Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
THE 1965 SEASON is in full swing, of that there can be no doubt, for the United States Grand Prix opened the classic road racing season and world championship rounds of both 250 and 500cc moto-cross have been decided. Hailwood has been beaten on the big MV; a Russian has won a 250 moto-cross round; Sten Lundin, featured in color last month, won the first 500cc meeting; surprises continue on the British short circuits, and Sammy Miller really hit form with the Bultaco trials machine.
But first a comment on that ad in last month's issue for the International Six Days Trial tour in September. Imperial Motor Sports are on to a wonderful event, possibly the only truly International meeting of the year. What's more, in London at the world famous Wembley stadium on Saturday, September 18th is the World Speedway Final, the trial starts on Monday 20th and finishes the following Saturday with the "Race of the Year" meeting at Mallory Park on Sunday, September 26th. What more motorcycleminded nine days could you ask for with a good chance of seeing Hailwood on the MV, Redman on the Honda, Read on Yamaha, Perris (Suzuki) and Woodman (MZ), to mention but a few of the possible runners at the Mallory meeting? It could be the trip of a lifetime for an enthusiast.
A feature of the English Saturday afternoon during the winter has been a television series of moto-cross meetings run specially for the 'box' with races for the 250 and 500 classes counting toward a TV trophy. Snatching an early lead in the series, Matchless rider Chris Horsfield went on to win the 500 class with Dave Bickers taking the 250 prize. It was Bickers, too, who won the first round of this year's 250cc world moto-cross series held in Spain although he did not in fact win a race. All the moto-cross meetings are decided on the aggregate of two races, and those in Spain over 25 laps of a dry, dusty circuit near Barcelona on a very hot day. In the first leg Bickers could manage no better than sixth. Torsten Hallman (Husqvarna) was comfortably first in front of CZ-mounted Victor Arbekov from Russia who was followed by fellow countryman Gunnar Draugs (CZ) and last year's champion Joel Robert (CZ) fourth, pursued by Don Rickman (Bultaco Metisse). In the second race Robert retired and just when all seemed set for a Hallman win his Husqvarna went sick, letting through another Swede, Ake Jonsson (Husqvarna) to win from Bickers with Russia's Andrei Dezhinov (CZ) third. The result gave Sweden, Britain and Russia two riders each in the first six.
So what we realized from last year's form, that Russians were really going to go places in 250 moto-cross, seemed pretty certain. A week later at Messerano in Italy it was fully emphasized, for Victor Arbekov won from Robert with Bickers third. So after two meetings, Bickers (12 points) has a lead of one point over Arbekov. Robert and Jonsson are third with six each. Everything points to a bitter struggle for supremacy in this class with luck possibly playing an important role and a runaway victory, as Robert had last year seeming most unlikely. If this does develop into a struggle over the season, then Robert's plan of attacking both titles will have to be abandoned. The 360cc CZ which he would use for the bigger class has already proved to be a flyer, for at a big international meeting in Holland at St. Anthonis, Robert beat the 500 champion Smith quite convincingly. It was after this meeting that Bickers arranged for one of the big Czech machines to ride in England in the 500 class. It would be logical for Greeves to develop a 'big' 250 but with the large amount of work that they have in hand I doubt if we will see one in 1965.
Only one 500cc moto-cross meeting has been held so far and that was the Australian round. A bitter blow was suffered by Sweden when Rolf Tibblin and Bill Nilsson crashed together before the meeting whilst testing, with Nilsson suffering a broken leg. Both are former world champions. Nilsson's injury will keep him right out of the title hunt this year whilst Tibblin should be fit for the next round; he did in fact ride in Australia but had to retire. Unluckiest rider at the meeting was Britain's Jerry Scott who rides a well prepared and tuned Gold Star BSA. He was penalized one lap for cutting a corner in the hurly burly of the first lap of the first leg and was disqualified from the second for breaking the tape before the official start — harsh action indeed by the organizers, for it is not usual to have a couple of false starts at such meetings. The first race was won by Arthur Lampkin (BSA) with Sten Lundin (Matchless Metisse) second, followed by Vic Eastwood (BSA) and Gunnar Johansson (Lito). The second gave victory to Dutchman Broer Dirks (Lito) followed by TV ace Chris Horsfield (Matchless), Lundin and Johansson. It was a bad day for BSA as Smith's retirement in the first race was followed by Lampkin and Eastwood in the second. So overall victory went to the veteran ace Lundin, giving Metisse a first-ever Grand Prix win. Johansson's second place must have been an excellent morale booster for he was sidelined for a long time last season with a broken leg. So last year's aces Smith and Tibblin failed to score and Lundin added to his record which is without equal in the history of the title. But could it be that Johansson and Lito are on the way to a first ever victory?
Yamaha and Suzuki picked up some useful points at the USGP and it is difficult to understand the action of Honda in staying away, but they have now stated that Alan Shepherd will not be fit for the early part of the season so the team will be Ralph Bryans, Luigi Taveri and Jim Redman. Will Shepherd race again? Time alone will answer that one but personally I don't think he will, for a long layoff in the needle-sharp competition of today's 250 class means a long time to reach the top again. This leaves Honda with only three riders to pursue five solo titles so another is a must, and experience in the bigger capacity classes is what is needed. The ideal man to fit the bill is ex-Suzuki teamster Bert Schneider, who at the moment is still not signed for the 1965 season, so I expect him to be just the man they sign.
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The two early Italian meetings at Modena and Riccione gave Tarquinio Provini two victories on the 250cc Benelli four-cylinder machine — a promising start but achieved against little opposition. Giacomo Agostini on the big MV was also a double winner though he must have been unpopular with the Count when he dropped it at the Modena event. At the Riccione meeting both Agostini and Hailwood rode in the big class and as it was an Italian championship meeting it would have been interesting to see who would have won if Hailwood had not had front brake trouble. As it was, his teammate won by over ten seconds.
On the British short circuits after three meetings no one is quite sure who the aces are, especially in the 350 class. John Cooper won the first at Mallory but then came a real upset at Brands Hatch where Dave Degens on an Aermacchi beat both Cooper and Derek Minter. Then a week later Dan Shoney put it across the three of them at Snetterton on his Norton. Where did the pushrod Aermacchi get the steam to beat the more sophisticated Nortons and Ajays? Well, the same thing happened a year ago when Tom Phillips, riding one, beat Minter at Snetterton. At the time someone unkindly said, "they always go well until the boys try tuning them." Minter is still pursuing the idea of sidecar racing and is waiting for Chris Vincent to build him an outfit. A demonstration run by him at Brands Hatch was popular with the crowd and he showed remarkable skill at the craft.
On the trials side Sammy Miller is really in the groove with his Bultaco. He won the tough Cotswold Cups trial one Saturday, whistled over to Belgium and won the international Lamborelle trial, and then two weeks later won the tradesupported Bemrose trial. In the first two events Scott Ellis was runner-up to Sammy but at the Bemrose, Arthur Lampkin displayed his versatility by finishing only three marks behind Miller's total of 28. Alan Morewood won the Cotswold sidecar class on his Ariel whilst at the Bemrose, Ron Langston came out on top with Doug Cooper back in the chair, having recovered from his broken arm. •
