Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

• IlQ -= ~ t International dateline Formula 750 double-header 10 ~ ·Sheene pads :- F750 points ] lead, Cecotto5 Yamaha split rumored o: e. By Chris Carter SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, AUG. 2-3 Barry Sheene, riding superbly but aided by the misfortunes of his rivals, to ok overall victory in the John Player Grand Prix at Silverstone for the second year in suecession, He now leads the FIM Formula 750 championship by 17 points over his nearest rival, Australian Jack Findlay. But the big question asked by Sunday 's 40,000 fans was whether Johnn y Cecotto, the brilli ant 19 ·year-old Venuzelean, had split forever from Yamaha. after turning out in the second leg of the Grand Prix on a spare factory 750 Suzuki. Cecotto had ruined one Yamaha engine during practice for the event, in which he chopped three seconds off Barry Sheene 's lap record for the 2.9 mile circuit: In Saturday's first leg he had still more troubles, despi te winning and establishing a new record for the track. But a dispute with the Yamaha team (which was looking after Giacomo Agostini's needs) resulted in Cecotto being loaned a Suzuki by Barry Sheene, Unconfirmed rumors after the race suggest that Yamaha officials had decided that Cecotto 's actions would cost him Yamaha's support. Curios ity . o r wishful thi nkin g? The Suz uki t wi ns check o u t the opposition . But if the teenager can reproduce the sort of form he showed in the first 100 mile leg of the Grand Prix, there will be a queue of rival factories ready , willing and able to sign him up. He destr~yed the opposition. There is n o other way to describe it! The start itself was a shambles. The traffic light turned to green while the back two rows o f the grid were still co min g out of the assembly area. Many of the riders who lined up thought th at the opening lap was just the usual warm up lap! Cecotto was unbeatable. though. He was almost 30 seconds ahead of Patrick Pons, who beat Teuvo Lansivuori by 22 seconds, with Barry Sheene four seconds behind Tepi, and Barry Ditchburn fifth 13 seconds down on Sheene, Day two It was Mick Gr ant who led the field through at the end of the first lap, with Sheene sat Finn round out. won Silverstone and retained a fa t poin ts lead . 20 Lansivuori second and Ditchburn third. Sheene had a moment's panic on the grid when his visor came loose. (He had to take off his helmet. refit the visor. replace the helmet and re-start the bike.] He was well down. and so was Cecotto. Cecotto, in fact, did not last much longer. His Suzuki "loaner" was losing water. he pulled out after four laps when lying eigh th o Unlucky Mick Gran t lasted just one more lap than Cecotto as his Kawasaki went sick again. Teammate Barry Ditchburn led for 10 laps, while behind hi m Pons. Lansvuori and Sheene were battling it out. But Sheene needed to win to stand any chance of overall victory. and on the 15th lap passed Ditchbu rn to Set the pace. Patrick .Pons was fo rced out two laps later when the big Yamaha seized at Woo dcote. The battle was now between Sheene, Ditchburn and Lansivuori for overall first place. After 20 laps the two leaders came in to fuel at the same time, and it was Lansvuori 's turn to mo ve to the front. - When Lansivuori stopped for fuel Sheene and Ditchburn regained the lead, and this pair diced it out side-by-side, or nose to tail fro m then on. The crowd was on tiptoe to see just which one it would be ahead a t the final corner; it was Sheene who swept into view first. Ditchburn grabbed second place . beaten but not disgraced, h aving set a new lap record at Im.34s, ( 1 12. 10 mph). But Sheene had done en o ugh to take the maximum 15 points in his ch am pio nsh ip chase. If only the Dutch round. at Assen is held. (and the Hockenheim and Barcelona rounds look very doubtful) he has already won the crown, for the second time in the three-year history of the co m p et iti o n! Results ._ - FIM F750 O VER ALw 1. B. Sheene (Suz). 2. La nsivuorl (Suz). 3. B . Dltchburn CKaw) . 4 . Co ul on (V am ). 5. J . Williams (Ya m) . 6. Mah oney (Yam) . 7. J. F i n dlay (V am ). 8 . T. P. P. J. Harvey (Yam). 9. P. Smart (Suz) . 10. C. Carr (Yam). FI RS T LEG : 1. J . Cecotto (Yam). 2 . P. Pons (Yam) . 3. Lanslvuorl. 4. Shee n e. 5. D i t c h u b rn . 6. Fin dlay 7. K . Balllngton (aym). 8. Williams. 9. Coulon. 10. Sm ar t . • FASTEST LAP: Ceeotto tm 3Ss 11 0.92 mph. SECOND L EG: 1. Sheene. 2. Dltchburn. 3. Lanslvuori. !~. Co u l o n . 5 . Mahon.~. 6. J. N ewbol d (SUZ). 7. Harvey. 8. Will ams. 9. Sm ar t . 10. R. Haslam (Yam). FASTEST L AP: D l t ch b u r n 1m 345 112.1 0 m ph (record). = Supporting races 125<:e (10 laps) : 1. G. Sh lrtllff (Yam). 2. N . Tuxworth (Yam). 3. L Notman (Loj). 2S0ee (12 laps) : 1. A. George (Yam). 2 . V. Pal omo (Yam). 3. P. Pons ( Yam). 3 SOCe (12 la ps) : 1. P. Pon s (Yam). 2 . V. Palom o (Yam). 3. J. G. Williams (Yam). 1 0 0 0ee (1 5 laps): 1. M. Grant ( 750 Ka w) . 2. T . Lanslvu orl (750 Suz). 3. B. Sheene (500 Suz). P RODU CT ION (12 la ps): 1. T. Sm ith (830 Nor). 2 . R . Prior (5 0 0 Ka wl. 3. C. Revelt (5 0 0 Hon ). FI RS T S I D E CAR : 1. G . O 'Dell (Y am ). 2. W. Schwarzel (Ko n ). 3 . S. Sinnot t (Y am ). SECOND S IDECAR: 1. Sewarzel. 2 . O 'Dell. 3. Sin not t. Tapio Yirtan_~_n dominates Finn short-circuit HAM E ENLI NNA, FINLAND JULY 26-27 Tapio Virtanen proved hi mself Master of Hameenlinna by win ning both gruelling 54 lap parts of the FIM Formula 750 championship, and 250 and 500cc international races at the Finnish circuit. Virtanen set a scorching pace in every race, and the lap record by three and a half seconds on the way . But the twisty, tight Finnish circuit just was not suitable for F750 racing. Out of 29 starters in Saturday's race only 18 reached the checkered flag. In Sunday 's 54 lap second leg only 22 lined up. and I 1 reached the end! This was more than just survival of the fittest. It was a long, bo ring and destructive race. Virtanen 'm ove d into the lead early in both races, and the interest lay in who would be second overall. Finn Te uvo Lansivuori struggled manfully with the 750 Suzuki three, one of ' less than a handful of genuine 750s in a race dominated by 350 Yamahas, He took second place in the first leg, almost 24 seconds ahead of Spaniard Victor Palomo, who made a slow start. But Palomo hit form on Sunday . Not only did he grab second place, but he also pu t pressure on Virtanen - the only man at the meeting to do that! But it was not just in the F750 races that Virtanen showed his skill. On Saturday he won the 500cc race. by almost a minute from Horst Lahfeld 's Konig, after Eero Hyvarinen had retired when second two laps from home. . Then Tapio made it a clean sweep by winning the 250cc race, and the Werner Giger Memorial Trophy. This was a good race, with Virtanen passing Hyvarninen on the second lap on the MZ, and pulling away to win finally from Palomo by three and one-half seconds. Third was Patrick Pons, with Pekka Nurmi fourth, Hyvarinen fifth and Chas Mortimer six tho Only 10 seconds separated the first four men home. Not so exciting were the 125 and sidecar races. From an o rganization point of view it was an excellent meeting. Marshalling and first aid were very good. But the 15,000 cr owd over the weekend must have felt th at th is circuit just isn 't suited for F750 racing. Only three riders can be really happy with the results. and one of those were not even at the meeting; Barry Sheene, Barry gambled on missing this race. to ' ride at Brands Hatch. The gamble paid off for he held his single point title lead. ' desp i te the efforts of Virtanen and Palomo who were the stars of the Hameenlinna show. •

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