Report From Italy
REPORT FROM ITALY
CARLO PERELLI
IMOLA "GOLD CUP." Italy's most important G.P. event after the world championship "Gran Premio delle Nazioni" at Monza, is held on the demanding, up and down 5.017 km. (3.100 miles) long circuit twisting along the Santerno river of 2nd World War fame and inside the beautiful Mineral Waters park. This year for the 11th running there was keen racing, good weather, a hugh enthusiastic crowd and most of the records were broken: all in all. complete success.
The 125 class was marked by the excellent performance of the two-stroke, rotating disc, seven-speed Mondial (now fitted with manually operated lubrication pump to supplement the usual oil-gas mixture). In fact. Italian Champion Francesco Villa won at record speed both on the lap and the distance after a race-long duel with Luigi Taveri on the works Honda twin while Francesco Villa's young brother Walter, on the second two-stroke Mondial in the race, kept comfortably in third place throughout.
Finally. Czechoslovakian Malina on the new eight-valve CZ twin double ohc had the best at the end of a furious battle between himself and Robb. Scheimann. Smith (all on Hondas) and Torras (watercooled Bultaco). Alan Shepherd on the works water-cooled MZ from Fast Germany was soon out — the same destiny he suffered in the 250 race where he was competing on the water-cooled twin of the same factory. It was indeed an unlucky day for the Englishman who is leading the 250 world championship!
The following race, for the three-fifties, wasn't so hard fought. In fact Jim Redman on the works four-cylinder Honda always kept ahead of Italian Champion Remo Venturi on the Bianchi twin and crossed the finishing line first with the relative advantage of half a minute. John Hartle (Norton) and Paddy Driver (AJS) were third and fourth respectively hut they both crashed, luckily without serious consequences. and so Gilberto Milani (Aermacchi H-D) moved up to third place.
Young Morini star Giacomo Agostini (23 years old) proved to be a champion in the 250 race. Riding in wonderful, neat, yet powerful style on the single cylinder machine from Bologna (which is practically the same as used by Provini in 1963) he was quite a bit faster than the threefifties. improving at the same time by a considerable margin the 1963 lap and distance records set up by Provini-Morini. In spite of the terrific efforts put in by Provini on the four cylinder Benelli (now in constant improvement).
Spaniard Torras got a well deserved third place with his Bultaco while Bryans (Honda twin), after a battle with Milani (Aermacchi H-D). then retired, and Malina (CZ single ohc). Beale (Honda twin) and Alberto Pagani (Paton twin double ohc) finished fourth.
There was some disappointment due to the M.V. absence from the 5()0cc race. In fact Hailwood was having another car-racing experience in England, while Italian M.V. riders Silvio Grassetti and Emilio Mendogni had both crashed in the previous week's Italian Senior championship. On the other hand there was the European debut of young Argentinian ace Benedicto Caldarella teaming up with Italian veteran Alfred Milani on the Gilera four against the Bianchi twin of Remo Venturi and Renzo Rossi.
After a short-lived lead by Duff and Read (both on Tom Kirby Matchless machines). Venturi and Caldarella took over and made the crowd wild with their duel. Caldarella. riding in a Surtees-type style, always controlled his rival perfectly and finally widened the gap. finishing first at record speed, improving the famous distance record set up in 1957 by Dickie Dale with the fabulous Moto Guzzi V8. Alfredo Milani and Rossi both retired with engine trouble. Venturi finished second while Duff succeeded in staying in front of Read and they both finished very close to each other without being lapped•
