Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125676
. ,/ . d Cycle News 2499 ~erritos Ave. Long Beach, 0alifornia 90806 U.S.A. RUSS DARNELL WRITES HOME ABOUT EUROPE On Wednesday the 8th of April, we left Gent. Belgium at 10:00 in the evening bound for Barcelona and the Spanish 250cc Grand Prix. By "we", I mean this year my 'wife Cheri and I are accompanied by my mother and father who are both just retired. My father has come to Europe to do the International and Grand Prix circuits with us, and help me out by acting as mechanic. Wben we parted from our Belgian headquarters it was cbU1y and rainy with some snow. We bad been having bad weather since February, and everyone was delighted at the prospect of basJdng in the hot SpanIsh sun. We stayed on the Lille to Paris autobahn for the night to conserve our strength for the ordeal of traversing Paris with two caravans in tow. We arrived at the end of the autobahn and entered Paris, my dad driving right on my taU to keep trom getting lost in the crush. Approacb1ng the first roundabout (where all the streets come into a common circle), we neatly blended into the traffic (kamikazi) pattern, and made our first turn, as smooth as metal in a meat grinder. At our next big intersection, we came upon a slight snarl (grrr) of trucks and cars, and discovered the cause of the congestion to be an upsidedown Citroen closely joined by a destroyed Puegeot taxi. The crossing was littered by debris and wreckage of what looked like a 100 mile an hour crash! The scene truIy looked like a battlefield in which the Victor was not apparent. On through the myriad streets fUled with pushcarts, bicycles, }ll0peds, cars, and people we went. My dad soon got into the spirit -'If Paris driving (Banzai, banzai), and we never once lost sight of each other in spite of the quick lane changes and hairy turns we sometimes bad to make. Finally getting out of Paris, we stopped for a breather and some lunch. The rest of Thursday we travelled South on the autobahn towards Marseille. It was a real pleasure to have some sun for a change. About 250 miles south of Paris I SUddenly heard a terrible noise from the engine room. It sounded something like tltItititi. We got by easy that time because the alternator had Just come loose and its cooling fan blades were grating on the mounts. The next day, however, my dad found that the taU shaft casting on the transmission of his car bad broken and all the oil had run out. There were no Studebaker parts in . town so a wild French driver took me and the broken pieces to a huge welding factory nearby. Atter about 15 minutes of arguing with the factory manager he agreed to try to weld the parts together. It was really incongruous to see the manager, st1llin his suit and tie, put on a heavy welder'S . mask and torch up our parts. Surprisingly it worked and we bad no more trouble with the gearbox. We didn't leave Lyon until 3:00 in the afternoon, so we travelled until late at night, and got to a camp ground near the Spanish border. We were away bright and early the next morning so that we could get to the race that day (Saturday) to practice on the course. We made it to the course at 2:55 in the afternoon, just five minutes before official practice started. Everybody pitched in and I soon had the bike out and running. I joined the first practice session of the Internationals and learned the course. The track is very demanding. The ground is hard for the most part, with many tricky turns and Jumps. The start system was a metal gate which falis away from your wheel when released. Personally I liked the track. It is similar in feel to some of the Calltornian circuits, so I felt at home. I felt especiallY good because of the super weather; hot, sunny, and dry. After practice and quallt1cations, my dad and I walked the course and he pointed out places where "they" were going quicker. He pointed so often I got a bit dazed. The next day was Sunday, the moment of truth, so to speak. This was my first Grand Prix. I have been told about how ditterent the GP's are from the International events, how the "heroes" go so much faster than when they ride the Internationals, and how uptight everyone gets before the .race. I didn't see it. The race was more Important becauseitpald World Championsblp points; and all the riders were probably trying that extra bit harder, but other than that it was like every other race I have been to. The top riders were going very quickly, as usual, and the main ditterence I saw was that there was more competition than you usually see amassed at one event. The first event got oft to a roaring start and I got stuck in a pUe-up on the first hUl in the dust. I came back down and got another run through the bodies and bikes. I felt ongoodform,andpassed ·BARNEY TILLMAN'S--"" Sport Center- - ----ll....- - I ,..- ~l ~l ~~~ ~ ~ AL~Pio~:~ Of NORTON fe,f.ril' f'is .eel COMMANDOS DUNSTALL GOODIES MOlE POWER TO YOU'" I BOLT ON 3 EXTRA HORSES WITH THE FAMOUS DUNSTALL DECIBEL SILENCERS (ONLY $44.00/PR.) DUNSTALL CATALOGUES - ONLY ONE THIN DOLLAR 6021 Whittier Blvd. E. Los Angeles, Cal. many riders in the following laps. I passed into 14th place and caught Karl Konecny of Czechoslovakia before the halt way mark. I pulled out to pass him on the main straight, and as I got beside b1m I hit a bump which Ididn'tsee in the dust. The bike mon~wheeled on the tront end for a second, then it caught another bump and over I went. flat out in fourth gear. The fir st part of the bike to hit was .the rear fender, than I feIt the handlebars hit me in the stomach, and I parted company with my macb1ne. Konecny missed me by inches and so did my tumbling bike. I crawled oft the track to recover, not badly hurt, but sort of numb, and shaken UP. Some Spaniards got my Husky oft the course and about three people trom first aid came to see it I was OK, Someone handed me a wineskin over the spectator fence, and I drank some of their strong red vino. I have never come ott so hard in my lite. Cheri was taking pictures just 30 feet trom me when I came oft, and she and my dad both thought I was going to get killed they sald. As my father was pushing my poor bike back to the cars, we surveyed the dllmage; broken bars, gas cable torn away, crushed fuel tank, bent crown, and the rear frame section bent down to the wheel. It was a mess, Just then something happed which made me grin. A little SpanIsh boy, who bad seen me crash, came running across the spectator area and asked me for my autograph. The bike was Irrepairable before the second leg started, and so was I. The skin was all gone from my butt and back, and I had a huge brutse from the handlebars hitting my stomach. Also, I was a little frightened after unloading that way. ANOTHER FINE PRODUCT Di stri buted hy New & Used Buy - Sell - Trade 1- 2 - 3 bike trail •• n~~~~N wi th the ircle of Excellence 323 W. MAPLE MONROVIA, CA. Russ Darnell is currently racing in Europe on the International and Grand Prix Motocross circuit. He is supported in his efforts by the American Motocross Team founded by Kim Kimball, Dan Gurney and Joe Parkhurst. A five dollar $5 membership contribution to the team nets you a colorful jacket patch and insures America being represented in the motocross big leagues. Join today. Write to A.M.X.T., P.O. Box 3276, Hollywood, Cal., 90028. Hours: Monda~ .. . %0 "m-6 pm Tues. .~ . ..%0"m-6pm We.nes"~ ... .%0 "m-6 pm Thurs"~. .%0"m-6pm FridG~ .%0"m-8pm ..... 5"tur"~ 5unda~ 9 "m-6 pm (Praise tile Lord and PIUS tile Competition) (213) 123-3523 Motorcycle Trailers We watched the second leg, and saw some very exciting action. In the final results It was Joel Robert on Suzuki, Sylvain Geboers also on SUzuld, followed by Torsten Hallman on Husqvarna, and Bryan Wade on Greeves for a well deserved fourth. I was discouraged by my horrendous crash, but It gradually worked it's way out of my mind unW I looked forward to my next Grand Prix. We stayed at the Spanish circuit the night of the race, because we had a whole week to kill before the French 250cc round, and we wanted to vIsit Barcelona the next day, and just generally lay around and cool It. After doing the tourist bit in Barcelona, and along the Costa Brava on the Mediterranean, we turned east and headed for Pernes-les-Fontaines in Frances where the next race was to be held. oo~~?,~~~,,~!!~:"~t". Los Angeles, Calif9rnia 90064 - Telephone: (213) 475-4541 Sal~s - Service - Accessories - Parts - Rlvetts Champion Leathers HusaVARNA' JAWAlCZ' SUZUKI' PENTON' MZ' MONTESA . ZUNDAPP' MINI·TRAILS open mo~day through saturday