Swss Motocross Grand Prix
SWSS MOTOCROSS GRAND PRIX
GAVIN TRIPPE
NOW THAT THE Motocross Championships have gotten under way with the Swiss round, we have some idea of who is riding and on what machinery. At Payerne the list was headed by current World Champion, Jeff Smith on his new factory "Titanium" BSA. This is the latest phase in the factory's racing policy following the Daytona Triumphs, and they are reputed to have spent $60,000 on these new motocross mounts. The motor is a completely redesigned version of the Victor, and is now 494cc. Everything is cast in electron with a considerable number of titanium bits inside. It now sports a GP 2 carb and a large bore exhaust pipe, which makes it sound very similar to the old Gold Stars.
The frame is made from titanium tubing, which has to be specially welded in an atmospheric-controlled room. Chain adjustment is by means of an eccentric swinging arm fork spindle. Another departure is the hydraulic disc brake on the rear, with a compact master cylinder situated just above the brake pedal. The front brake is of normal design, but made of electron. The front forks are also of new design. Other titanium bits are: wheel spokes, handlebars and various nuts and bolts. How much does it weigh? Under 200 lbs.! As yet, Jeff Smith’s teammate Vic Eastwood does not have one of these special frames, but has the new motor installed in a steel version.
CZs have scooped the pool as far as riding talent is concerned. They have signed Dave Bickers (ex-European champ), Sweden’s Rolf Tibblin, ex-World Champ, East Germany’s Paul Friedrichs, (who appeared on the scene halfway through last season and finished second to Smith in the world title), and Chris Horsfield completing the team. Having this amount of talent could be an embarrassment as the season progresses, as there seems to be no official team leader and they will be cutting their own throats in their drive for points. This could help Jeff Smith, for with all these riders capable of winning a round, the eventual winner will probably be the most consistent scorer — and Smith is just this. The 360cc CZ this year has a single port motor turning out 39 bhp and is in a slightly modified version of last year’s frame. Vlastimil Valek is Jawa’s main hope and they have provided him with a new 400cc five speeder in a banana-type frame. The best privateer is Jerry Scott, who rides highly-tuned Gold Star BSAs prepared by motocross wizard, Eric Cheney. He has a much modified Victor in a special frame on the way, but it is not ready yet.
Back to the Swiss GP. Round one, with twelve to go, went to East German, Paul Friedrichs on a CZ. After last year’s washout in the 250cc Trophée des Nations, the organizers were praying for fine weather. Practice was wet, but someone up there must have heard them, for on Sunday, out came the sun and everyone cheered up.
Happiest was Friedrichs. He was the only CZ team man who opted to ride the new 39 bhp single porter and his foresight paid off. By the time the first race started, the course had dried out enough to cope with the extra power, which the other team men thought would be an embarrassment.
Friedrichs rubbed this in by slotting off from the start, headed only by Vlastimil Valek on his equally fast Jawa. Right behind, as they bombed down a long concrete straight, came Rolf Tibblin with Smith and Bickers in close attendance. Scott and Horsfield were both well behind after bad starts. It was not long before Friedrichs steamed past Valek. So efficient is his style that all the leading group apart from his looked twice as fast. Despite being passed by Friedrichs, Valek was managing to hold off Tibblin, with more trouble looming up behind in the form of Smith, Bickers and Eastwood, who had hurried along from fourteenth on the first lap. First to be posted absent was Smith, whose float chamber came adrift, leaving his motor gasping for petrol. This dropped Bickers on Tibblin’s tail with Eastwood right behind keeping an,eye on things, while Chris Horsfield watched the lot from the pits, having come off.
Valek then spun himself out of second spot. Tibblin took up this post while the Czech recovered, only to have Bickers snapping at his heels. Dave saw his chance. He tried to pass Valek in mid-air and beat the CZ to the bottom of the hill, but not wheels down. Luckily, he got away with a shaking. Eastwood saw this and realized he was now in fourth place; but five more laps were not enough and the order stood at Friedrichs, Tibblin, Valek and Eastwood.
A breather, race two, and all came under starter’s orders. Fly-boy Friedrichs
took charge again, but soon spun himself down to third behind Valek, with Jo Hrebecek (CZ), Horsfield, Tibblin and Smith keeping watch on these three leaders.
Paul soon squirted his way to the front of the line to lead Valek, Tibblin and Horsfield. Eastwood had gone, Bickers was ninth, recovering from a bad start; Jerry Scott, who had scooped up a CZ at the start, was last. Scott was not alone in his misery, as Jeff Smith came to a stop with a broken chain. Friedrichs, Tibblin and Valek kept circulating individually, but Bickers, despite a sore shoulder, was climbing a place a lap. The last time around, he pipped Horsfield for fourth place.
The Russians fielded a strong team of runners, all on CZs. As usual, new faces appeared that nobody had seen before, apart from Igor Gregoriev. Sigurd Kalkis, the current 500cc Soviet champion, is a 28-year-old Moscowvite who works in the Central Auto Moto Club. He is an experienced rider and managed ninth in both races in the GP. Best was Gregoriev, who finished sixth overall. Igor was busy showing 19-year-old Vladimir Pogrebnyak the ropes. He is the rising star, according to his team manager and comes from Gregoriev’s home town of Kiev, where he works as a mechanic. At present he is fast, but his over exuberance overtakes his experience.
And so it was, that a bewildered but happy Paul Friedrichs, sporting the first 1966 notch on his handlebars, was engulfed by a sea of fans at the end. He was flanked by an equally happy band of point earners, Valek and Tibblin. But this is only the start of a potentially exciting series.
One down, twelve to go! ■
RESULTS 1ST LEG 1. P. FRIEDRICHS ..................... 360 CZ 2. R. TIBBLIN .............. CZ 3. V. VALEK...............................JAWA 4. V. EASTWOOD.................... BSA 5. J. HELMHOLD .............................CZ 6. Y. MATVEEV..................... CZ 2ND LEG 1. P. FRIEDRICHS 2. V. VALEK 3. R. TIBBLIN 4. D. BICKERS...............................CZ 5. C. HORSFIELD .............................CZ 6. J. HELMHOLD ............................ CZ Pts OVERALL RESULTS AND CURRENT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PLACINGS 1. PAUL FRIEDRICHS, East Germany .............8 2. VLASTIMIL VALEK, Czechoslovakia ..............6 3. ROLF TIBBLIN, Sweden.......................4 4. JOACHIM HELMHOLD, East Germany............3 5. JO HREBECEK, Czechoslovakia .................2 6. IGOR GREGORIEV, USSR .....................1
