Report From Italy

REPORT FROM ITALY

CARLO PERELLI

ITALY'S IMOLA GOLD CUP road races are only a dress rehearsal for the Grand Prix season. But they got a little breathless this year, as world championship riders smashed every record except one.

Perfect weather brought 80,000 spectators, who jammed the difficult, hilly 3.1-mile course set near the Santerno River to see heavy scrapping all through the field.

Luigi Taveri (Honda four) won the 125cc event. Barely. He had to dice with the brothers Villa — Francesco (on his own “Snipe”) and Walter (Mondial). The Swiss champion broke race and lap records finally, but was only four feet up on Francesco and Walter at the finish.

Tarquinio Provini overhauled the 250cc field from a bad start, breaking the race record in spite of broken valve springs on his Benelli four. He also came close to his own lap record, set last year on the same machine. World champion Phil Read’s Yamaha twin seized on lap one after a dashing start; teammate Bill Ivy lasted to a fourth place behind second-, place Derek Woodman (MZ twin) and Jim Redman (Honda 4). Works Bultaco rider, Tommy Robb battled the two H-D Aermacchi factory men, Milani and Pasolini, to a fifth.

The 350 race was a braking contest between Agostini (MV three), Hailwood (Honda four) and Provini (Benelli four). The three-man snake on wheels separated after 15 laps and “Ago” beat Hailwood and Provini. Further back, Jawa twin riders, Stastny and Havel diced with Derek Minter (Seeley-AJS), before finishing in that order. The third “race within a race” was won by Fred Stevens (Paton twin), beating Stuart Graham (AJS) and John Cooper, whose Norton gave up the ghost. Gilberto Milani and his works Aermacchi had been running a brilliant fourth, until ignition troubles slowed him to 11th at the finish.

Agostini’s MV-four was unapproachable in the 500 race. His rival, Remo Venturi (Güera four) showed the aches of five stitches in his hand, a result of a crash the week before at Cervia. Derek Minter, riding Venturi’s spare Güera four, stayed in second, ahead of Venturi and in sight of the leader. Minter, however, missed a few gear changes and lost ground, while Venturi fared worse with two pit stops to tighten loose spark plug cables.

The privateers fought well in this class for Venturi’s lost third place. Griff Jenkins (Dunstall Norton twin) retired, leaving John Cooper (Norton) third. He was followed by Graham (Matchless), Jack Ahearn (Norton), Milani and Pasolini on Harley-Davidson Aermacchi 350s, and Havel (Jawa 400 twin). ■

IMOLA GOLD CUP RACE RESULTS:

125cc RACE (14 laps, 43.5 miles)

1. TAVERI .............................. Honda

2. F. VILLA ............................ Snipe

3. V. VILLA ........................... Mondial

4. ROBB .............................. Bultaco

5. VISENZI ............................. Honda

Time: 31 min. 16.1 sec. Av. Speed 86 mph (record) Fastest Lap: Taveri, 86.5 mph (record)

250cc race (16 laps, 50 miles)

1. PROVINI ............................ Benelli

2. WOODMAN ............................. MZ

3. REDMAN .............................Honda

4. IVY ............................... Yamaha

5. ROBB ............................. Bultaco

Time: 33 min. 11.1 sec. Av. Speed: 90 mph (record) Fastest Lap: Provini, 93.2 mph

350cc RACE (20 laps, 62 miles)

1. AGOSTINI ........................ MV Agusta

2. PROVINI ............................ Benelli

3. HAILWOOD ........................... Honda

4. HAVEL ............................... Jawa

5. STASTNY ............................. Jawa

Time: 39 min. 25.7 sec. Av. Speed: 95 mph (record) Fastest Lap: Agostini, 97.2 mph (record)

500cc RACE (18 laps, 56 miles)

1. AGOSTINI ....................... MV Agusta

2. MINTER ...................... Gilera

3. COOPER ............................. Norton

4. GRAHAM .......................... Matchless

5. AHEARN ............................. Norton

Time: 35 min. 6.9 sec. Av. Speed: 96 mph (record) Fastest Lap: Agostini, 97.7 mph (record)