Continental Report
CONTINENTAL REPORT
B.R. NICHOLLS
HAILWOOD TO RETIRE
Would you believe that the world’s most fabulous road racer, perhaps of all time, is retiring from motorcycle racing? Yes, Mike Hailwood says it is official, although we’ll have to see it to believe it. He’s slipping away into the four-wheel world and will run the big 24-hour car race at Daytona, Fla.
FATH BUILDS 750
There is an old saying that things always happen in threes, so with the Rickmans and Dunstall both going for the 750 class, who would be the third? For the purpose of sidecar racing, world champion Helmut Fath is the one. He is building a 720-cc URS for the British international meetings this season. As his 500 puts out a claimed 80 bhp, the bigger machine should be a fiery beast, easily capable of surpassing everything else in the class. He will not be able to ride it himself in the 750-cc Sidecar TT, but may lend it to a British rider for the prestige value of having URS machines win both 750 and 500 races. The difficulty would be to find someone with the right amount of experience, for the sidecar would be on the “wrong” side for a British competitor, unless a special outfit were built to house the engine. The night before he won the 1960 TT, Fath spent the midnight hours helping Pip Harris rebuild his BMW. They finished 1 st and 2nd the following day.
Terry Vinicombe, who won the 1968 750 Sidecar TT on the Kirby BSA, no longer will thrill crowds with his stylish riding. He recently died after being hospitalized with a rare liver complaint.
THE TRIALS SCENE
Montesa has good reason to be proud of its machines and riders. The newly signed Gordon Farley won the international St. Martin trial in Belgium, with a loss of 14 marks to the 19 of Belgian champion Claude Vanstenagen (Greeves) and the 40 of motocross ace Marcel Wiertz (Bultaco).
The real shake-up happened a week later. Farley took 7th place in the fourth round of the European trials championship, but the Montesa flag was kept flying by Don Smith, who eclipsed none other than Sammy Miller, 32 to 36. Lawrence Telling, also on Montesa, was 3rd with 46. Dennis Jones (Suzuki), who led the championship up to that point, was 4th and so dropped to 2nd behind Smith, who heads the table with 23 points to the 22 of Jones. With only a few rounds to go, it is a two-horse race; Jones at the moment is unable to recapture the form that gave him wins in the first two trials of the championship.
TV MOTOCROSS
Back home after his trip to the States for the Inter-Am motocross series, Bryan Wade soon was in the groove again at the national television meeting. Hard though he tried, he could not catch Alan Clough (Husqvarna) in the 250 race and had to be content with 2nd on his Greeves.
In the 750 class, it was John Banks (BSA) all the way from start to finish with Dick Clayton (390 Greeves) putting in his best ride yet to take 2nd.
The trouble with these television meetings is that the races usually last for only 10 min., so that one mistake, like stalling an engine, eliminates the rider from the event. It does, however, tend to spread the championship points. Four rounds down and two to go, the result is still wide open. In the 250 table, Clough leads with 22 points to the 18 of Malcolm Davis (AJS) who failed to score in the latest round. Third is Arthur Browning (Greeves) with 15. Browning also holds 3rd place in the 750 category with 12 points behind BSA teamsters Banks, 16, and Hickman, 14.
RUSSIAN POLITICS
Are the Russians bringing politics into the world of motorcycle sport with their tactics in the FIM? It would seem so, for in an article which appeared recently in the weekly, Motor Cycle, Major David Goode, for 10 years secretary general of the FIM, alleges that the Russian block now can dominate voting, and uses as an example their troublemaking in the matter of recognition for East Germany.
This has been the question of flying the East German flag and playing the national anthem where her riders are competing, all of which has little to do with motorcycle sport. There seems to be some substance in the allegation, which, having been made, obviously will keep the situation well to the fore. Changing times need changed rules, and the present situation of one vote per country in the FIM is ridiculous when it means Mongolia has the same voting strength as Britain. In the long run, it could lead to a breakaway movement. Perhaps we’ll all join the AMA.
