52nd International Six Days Trials
52nd INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS TRIALS
We Didn't Do as Well as We Hoped, but Neither Did Anybody Else. Except the Czechs.
Francois Bourret
Even a first-time spectator at the 1977 International Six Days Trials would have known the odds instantly: Host country Czechoslovakia staged the opening ceremonies in a huge stadium. There was folk dancing and parachute jumping and a parade by the 300 riders from 18 countries. Watching and cheering was a crowd of some 12,000 Czechs.
The Czechs figured to win the ISDT. They’d volunteered to hold the event, which costs the host country many millions of dollars. They’d laid a course through their part of the Alps and the Czech Jawa team had been practicing, well, let’s say the home team knew the territory.
Nor were the odds misleading. The Czechs did win. The West Germans had mechanical bad luck, the Italians had political bad luck and the Americans had plain bad luck. Everybody had one of the roughest ISDTs in years. Last year 191 riders went home with gold medals. This year? Forty.
The ISDT began, as it always does, with high hopes. Fourteen countries signed up for the prestigious World Trophy, awarded to a team of six riders. The favorites were, of course, the Czechs on Jawas; as well as the KTM of Farioli, Italy; the West Germans with five Zundapps and Strossenreuther’s KTM 400 (European Champion 1977 in 125cc). The USA was represented by the Penton team: Dane Leimbach. Penton 175: Tom and Jack Penton, Penton 250s; Gary Younkins, Penton 350; Frank Gallo and Kevin LaVoie. Penton 400s. Many top competitors were entered for the Vase, which is a trophy for a team of four riders. Favored were the Czechs again; the Italians on factory SWM (Rotax engines) and the Simson of East Germany. On the Yamaha-sponsored U.S. team were Larry Thompson and Mark Deyo, IT250s; Chris Carter, IT400 and John Ferro, YZ400 with IT lighting and tank.
Several innovations were seen this year in the impound. On the Can-Am 175 and 250 Qualifiers were new frames and a new rear suspension, as well as Marzocchi forks. The biggest surprise was a 366cc Can-Am with a reed valve instead of the usual Rotax rotary valve. A new idea by Carl Cranke and Preston Petty is an addition to the front brake that limits fork compression but does not impede its damping during hard braking, especially on a rough downhill. This simple feature will soon be making lots of noise in the motocross world. KTM seemed to be the most popular for this type of race. Out of a total 313 bikes there were no fewer than 67 KTMs and 16 Pentons.
THE FIRST DAY
The first day included two 3-mile special tests, an acceleration test and 185 miles of trails through the underbrush on a trail rocky and rutted and deeply grooved by tractors. The weather was great.
Bad luck hit the American Vase team right away: Thompson fell and dislocated his knee. He popped it back but fell again and was forced to stop. It costs his team 15,000 points for each day a rider is withdrawn. When you realize that one second equals one point, you understand that the Yamaha team’s chances were reduced to zero.
Since the majority of riders had no penalty points after the trail ride, the special tests determined the best riders of the day. Special tests were the Italian’s domain; they won six classes out of nine. But their performance was annulled by a 300point penalty which they went on to protest. One of their riders, Petrogalli, received outside aid, a tool loaned by a>Z mechanic, a favor forbidden in this event.
As expected, the Czechs were ahead for the World Trophy and the Americans held a solid 4th.
SECOND DAY
The course was the same, but run the opposite direction. The weather was still perfect but today the times were tighter. The organizers can choose between two average speeds. For the second day they used the faster of the two. Yesterday’s easier speed average gave everyone confidence. Today there were no big changes in position. The first special test was won by Andreini on a DKW Flercules and the second by, yes, no mistake, a 125cc! Hau on Zundapp. Strossenreuther suffered a fall which put him down into 10th place of the 500cc class. The judges met in the evening to discuss the Italians’ protest and would give their decision the next day. In spite of the penalty, the Italians held 4th place in the World Trophy. The Americans fell to 5th. Tom and Jack Penton turned in the best American times in the two special tests. Also noticed were Frank Gallo, Dick Burleson and Ferro finishing 12th, 13th and 14th respectively in 500cc.
THIRD DAY
To begin the day the judges dramatically announced the expulsion, pure and simple, of Petrogalli. Italy’s KTM team decided to withdraw from the race as a sign of protest. They silently pushed their bikes to the KTM truck while watching their fellow competitors start their engines. This tense situation between the Czechs and the Italians didn’t improve. The race even lost some of its interest because now everyone wondered who could possibly beat the Czech team.
There were still 261 riders in the running and the course became more difficult each day. There were several climbs through rocky terrain, observed trials style and none too easy. Rocks, dust, ruts, and holes inconvenienced the riders and everyone wondered what it would have been like if it had rained.
Although following the side of the mountain as before, today’s special test was much faster than those of the first two days. Avenging his fellow countrymen, Andreini of the Italian Vase team turned in the best time in the two special tests.
This third day belonged to Dick Burleson. He took a bad spill and broke the rear end of his frame, but all was repaired in record time. He received the 5th best time in the 500cc class on his Husqvarna 390. Younkins made 12th in 350cc; the Penton brothers 4th and 5th in 250cc; Uh l 10th on his Maico 250, and Mark Deyo l lth on his Yamaha IT250. The loss of Gallo (three flat tires and a broken wheel) added 15.000 points to the U.S. World Trophy team and put them in 6th.
FOURTH DAY
A light rainfall appeared this morning and the first special test was slippery. By afternoon the sun was out and the track quickly dried. More than 240 racers started. The morning rain along with the high average speed requirement forced the riders to move faster. Several steep and rocky downhills posed a problem for many. The best riders continued smoothly and without any penalty points, so the special tests again decided the day’s results. Once more, Andreini had the best times. The event of the day was the withdrawal of Rottier and his 175 Zundapp, practically clearing the way for the Czechs. This prompted the Jawa manager to boastfully announce, “Since the withdrawal of Rottier of the West German World Trophy team, we no longer have to go for the best times in the special tests. Our plan for the following days will be simpler. All the riders will arrive, on time of course, at the last check point”.
The sight of the riders covered with mud and trembling with cold vividly expressed the difficulty of the ordeal.
For the Americans, Jack Penton placed 3rd in 250cc. Uhl 7th and Tom Penton 11th. In 175cc Mike Rosso was 15th. In today’s first test Burleson lost his position as best American in 500cc to Pillsbury on a Ma ico 400.
FIFTH DAY
First thing this morning everyone knew the day would be tough. It didn’t take long to find out just how tough. It was raining hard but in spite of that the organizers decided to use the higher average speed. Racers began to fall out like flies. Of 233 starters, only 99 made it to the finish in the evening. Of the 30 Americans, only 12 finished this terrible fifth day. The sight of the riders covered with mud and trembling with cold vividly expressed the difficulty of the ordeal. Only 19 riders were able to finish the day without any penalty points. The best riders were able to master three or four very difficult climbs where at times up to 20 riders were seen pushing their bikes up to the summit.
The special test was nothing but an immense mudhole. To everyone’s surprise the Italian, Perego, on his Hercules 75cc received the best times of the day. For the Americans, Jack Penton again had the 2nd best time in the first special. The difficulty of today’s course didn’t keep the Americans from placing six men in the top 15 of the 250cc class. The Czechs and East Germans were the only teams to have finished the day without losing any riders.
SIXTH DAY
Traditionally, the sixth day is shorter than the others, with a 65-mile ride in the morning followed by the afternoon motocross. The morning went smoothly although it was not easy. Of the 99 riders, 5 abandoned. Tough luck to have made it all the way to the sixth day and have to quit. The 94 survivors were then divided into 5 classes: 50and75cc; 100 and 125; 175; 250 and 350; and 500 up; for this last effort in the Six Days. A large crowd stretched all along the two-mile course. Czech television cameras and almost 10,000 people were there to witness the triumph of the Czechs. Although the locals won the World Trophy and the Vase they didn’t win a single moto in the motocross final.
Dick Burleson kept everyone on edge. He was still in the running for the gold but had to finish no less than one minute behind the winner. At the end of the six laps he did it, with 20 seconds to spare. Tom Penton rode well, finishing 3rd in 250cc today, first American overall and the only other American to win a gold medal. Last year’s American team brought home 29 gold medals which gives you an idea of the difficulty of this year’s ISDT.
In the World Trophy competition the Americans finished 4th, an admirable achievement. For the Vase, the Yamaha team had only one man, Mark Deyo, at the finish. The Canadian Vase team finished a strong 5th with Jeff Smith on Can-Am.
Just to finish this race was harder than getting a gold last year in Austria. You can be sure of seeing the same riders next year in Sweden because the ISDT is unlike anything else ... no prize money, strict regulations, top competition, working on your bike with only the tools you can carry, changing tires without help, always that time pressure, six days of tough riding in the wet and cold... all for a little medal.0
