Spanish Grand Prix

SPANISH GRAND PRIX

CARLO PERELLI

In the absence of a United States GP, the road racing world championship series was opened with the Spanish again this year. However, it featured only the 50, 125 and 250 classes, the traditional sidecar class having been excluded. As usual, the event was held on the partially re-surfaced and widened Montjuich Park Circuit in Barcelona, which is extremely difficult, twisting and winding, up and down through the trees, along a course that is only 2.36 miles in length.

In the 50cc race, Taveri led from start to finish on his fabulously high revving Honda double ohc twin. Taveri improved the race record, set last year by Anderson on the Suzuki, by more than 4 mph!

The race for second place was a hardfought scrap between Bryans, with the same Honda as Taveri, and Anderson, who rode an improved Suzuki. They were later joined by ex-Kreidler rider Anscheidt, who was having his first outing in Europe on the factory Suzuki. Despite a bad start, the German rider set a new record lap, and then in an exciting struggle, slowly widened the gap to finish in a welldeserved second place.

The 125 race, with no less than 35 riders at the start, was led for two laps by Anderson on the Suzuki. However, Anderson then retired with ignition trouble, leaving first place to Ivy, Yamaha, who ran unchallenged until the finish, setting a new record.

World champion Read, on the other factory Yamaha, following a bad start, worked his way into fourth place, setting up the fastest lap in the process.

A new 125cc made its debut at the Spanish. It is a horizontal, two-stroke, rotary valve single. With air cooling for the head, and water cooling for the cylinder, it was developed by Italian champion Francesco Villa last year (who called it “Snipe”). Villa sold it at the beginning of this season to the Montesa factory, who were looking for something to beat the Bultacos. The new Montesa also features an 8-speed gearbox.

First time out on the Montjuich Circuit, Mike Hailwood was supreme, in the 250 race on the Honda “six.” Although the road-holding of his machine (as well as the one of teammate Redman) left much to be desired, Mike led the race from start to finish at record speeds. Redman crashed spectacularly on the first lap, the bike burned, but Jim walked back to the pits unhurt. Provini on the four-cylinder Benelli, after a bad start (9th at 1st lap), came up to second, only to retire at half distance with broken valve springs. Read and Ivy with the four cylinder, water cooled Yamahas, were plagued by ignition troubles, which eventually forced them to abandon the race. ■

50cc Class

1. Taveri (Honda) 29 min., 19.2 secs., 69 mph.

2. Anscheidt (Suzuki) 3. Bryans (Honda) 4. Anderson (Suzuki) 5. Nieto (Oerbi) 6. Smith (Derbi) Fastest lap, Anscheidt 2 min., 2.69 sec., 69 mph. 125cc Class

1. Ivy (Yamaha) 54 min., 33.7 sec. at 70 mph.

2. Taveri (Honda) 3. Bryans (Honda) 4. Read (Yamaha) 5. Villa Francesco (Montesa) 6. Medrana (Bultaco).

Fastest lap by Read, 1 min., 57.16 sec., 72.5 mph. 250cc Class (74.0 mph)

1. Hailwood (Honda) 1 hr., 3 min., 26 sec. 2. Woodman (M.Z.) 3. Pasolini (Harley-Davidson Aermacchi)

4. Findlay (Bultaco) 5. Andersen (Husqvarna) 6. Rosner (M.Z.)

Fastest lap by Hailwood, 1 min., 52.65 sec. at 75.6 mph.