Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Estrosi ro ared home to the cheers of his fans. He and Coulon had spent some days earlier testing at Dijon, and there can be no doubt that helped them , but on the showing of the day the pair would have beaten almost anyone anywherel • Result s 1 st HEAT: 1. Christ ian Estrosi; 2. Philipp e Coulon ; 3. Stev e Baker; 4. Bernard Fau; 5. Marco Luchinelli; 6. M tchef Roug erte; 7. Wa rren W illing; 8. J oh n Newbo ld; 9. Giaco mo Agostini; 10 . Teuvo lansivuori. 2nd HEAT: 1. Christ ian Estrosi: 2. Ph ilippe Co ulon; 3. Steve Baker; 4. Michel Rougerie; 5. Bernard Fau; 6. Marco LUchinelli; 7. Warr en W illin g; 8. Huben Rigal; 9. Teu vo lJInsivuor i; 10. Jean Philipe Orban. OVERALL: 1. Christian Estrosi ; 2. Ph ilippe Cou lon; 3. St eve Baker; 4. Bernard Fau; 5. Michel Aougerie: 6. Marco luchine lli: 7. Warre n W illing: 8. 're e ve LansiVuor i; 9. Hubert Rigal; 10. Gilles Husson . World Championship road racing Katayama and Rougerie win at SpanishGP . By Chris Carter MADRID, SP AIN , MAY 22 A tiny piece of perspex lying on the track brought BaTTy Ditchbum's hopes of winning his first world championship race crashing to earth at the Spanish Gr an d Prix at Jarama near Madrid. Ditch bu rn , on the factory Kawasaki was then five seconds clear of the pack, after nine laps in the 250cc race, and pulling away . But with the machine cranked over on the limit around one of the Sp anish circuit's twisty bends it hit the perspex and the front wheel slid away . . He remounted after kicking straight the handlebars and dumping half a hundredweight of gravel . out of the fairing, and finally battled through, at the end of the 55 lap event, to eighth spot. But Barry was disappointed, and who could blame him. Officially second fastest in training to J a pan ese rider Ken Nemoto, the whole paddock knew that the Kawasaki racer was really the quickest in practice, and he was confident he could win. It wasc Tue l luc k. but fat e smiled on few folk at Jarama. One of them was Takazumi Katayama, who survived a frightening moment in practice whenhe was torpedoed by Spaniard Benj am in Grau on the rapid works Derbi, to go on and win the 250cc race, and take third spot in the 550cc event, to move into the championship . lead. The 250cc race started with Ditchbum . the pacemaker Venezuelan Aldo Nannini had had a brief taste of fam e. But Barry on the Kawasaki moved ahead starting the second lap. He would have stayed there. too , if Leif Gustafsson not tumbled at the same corner just a short while earlier. Down went Barry on the debris, and that was that. His departure left Takazumi Katayama, South African Jon Ekerold and Alan North disputing th e lead , with Ba rry remounting 50 seconds behind them. Ekerold was to be victim of cruel luck, th ough. The gear change lever snapped off after twenty- three laps , and though he struggled on for a while in third gea r he was fin ally forced to call it a day, after dropping down to ftfth spot. Katayama was now 20 seconds up on North who was interested in finishing in one piece and saving his energy for the 550cc event later. But his nearest rival, Frenchman Olivier Chevallier d id not look like catching him. Nannine was already out. He'd crashed . without injury after 24 laps when dicing with North for 'then third spot, when his chain had snapped and wrapped round his rear wheel. Christian Sarron, in trouble with his Yamaha pattering hard on the bends was fourth home, and Ma rio Lega ,: showing his fine Imola results on the Morbidelli were no flukes was fifth at the flag. Other Italians were not so lucky. Reigning 250 and 550cc champion Walter Villa didn't qualify in practice for either class , and only when the FIM allowed four more starters in each class did he make the field in the 550cc event. His team mate Franco Uncini was also struggling with a bike that was quick enough, but didn't handle . and he limped home a dejected 15th. Even so he keeps his lead in the world championship tussle, with Sarron second, and Alan North. Tom Herron, thanks to a seventh in his race, and Mario Lega now all joint third. .' Herron went well in the 250cc race, but he looked in even sharper form in the 550cc event which wrapped the proramme up. Early leader here was Bruno Kneubuhler, who surrendered number' one spot to Michel Rougerie after seven laps. But while they were dicing it out, Herron was charging through the field . But with eight laps run, Tom crashed heavily at the first sweepi ng right hand bend when his Yamaha seized while chasing eventual th ird placement Takazumi Katayama . The race had been held up for more than 50 minutes because of a light shower of rain. Some riders decided to stay with slicks and hope the track would dry out, others like Rougerie went for intermediate tires , and hoped to make a big enough lead while the surface was damp to make up for any problems later in the race. ' .. Michel's tactics worked. He bu ilt up such a good lead that neither Sarron nor Katayama coul d catch him . But Takazumi was deligh ted with third spot. He and his mechanics had I worked through t he night to prepare his machines after just a single day's practice session , and now he leads the 550cc championshp battle. Closest to crashing, without ac tu ally hitting the deck , was achieved by Swiss ace Bruno Kneubuhler, who attributes his early sporting days as a gymnast to avoiding disaster. Early in the 550cc race he had his Yamaha sideways in a big slide, which corrected itself so quickly that his legs came up onto the saddle, .his hand slipped inside the fa iring and his head touched a footrest. " I was sure I was going to crash, so I wa ited for the bump, but thenI realized I wasn 't off, looked up, and the bike was upright. I couldn't believe it , but on the next lap th e crowd at that corner cheered me ," said Bruno, after finish ing a . surprised , but delighted fourth. Results 5Occ:1. Angel Nteto l8ul) ; 2. Eugenio Lazzarini IKrel ; 3. Ricardo Tormo IBul); 4. Herbert Rittberger IKre); 5. Stefan Oorflinger IKrel ; 6. Jean-L Guignabodet (M or); 7. Ulrich Gra' (Kre); 8. Ramon Gali 1 0er) ; 9. Gunter Schir nofer (Krel; 10. J orge navarrete tOerl. 12Scc: 1. Pierpaolo Bianchi (Mor); 2. Eugenio Ulzarini (Mor'); 3. Jean- l Guignabod et IMorl; 4. 'G iovanni Zigg ioto lMor'); 5. Julieen van Zeebroek (Mor); 6. Per Edward Carlsson IMor!; 7. Johann Parl er IMorl; 8. Werner Schmied IRotl ; 9. Guillermo H. Willy IXXI ; 10. Jorge Navarret e (Rinl. 25Occ: 1. Takazumi Katayama (Vam); 2. AlanNorth (Yam); 3. Olivi er Chevalli8f (Yam); 4. Christian Sarron (Vam); 5. Mario Lege IMor) ; 6. M ichal Rougeria lYam); 7. Tom Herron lYam ); 8. Barry Oitchburn IKaw); 9. Akihito Kiyohara (Kawl; 10. Bruno Kneubuhler (Yaml. 35Occ: 1. Michel Rougerie (Yam); 2 . Christian Sarron (Yam); 3. Takazumi Katayama IYam); 4. Bruno Kneubuhler lYam); 5. Patrick Pone (Varni; 6. Jon Ekerold lYaml ; 7. Pakka Nurmi lYam); 8. Tapia Virtanen lYaml ; 9. Vietor Soussan lYaml 10. Jean-e. Horgral lY aml. . 20 LAP NATIONAL JULY 2,8:00 RM;. SANTA CLARA COUNTY. FAIRGROUNDS ~. ~ . .. .....- THE BIG BIKES ARE COMING! And along with the American Motorcyc le Association's hig h speed two wheelers-the c ircu it's top and toughest riders . The record brea kers . The big boys. See 'em eat up the track wh ile the y compete for cycling's heavy prize money. You'll want-to catch all the act ion from the first flag on . So come on out-early! TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets ava ilable at Bob Barkhimer Assoc iates . Inc . ,14 Camp Evers Lane . Sc otts Valley , Ca l. 95066. Phone: (408) 438 -3210 . \ Discover one of a kind. camel Filters and Motorcycle Racing. C,19 77 R J REVNOLDS TOBACCO CO ~ THE CAMEL PRO SERIES 19 m -tar". t2 mg. nicotine IV. per Cillllllll. g. FTC RIPOn DEC. 76. Warning : The Surgeon G eneral Has D etermined That C igarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health. 35

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