advantage.

A series of twelve meetings have been devised with two trophies, the winner to be decided over all the meetings. One trophy is for the 250 class and the other for the 500s. At present Jeff Smith leads the 500 class riding his 420 BSA with Dave Bickers, the ace of the 250s, on his Husqvarna. I am confident that Dave, who started the 1963 season in such poor style but who changed his luck with his change to Husqvarna, will sign for the Swedish firm to ride for them in the 1964 title series. With Dave and Torsten Hallman riding for them I cannot see anyone getting a look in at any meeting where these two ride. Hallman has won the title for the past two years and Bickers the two years previous to that when it only had European status.

Such a strong line-up might well discourage other manufacturers from contesting the event and this would be detrimental to the sport, but it is not stopping Bultaco, the lively Spanish factory who are building a special two-fifty moto-cross engine for Don Rickman to test and possibly ride in the championships. BSA arc naturally pleased with the performance of their 420cc scrambler and intend to have another go at the 50()cc moto-cross title, giving support to Jeff Smith. Arthur Lampkin and John Burton for the 1964 series and I think this will be their lucky year. Lampkin, incidentally, won the Northern Experts’ trial title whilst the Southern Expert was Peter Stirland (Greeves) who has now won the event five times.

So these notes end with our winter season of trials and scrambles in full swing and with road conditions far from ideal for riding, with black ice a very real danger. It hardly seems credible that in four weeks time the 1964 road racing season starts at Daytona and I hope to have the privilege of being there along with sixty or seventy other British enthusiasts making a break for a week in the sun combined with the finest sport in the world. •