Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

; Formula 750 World III • Championship, round five ~ E Bakerwins in England By Chri~ Carter BRANDS HATCH. KENT, ENGLAND,JULY 10 American Steve Baker rattled up convincing wins at Brands Hatch to win the British round of the new Formula 750cc World Championship Series, and stretch his lead over hIS nearest rival in the competition to 40 points. But the 20.000 fans who basked in the sunshine around the 2.61 mile GP circuit saw two British heroes extend the factory Yamaha rider to the full. In the first 24-lap leg Yorkshireman Mick Grant chased Steve all the way, and crossed the line just 2.6 seconds down at the finish. It was young Ron Haslam, the Langley flyer, who had the crowd roaring in the second race. and he. too. was around 2.5 seconds behind at the checkered flag. But while Grant failed to finish the second pan, after a crash in the early stages. Haslam's first race fifth was enough to grab second place in the overall results, and 12 championship points. _ Third overall was John Newbold, riding the 750cc Suzuki-triple that had been wheeled out of the Suzuki GB workshops for a rare outing, while Australian Warren Willing looked impressive in his British debut' as he took fourth spot overall on his TZ750D Yamaha. Biggest disappointment of the da y was Dave Potter's tumble in the opening race . when lying second to Baker, and holding off a strong challenge from Kawasaki ace Barry Ditchburn. Dave escaped unhurt, but the man who had been fastest in prac· rice, on the Broad BP Yamaha failed to have the chance to turn potential into Formula 750cc championship points. But whether he , or anyone else could have beaten Baker on this showing is open to doubt. The little American had to hurry in the first race. persued by Grant, and in a frantic last three lap effort equalled Barry Sheene's existing absolute lap record of 1m 35.85, but even so Grant admit. ted after the event that he couldn't have gone any quicker. "I was trying my hardest," said Mick. But Baker was quick to praise his rival. "It was hot out there, and Mick made it even hotter. I couldn't slack off at any time, " said Steve Baker. The start was like rush hour in Pic cadily. with about as much jumping the lights! Baker was the first to reach Paddock Bend, with Grant in hot per· suit, and Dave Potter, Barry Ditchbum and Christian Sarron in close company. From then on Baker was never headed. Potter moved up into second place, with Ditchburn pushing his teammate down to fourth, and Sarron kept in touch with the leading group. But on the I I th lap Potter took an almighty fall at Westfields, but boun ced back onto his feet and waved the first aid men awa y' The bike, though , fared less well , and there was not much left to salvage. Christian Estrosi had gone, too . He was one of four fallers at Park Curve during the race, and was very tucky to escape with a grazed elbow . With Potter gone it left Ditchburn and Grand battling for second place, but soon after Mick squeezed through Barry had to stop because of a faulty front brake disc. As the race went on Grant began to catch Baker, but though the gap was down to less than half a second at some stages, Baker turned up the wick in the closing stages to stretch open a 2;.2 second lead at the flag. Christian Sarron, his collarbone, broken barely a fortnight before, was a steady third, but a fighting performance from John Newbold on the supposedly outpaced three-cylinder Suzuki earned him fourth spot on the last lap at the expense of Ron Haslam and Warren Willing. who suffered the whole race with front end handling problems. The second leg had a rather more orderly start, but the end result was the same. By Paddock Bend Baker was head. but this time Warren Willing, Ron Haslam and Mick Grant were next best in the 26 strong line up, all that remained of the opening 40 qualifiers! Haslam ousted Willing to go into second place after a lap and a half. and at the end of the next circuit it was Baker, Haslam , Sarron , Grant, Willing and Ditchburn. Mick began to quicken his pace, though as he realized Baker was beginning to put free . but trying to go inside Christian Sarron at Dingle Dell , he crashed, without injury. That might have taken all the interest away , but for Ron Haslam's determination , his left wrist badly swollen after a crash in practice on Saturday morning he was grimly determined to hold Baker if he could. He did , too , but this was a much more polished performance from Mal Caner's runner. Ron wasn't hairy and though Baker never had to extend himself to the speeds he did in the first race, the final margin was again around 2 ~ seconds. But could Ron grab runner up place overall? It looked as that might go to aggregate time to decide between him and Sarron, but the unlucky Frenchman crashed at the exit from Paddock on the last lap, while striving to stay ahead of Hubert Rigal , the hard riding man from Monaco. Rigal , in fine form was fourth over the line, with John Newbold holding off Warren Willing, and in the process taking third place overall his first points of the championshipl Only 15 riders did the distance, and sadly, with one or two exceptions the racing in the second leg didn't match up to the excitement of the first. Britain's first ever road racing world Championship round on the British mainland had been like .the curate's egg, good, in partsl • Results Overoll: 1. Steve BokerlYom); 2. Ron _ lYoml; 3. John Newbold ISuzl; 4. Hubert Rigel lYom); 5. Wonen Willing lYom); 6. Patrick Pone lYom); 7. Jeen. Poul BoinetlYernl; 8. Julien Soper lYom); 9. CJj"" Oller lYom); 10. Michool Trimby lYom); 11. Torry Hutton lYom); 12. Gerhord Vogt lYom). F750 Point SlOndings: 1. SI""" Boker 1671; 2. Ken Roberts 127); 3. P. CouIoniC. Sonon 1241; 5. W. Willing (23); 6. H. RigollT. KotoyomoiC. EIlrOOi 115); 9. R. H_m 112); 10. J. Newbold/G. 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