Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B. R. NICHOLLS
WHEN VICTOR ARBEKOV won the opening round of the 250 motocross series in Spain, reporters were quick to point out that to date no rider winning that event has gone on to gain the title. It is one of those tidbits of information that seems meaningless, but could it be that it will prove true again in 1966? Only time will tell, but now that three out of the sixteen meetings have been held, it is Torsten Hallman the Husqvarna-mounted Swede who leads the table with two wins and a second place from three rides. He had finished second to Arbekov in Spain. At the next meeting in France, the first race ended with the Russian in the lead, followed by Hailman and Joel Robert, CZ. In the second leg, Arbekov went on his head. Haliman held a safe second place for most of the race, but took first spot when Marcel Wiertz, Bultaco, dropped out with engine trouble.
So to the third meeting in Belgium on the Kemmelberg circuit, an infamous battlefield area of World War I, not far from Ypres. In good weather it would have been bad enough, but following heavy rainfall, the narrow tree-lined course became one big water-filled rut and the start area, a sea of mud. It was under these conditions that Matsuhisma Kosimo had his
baptism of fire, joining teammate Kauso Kubo for six rounds of this year’s championship. The pair of them were mounted on brand new framed, rotary valve single cylinder Suzuki factory machines. Dogged determination saw Kosimo through the first race, but neither competitor finished the second. Hallman, who had a brief ride, was impressed by the Suzuki’s power, but did not rate the handling.
Few crowds can be more partisan than the Belgians, and for the first half dozen laps of the first race, they were happy with their hero Joel Robert in the lead. Then his throttle stuck open, which led to a fall, giving Hallman the lead. Despite having only first and second gears, the Swede finished comfortably ahead of local rider Roger DeCoster, CZ, with Hallman’s teammate Olle Petterssen, third. Robert made no mistake in the second leg, winning from Petterssen with a struggling Hallman third (still with only two gears). This third place gave him overall victory and a clear thirteen point lead after three meetings. The Russians just did not figure, the Czechs failed to impress anyone and the British riders retired in both races. With only two riders entëred, Sweden can be proud of Hallman and Petterssen taking the honors.
Last year’s star in the 500 class of motocross was Jeff Smith, who rode his BSA to the title for the second year running. However, on the results of the first two meetings of 1966, Jeff will not get a sniff of the crown this year. The man most likely to take it from him is last year’s runner-up Paul Friedrichs on the 360 CZ; he has won both rounds held so far. It looks as if CZ will swamp this class, for at the first round held in Switzerland, they filled five of the first six places. It was Vlastimil Valek on a 420 Jawa in second spot that spoiled the CZ record, but, nevertheless, kept things “in the family.”
The following week in Austria, Rolf Tibblin won the first leg with Friedrichs second, but the positions were reversed in the second race. Since the German’s lead was greater than that of the Swede in the first race, he was the overall winner, with Tibblin, second and Bickers third, making it a CZ 1-2-3; Valek on the Jawa was fourth and Smith, fifth. There is no doubt that Friedrichs is fit. Equally certain is the fact that he will now contest the 500cc title, whereas earlier it was reported he would be after the 250 crown. At twenty-five, he looks a very difficult man to dislodge from the top of the table; the more so, as he is riding the latest singleexhaust 360 CZ, of which there is a similar 250 model. It is less than a year since he won his first championship round in Czechoslovakia during the 1965 series. The machine that Smith is using for 1966 at the moment is not a 441cc Victor, but a completely new device that has made extensive use of titanium to lighten the plot. It is now a 494cc model with a new alloy head and barrel, and is fitted with a one and three sixteenths Amal GP carburetor and coil ignition. Surprise feature is a rear disc brake. If Smith is to make it three titles in a row, he must start winning soon. It is ideal for the organizers when the championship is decided at the last meeting. This could happen, as the CZ contingent of Friedrichs, Tibblin, Bickers and Grigoriev could well cook each other’s goose to the extent that consistency by Smith would give him the title.
Easter weekend in England is a veritable speed feast for the road race fans and to add spice this year, there was Mike Hailwood out on a 350cc Honda-4. Brands Hatch, or Scratch as it has become known, opened the holiday sport and Hailwood won the 350 race as expected on the Honda. Then Dave Degens, riding the
Lancefield Norton for the first time, won the 500 race, beating Griff Jenkins ( Dunstall Dominator) by a length. The big race of the day was the “King of Brands” event for solos up to l.OOOcc. What a selection of machinery was on the line. Leading contenders were Hailwood, Honda-4; Ivy, 500cc Kirby Metisse; Minter, 650 Seeley CSR; Degens, 650 Dresda Triton; Jenkins, 750 Dunstall Atlas; and Butcher, 650 Dunstall Dominator. The promise, however, did not live up to expectations for Minter, Jenkins and Butcher, who retired, leaving Ivy and Degens to dispute the crown with Ivy barely gaining first place; Hailwood was third. In a second l,000cc race, which’ Hailwood and Ivy did not contest, Degens won on the Dresda Triton and Jenkins was second on the 750cc Dunstall Atlas (which has been housed in a Metisse frame with separate oil tank).
Interest is growing in the l.OOOcc class, and Dunstall now intends to market 750cc Atlas Metisse machines, built to either racing or road-going specification. The main advantage from the racing angle is that by comparison with a Manx or G50, spares are very cheap.
Reverting to the Brands meeting, it was a disaster for Geoff Monty to make his first appearance of the season with John Blanchard as his rider, for he fell in both the 250 and 350 races. Then on Sunday came the international meeting at Snetterton, where two days earlier a big car meeting had taken place. Riders complained bitterly about oil and rubber on the circuit and things came to a head, when just before the 350 final, it rained. A chicane, which is troublesome enough when dry, first claimed Hailwood and then seven riders, before the race was cut short to four laps. Miraculously, nobody was hurt, and Peter Williams Arter, AJS, was declared the winner. Seemingly at home in the atrocious conditions, was American Marty Lunde, who rode his AJS into sixth place. Marty has had better leaderboard placings at smaller meetings, but his Snetterton ride, being an international meeting, is his best so far. Another ace in the wet, Pip Harris, BMW, won the sidecar race from Fritz Scheidegger. Dave Degens, Kirby Matchless, won the 500 event. Only double winner was Tommy Robb, who won the 125 and 250 races on Bultacos. The following day at Oulton Park, he again won the 125 race. An interesting note is that Robb has designed the streamlining for these machines, himself.
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At Oulton, the sidecar class is decided over two races. In the first, Scheidegger beat Harris, with positions reversed in the second. Overall victory went to the world champion by a mere four-tenths of a second. Having made hasty repairs to the Honda, Hailwood won the 350 race and Derek Woodman gained his only success of the weekend with a win in the 250 race on his MZ. In the 500 class, Derek Minter had his most convincing ride to date on the Seeley Matchless, when he won with ease from John Cooper, Norton, and Griff Jenkins, Dunstall Dominator.
While this big meeting was taking place, John Blanchard was making up for Brand’s indiscretions at the Crystal Palace meeting. Starting from the back of the grid with a pusher, he won both 250 and 350 races and was fourth in the 500. Man of the moment, however, is Rod Scivyer, who has won all six of his races in the 125 class on a Honda, to lead his class in the British championships.
On the continental front, Italians have been top dogs at their own international meetings and world champions Redman, Read and Hailwood have all been beaten, with Tarquinio Provini and Giacomo Agostini the victors. Fast becoming the most
unpredictable concern with racing interests, Gilera appeared on the scene, and at Imola, Derek Minter rode one to finish second to Agostini. However, Gilera cannot be persuaded to come back into the big-time grand prix racing, so it is doubtful if they will be seen at any classics this year. MV, though, may not be getting things their own way, for Honda has two entries in the 500cc class of the Isle of Man TT.
It looks as if the Senior race is wide open between Agostini, Hailwood and Redman. Who will win? Next month there will be some guide from the early practice reports! ■
