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lind 3 im! World Championship Road Race Series: Round 2 Mamola • wins Austrian GP, Roberts DNF By Nick Harris SALZBURGRING, AUSTRIA, APR. 26 Californian Randy Mamolats chances of scaling motorcycle racing's highest peak started in magnificient style when he was an easy winner of the opening 500cc Grand Prix of the season Pre-nK:e fec:ea included Eddie 1JIwaon lebove) end Bruce Meua lblIIow)' lButtum) Angel Nieto leeds the 12&c:c rece. among the snow capped mountaim at the Austrian Salzburgring. Despite nursing a swollen left hand and damaged right wrist, he took a firm grip on the 500cc championship crown by spearheading a Suzuki clean sweep. Graeme Crosby finished second and Japanese ace Hiroyulti Kawasaki third. while the Yamaha men were left to fight out the lower placings. A sore World Champion Kenny Roberts retired on the new square-four engined Yamaha with rear suspension problems, and it remained for Britain's former world champion, Barry Sheene, to restore a little bit of their pride, riding the conventional Yamaha into fourth place in front of Dutchman Boet Van Dulmen on a similar machine. Mamola simply sizzled around the ultra· fast Salzburgring and to the delight of the enormous sun-drenched crowd smashed Roberts' old lap record when he circulated at an average speed of 117.41 mph. ..It was a very hard race. and my hand and wrist are very sore." he explained after the race. "I could not have asked for a better result. I kept looking at my sign board for Roberts to appear, but he never came, and I knew I was safe. The circuit is so good for the Suzuki because the new bike is so fast." His only real threat -came from Suzuki teammate, Italian Marco Lucchinelli who stole the lead from Crosby on the first lap and led for six laps until Mamola. weighing up the race for the opening few laps, took the lead. The flamboyant Italian took over again for a couple of laps until he ran out of brakes and crashed without injury at the chicane. Crosby. who led the race for the ing two laps, moved into second ace and shadowed his teammate in rilliant style to finish 10 seconds adrift at the checkered flag. "Fantastic result," he said, "and even better than last year when we sat ~ around in the bar drinking beer all day because of the snow." Kawasaki's ride through the field was equally impressive. At the end of the first lap he was fifteenth but he soon fought his way into seventh place to get involved in a super scrap with Sheene, Christian Sarron (Yamaha). Van Dulmen and Kork Ballington (Kawasaki). Using his Suzuki's superior speed to good effect he slowly pulled away to lead Sheene by two seconds at the finish. World Champion Roberts walked away from the race a disappointed man. After holding fourth place for a number of laps. he slowed with rear monoshock problems and eventuallr retired on lap 13. "I just had to slow and then retire because the bike was trying to throw me off:' he explained. Sheene, showing much of his old style, was much happier with his performance and was involved in a super three way scrap with Sarron and Van Dulmen until Sarron retired when his rear brake pipe came off. "I was pleased with my ride," said Sheene. "I knew I could not stay with the Suzukis." Ballington finished sixth behind Van Dulmen, with Franco Uncini (Suzuki) seventh. Takazumi Katayama rode the new NR500 Honda into thirteenth place. New Zealander Stuart Avant retired just before the finish when his Suzuki broke a crankshaft while Michel Frutschi (Yamaha) Slopped on the first lap with gearbox problems and Graziano Rossi seized on his new Morbidelli. There were strong words from World Champion Jon Ekerold (Yamaha) after a superb three rider battle in the 35 lap 350cc race was resolved on the last bend, when Patrick Fernandez (Yamaha) snatched victory after Ekerold and his arch rival Tony Mang (Kawasaki) touched fairings in a dramatic clash. ''I'm very unhappy with Mang." explained Ekerold who had to settle for third place. "If I hadn't picked up my bike when he torpedoed me I would have brought all three of us down." The incident overshadowed a superb ride by Fernandez who won only his second Grand Prix on the Pernod-sponsored Yamaha. "I was using a new motor and 16 inch front wheel and although I had to wait until that very last bend. it was worth it and I feel fantastic." he said. The race was also a triumph for new Australian star Graeme Geddes (Yamaha) who followed up his form in Argentina with a magnificent fourth place, despite a troub1esome rear tire. British aces Keith Huewen (Yamaha) and Tony Head (Yamaha) also deserved praise for morale· boosting performances. Huewen fought a tremendous duel for sixth place with Swiss rider Jacques Cornu (Yamaha) throughout the race and showed what a great grand prix prospect he is. especially in the 350cc class, by finish· ing sixth behind early leader Venezuelan Carlos Lavado (Yamaha) who slowed with a broken exhaust pipe. Head had to work even harder for his ninth place after a bad start. Lap after lap he fought tooth and nail with Thierry Espie (Yamaha). who eventually finished eighth, Ed Stollinger (Yamaha) and Bruno Kneubuhler (Yamaha). Jean Francois Balde (Yamaha). who was second in the opening round in Argentina, was sidelined with ignition problems while Eric Saul (Yamaha) and Alan North (Yamaha) were brought down on the first bend on lap one. Frenchman Michel Rougerie (Yamaha) was rushed to hospital with suspected broken ribs after crashing out of sixth place on lap 18. . Although being well down on power Tony Rogers (Yamaha) finished a creditable 18th on his third 350 ride of the season. Despite his annoyance. Ekerold still leads the World Championship with Fernandez second. two points adrift. It was a shame the race had to end on a sour note because the baule up front thrilled the crowd throughout. While Mang and Ekerold tried to psyche each other out with the German leading for most of the race, Fernandez was happy to bide his time and his pace obviously paid off at the finish. Spaniard Neito (Minerelli) increased his lead in the 125cc world championship over teammate Reggiani to six points after a comfortable victory in the 30 lap race. . He snatched the lead on the fourth lap and pulled away for an easy win while world champion Pier Paolo Bianchi and Reggiani fought like tigers for second place. Bianchi displaced Reggiani at half distance but on the very last lap was retaken and had to seule for third spot. • ...-4 00 C') ...-4 Results 500cc1 35 ' - . 92.16 milesl: 1. R. MamoI8 lSuzl: 2. ~ ISuzl: 4. B. ~ (Voml: 5. B. VIfn Dulmen IVoml: 6. K. IloIlinglon lKawI: 7. F. Unci"; ISuzl: 8. J. Midd-'g ISuzl: 9. W. Hanog ISuzl: 10. G. Pellelier lSuzl. Record lap: Mamola. 1m 20.7.. 117.41 mph. Old record: Roberts. 1979, 1m 21.!l9a, 116.05 mph. 350cc (35 ' - . 92.16 milesl: 1. P. FemIIndez /Yoml; 2. A. Mang lKawI; 3. J. Ekorold {Voml; 4. G. ~ IBimotal; 5. C. laYIIdo (Vom); 6. K. Hu_ (Voml; 7. J. C",nu IVaml; 8. T. Espie (P"rnod); 9. T. HeM! /Yaml; 10. E. SlOllinger IKawl. R""",d lap: Fernandez 1m 24.31. 112.45 mph. Old r""",d: K. Ballington (Kawl 1979; 1m 25.20. 111.15 mph. 125cc 130 lapl, 79 miles); 1. A. NiOle IMinl; 2. L. Reggiani IMinl; 3. P.P. Bianchi (MBA); 4. E. lnzorini IIproml; 5. G. WaibolIMBAI; 6. H. Muller IMBAI; 7. P.E. Car100n (MBAI: 8. M. Vitali {MBAI; 9. H. Hummell (MBAI; 10. H. Van K_IEGAI. _ l o p : Niolo. 1m JJs. 101.89 mph. G. Crooby ISuzl: 3. +I. Sidocars 130 ' - . 79 milesl: 1. J. ToytorlB. _ /Yoml; 2. R. BllondiK. W _ g /Yoml; 3. A.. MicholIM. BurUrd IVom) 29 ' - COi.ipIoted. 4. W. ~A. _ /Yam); 5. T. ~ooonIC. PoIIington IVarnI; 6. M. KumonoI T. T _ /Yoml; 2B ' - COi.ipIoted. 7. W. S1rOOOkIJ. Gr",_ndoolei ($iwal; 8. S. SchauzuIW. DieIz IVarnI: 9. R. S _ G . - - . . IE~); 10. J. VIfn Cor VenfT. Trooyen IVarnI. _1op;_.lm27.2s, 108.72 mph. 0Id_W.~tFMhllml0.e..1D4.511mph. 9