Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

All they have to do now is find some way to beat Roberts. Takazumi Katayama was first of the privateers taking sixth place, and a lap or two more and he might have taken Crosby. Then came a closely fought battle with Michel Rougerie, Kork Ballingion on the Kawasaki , Cecotto and Patrick Pons, Raymond Roche, Sadeo Asami , Carlo Perugini and Seppo Rossi separated by just 12 seconds. Lucchinelli had topped the practice leaderboard for the second time in the past three GPs, but he could not match the time in the race. Roberts went quicker than he had done in training, to break the lap record with a time of 2 min. , 4 .79 sec. Cecotto's disappointing race was in sharp contrast to his fine ride earlier in the day in the 350cc race. Johnny led right until the last lap, when Jon Ekerold , on a privately entered Yamaha, nipped through to win. Ekerold, the South African hard man , is reported to have explained his victory by saying that he passed Cecotto by p.utting him on the grass. and then keeping the inside line on every cornerl Cecotto leads the championship battle with 27 points to Ekerold's 20, but pre·season favourite for the crown, Frenchman Patrick Fernandez, still has not scored a point. Again he was forced to retire with dutch problems. Ekerold had been struggling in practice until the man from Bimota arrived with a set of new exhaust pipes that helped Ekerold slice four seconds off his previous best lap! Third over the line, well pleased with himself was Eric Saul who takes over the machines that the late Olivier Chevallier had been riding. It was neck and neck for fourth place, though between Anton Mang and Jean Francois Balde on their Kawasakis, who held off Waiter Villa's Yamaha in the run ill. The 250cc race was a triumph for Kork Ballington, who took over from Anton Mang two laps from the flag and stayed there to win by less than two seconds. But little of that interested the SO ,OOO fans. They were cheering on Frenchman Thierry Espie who had a real mess of the start, but who came charging through to grab third place. It was a remarkable ride from a man who less than 12 months ago badly broke his thigh at the Dutch TT at Assen , and consequently lost his factory ride on the Motobecane. Roland Freymond was the unlucky man to lose third place to Espie on the last lap, but Freymond was far from happy with the pace of his Yamaha. Ballington's win hoists him up the table, but Mang still leads by nine points, and Espie is a good third only four points behind the South African reigning champion. Nieto's 125cc win was a convincing victory, and for once the works Minarelli ran sweetly all race. Pierpaolo Bianchi chased Nieto home on the MBA. with Nieto's Italian teammate Loris Reggiani third. The closest the French came to winning a race came in the sidecar event . Here Alain Michel battled with reigning champion Rolf Biland for most of the race. But the Fath engined outfit of Michel was visibly slower than Biland's Yamaha powered device, and Rolf began to pull away. But Michel was not even to have the consolation of second place. The clu tch started to fa il, and Michel began to slow. Jock Taylor , the Flying Scotsman who had made a mess of the start came charging through to take second place. • Results 125cc 11 B laps, 64.94 milesl: 1. A. Nieto IMinl;2. P. Bianchi IMBAl; 2. L Rogginai IMinl 4. Y. Dupont ; IMBAl; 5. H. Muller IMBAI; 6. B. Smith IMBAl; 7. M. Merchetti IMBAl; B. P. Looyeslyn IMor) 9. E. Lazzar ; ini IIpren); 10. J-e Saline IMBAl. 250cc 119laps. 68.4 miles): 1. K. Ballington IKawl 2. ; T. Mang IKlwl; 3. T. Espie IYam); 4. R. Freymond IMOfI; 5. E. SaullYam); 6. J . Cornu IYaml; 7. C. Lavado IYaml 8. R. Sibille (Yaml; 9. P. Ferretti IYaml; 10. A. ; Gouin IYaml. 350cc 120laps. 72 miles): 1. J . Ekerold IYam); 2. J . cecono lYam) 3. E. SaullYam); 4. T. Mang IKawl; 5. J . ; F Balde (KIwi; 6. W. Villa IYam) 7. M. Matteoni IYam); ; 8. J . COfOU IYam); 9. C. Perugini IRTM); 10. R. Freymond IYaml . . . 500cc 121 laps. 75.6 milesl: 1. K. RobertsIYam); 2. R. Memola ISuz);3. M. Lucchinalli ISuz); 4. G. Rossi ISuz); 5. G. Crosby ISuzl; 6. Takazumi Katayama ISuz); 7. M. Rougerie ISuz); 8. K. Ballington IKaw); 9. J. Ceccrrc lYaml; 10. P. PonsIYam). Sidecars: 1. R. BilandlK. Waltisperg lYaml; 2. J . Taylor/B. Johansson IYaml 3. W. SchwarzellA. Huber ; IYam); 4. E. Stryer/J . van Der Kaap (Yam) 5. R. ; Steinhausen/K. Arthur lYam) . WORLDCHAMPIONSHIP POINTSTANDINGS: 125cc: 1. P. Bianchi 142); 2. A. Nieto 123) 3. B. ; Kneubuhler 1221; 4. L Roggiani 1201; 5. I. P a _ 11 BI; 6. H. Muller(14); 7. B. Smith 1131; 8. Y. Dupont 181; 9. G. Marchetti and R. Blaner aI. 25Occ: 1. T. Mang 1391; 2. K. Ballington IJOI; 3. T. Espie 128); 4. J-F Balde 120) 5. R. Fraymond 114 6. E. ; 1; Sau l (12);7. Pol Conforti and J . COfnu P. Ferrette aI; ;9. 10. C. Lavado (6) . 350cc: 1. J . Cocotto 127); 2. J . Ekerold 1201; 3. M. Matteoni 1161; 4. W. Villa 1151; 5. E. Saul 1141; 6. C. Perugini (10);7. T. Mang 18); 8. R. Freymond aI; 9. J-F Baldo 161; 10. Sayle end J. COfnu131. 500cc: 1. K. Roberts (45); 2. M. Luccinelli and R. Mamola 1221; 4. G. Rossi and T. Katayama 1181; 6. F. Uncini (16); 7. J ceccrtc 1151; 8. B. Sheene 1101; 9. C. Perugini aI; 10. G. Croaby 161. Sidecars: 1. R. BilandlK. Waltiaperg 1151; 2. J . Taylor/B. Johansson (12); 3. W. SchwarzaillA. Hubert 11 0); 4. E. StruerlK. van der Kaap 18); 5. R. SteinhauseniK. Arthur (61; 6. B. Holzer/C Meierhans 151; . 7. B. Broden/B Gallros141; 8. A MichaIIP. Gerard 131; 9. J . HoeckertJH. Matthews 121; 10. M. KumanolN. Oxley111, Isle of Man record broken ' by Dunlop By Chris Carter ISLE OF MAN , ENGLAND, MAY 31-JUNE S Irishman Joey Dunlop, winner of the Classic TT, and Sidecar ace Jock Taylor, overall winner of the two part Sidecar TT were the stars of a controversial and weather-hit Isle of Man TT. Dunlop, the U1sterman who had to hitch a lift over to the Island because he was short of cash , picked up a cool $16 ,500 for his Classic victory, and twice smashed Mick Grant's absolute lap record In the process, lapping finally at 115.22 mph. Taylor rewrote the sidecar record book. Beaten into second place by Trevor Ireson in the first leg, Taylor bounced back with a clearcut win in heat two breaking the lap record from a standing start. . With protests after Mick Grant's Formula One win , Charlie Williams' victory in the Formula Two TT on board the new 350cc Yamaha, four deaths on the circuit, and two days racing lost through bad weather, the TT could hardly rate among the greatest ones. The fatalities were Marty Ames, a sidecar driver injured in a crash at Bray Hill in Saturday's sidecar race, passenger Andrew Holme hurt in a seperate crash in the same race, Roger Corbett a 3S-year-old father of three young daughters killed at Glen Helen on the second lap of the Classic TT, and a course marshall , 61-year-old Percy Guest, who was badly injured when tryin~ to stop a spectator on a motorcycle Just before the roads closed for practice at Braddan Bridge. Seriously injured after crashing in Friday evening's final practice session was Alex George, winner of last year's Formula One and Classic TT's. He is recovering slowly after being on a life support machine for several days . Alex's absence took the edge off the Formula One TT that started the race prograrp.. With George out , the Honda factory team was down to Ron Haslam and Mick Grant , and when Ron was forced to retire on the third lap when the rear, chain broke going over Braddan Bridge, it was left to Grant to carry the Honda flag . Early race leader Graeme McGregor had required fluid draining of his knee and a pain killing injection before the race, after he hurt his knee at Governors Bridge .in the previous evening's practice session when he fell off his 350cc Yamaha. McGregor stayed In front of the pack for close to two laps, but the intermediate tires he had chosen to cope with the damp track began to slide, and he dropped back. A lap later , still in fifth place, the clutch cable snapped and he pulled out. After a slow start, Grant forced his way into the lead , and at the end of the race crossed the line almost II seconds ahead of runner-up Graeme Crosby on the Yoshimura Suzuki. But Croz was far from a happy man at the end of it all . He, and others had seen Grant punching in the sides of the gas tank, and immediately assumed that the tank had been above the 24 liters limit and that Grant was trying to cover it up. . Croz wanted to protest, but Suzuki talked him out of it. Then in stepped Gordon Pantall, sponsor of fourth finisher Alan Jackson aboard Crosby's old Moriwaki Kawasaki. Pantall made an official protest, and on Sunday the FIM decided not to confirm the results and instead wait to hear what Grant and Honda had to say . He admitted hitting the tank, but claimed quite rightly that there was nothing illegal in that actl His objective had been to ensure that even if some of the plastic oil containers stuffed into the tank to reduce its capacity had punctured, then he wouldn't be excluded on a technicality . The protest was thrown out. Graeme Crosby was still far from happy, but finally shook hands with Grant in a bid to clear the air. Crosby's annoyance was understandable, particularly in view of some dubious tactics allegedly used by Honda before the race began. Graeme had 'a p pealed to the Jury to change his start number from three , which he felt was too low for him in only his second year at the TT. The Jury let him change to number 11, but a few minutes before the race started Honda , in turn protested, and wanted Croz to start from the number three place on the grid, but riding number II. Crosby finally started alongside Grant, and despite Mick's fears that th is could produce a dangerous situation, the race itself was run without incident. The track was drying out for the first leg of the Sidecar TT which followed , but with the track, wet between the start and Ballacraine for the whole three laps speeds were low, and only Jock Taylor's final lap topped the 100 mph mark. . Trevor Ireson won the r ace, to make it three Sidecar victories in succession, following last year's double, but Taylor almost caught him with a last lap dash that slashed a 30 second lead to just six at the flag . Other top liners had their problems, too . Rolf Biland the world champion was forced to stop on the first lap with a defective petrol pump , Ro lf Steinhausen lost a lot of time when he lost all the water out his radiator, and Australian Peter Campbell stopped with a seized engine. Jock Taylor took full advantage of the final Sidecar heat to show just how good a sidecar racer he is. His passenger, BengaJohansson had never raced round the island but that didn't slow Jock down . On the first lap he set a record lap from a standing start, and went quicker still next time round. But Benga had spotted a problem, and at - the - end of the" liip he pulled ' in- to repair a broken radiator bracket. Despite that stop , and running short of fuel eight miles from home Jock galloped home 34 seconds ahead of Ireson. But it was a close thing because the Scotsman's Yamaha outfit actually ran out of fuel 200 yards from the flag. 00 Third home was Nigel Rollason ~ with the British built Barton Phoenix· engined outfit, and unlucky Mick Boddice saw himself robbed of another top three place with a defective rear tyre. He limped home fourth. The stars were again in trouble. Ste inhausen failed to finish because of more engine trouble, Biland had left to catch his boat home, and Campbell's engine blew up once more. Graeme Crosby managed to push all of the weekend's unpleasantness out of his mind before the Senior TT. Crosby swept into the Senior TT lead starting the fourth lap th a nks to a slick refueling stop, but the man he passed, Ian Richards, did not give up. Richards regained the lead and was neck and neck on time with Croz, when his Suzuki had a seized gearbox at a fast bend just before Ballacraine, Ian held the high speed slide, but was out of the race. • Crosby went on to a, comfortable win almost a minute clear of Steven Cull and Steve Ward. Charlie Williams took a step towards winning his first world title by riding the new 350cc Yamaha to victory in the Formula Two race. The sponsor of second place fin isher Chris Guy protested about the homologation of the bike. The Jury threw that protest out , too . Charlie finished a full two m inutes ahead of Guy , but it was a much closer thing in the Formula Three race. Motorcycle dealer Barry Smith proved that life does begin at 40 by winning the race for the second year in succession. He lost the lead when he had to stop for fuel , and Chris Griffiths rode his Aero Macchi through non-stop. But Barry overhauled the 4-stroke, and went on to win by 34 seconds. Third home was Ron Haslam who hadn't ridd en the Honda until the race started. W illiams made it two wins on the trot by winning the 250cc Junior TT which followed . Cut from six laps to four the race was always under his control. Williams' hopes of making it three solo wins were slim , as he only had the 350 Yamaha left to ride, but when he seized the engine at Ballaugh Bridge on the first lap of the Classic TT that was that. Dunlop set the pace on his 750cc Yamaha , but Mick Grant who had worked his way up to second place by the halfway stage, grabbed the lead after both came in for fuel. Grant, on the 1062cc Honda , took just 12 seconds, but Dunlop's stop cost him 53 seconds. That d idn't hold him back for long. Grant's lead was eaten away on the fourth lap , and a record breaking lap next time round had the pair almost tied on time. Joey took almost ten seconds off the lap record next time round , and Grant, in trouble with the gearing on his Honda .. which had been changed mysteriously before the race -- could not hold him. After a couple of worrying moments on the last lap, Grant eased off and Joey won by mo re than 20 seconds. Dunlop had sa id that was likel y to be his last race , following the tragic death of his brother-in -law a couple of weeks earlier in the North West 200 , but with this result behind him he was not quite so sure. • o - 17

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