Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~B4 Grand Prix preview (Co':'ltinuedfrom page 25) .. The 250cc class is shaping up to be the most competitive in years with a dozen or m'ore likely title contenders, - 30 tive new features, and with his 0[[road bike business booming, Franco Villa and brother Walter, a four-time World Champion, feel the time is right for a return to the GP scene they left when their VB-4 250 was banned by the FIM in 1969. Then there's a new bike, coming soon from another famous name, Morbidelli, and it's an ultra-light reed-valve monocoque with multiadjustable suspension and chassis configuration in Formula One car style, These latter two really are aiming at '85 and beyond, but this sea on is make or break for the Pernod team, now run by former rider Christian Estrosi, with designer Jean Bidalot back on the squad and a strong rider team featuring Jean-Francois Balde and Ihitish GP winner Jacques Bolle. Bolle's Silverstone victory in a blanket finish with eight other riders not only epitomized 250cc racing but also gave the Pernod team another year to finally achieve a consistent run of success. With a new bike featuring 16" wheels front and rear, and some extensive (and expensive) offseason testing in Brazil with Michelin, I have to ay that this season the Pernod ould indeed finally fulfill its promise: it has. to, really, else next year tIle giant firm's sponsorship funds will probably go to car ra ing. Then there' the Rotax brigade, heartened by Manfred Herweh' win in Austria last year which gave the Austrian engine its first cia i victory, and encouraged the bo es of the Canadian-owned firm to produce a considerably improved version of the tandem-twin engine for this sea on. Herweh has traded his Real's pondon chassis for a Dutch Bakker one, and he's a tough customer, but so too is '83 Eurochamp Carlos Cardus from Spain, who won every race he finished in that series last sea on (if he didn't fall off the unusual but effe tive V-framed Kobas). Cardus is a gritty little character, and with designer Antonio Cobas producing a new spaceframe bike for this year which weighs right down to the 198 pound class limit, Carlos could spring surprises if he can stay upright. Last year's GP Kobas rider, Sito Pons, looked set for a good result until he hurt himself in Austria, Pons has opted for a brace of Yamaha TZs which I think will turn out to be a mistake, A much more dedicated The 50cc class has gone big time and is now an 80cc contest which has added new entries, Stefan Dorflinger will be back to defend his title, excellent Yamaha riders like Patrick Fernandez (back on a TZ after a season with the troublesome but peedy Bartol. which Augu t Auinger may well open a few eyes with this year), Ivan PaJazzese, Thierry Espie,Jacques Cornu (who topped the World Championship last year until endurance racing commitments interceded) and Martin Wimmer. Martin let me down la t eason, after I tipped him for the title, but he till finished sixth in the erie and I still reckon he'll make it one year, probably not this one, though. One guy I'd like to ee finally achieve a ood championship result is Briton Tony Head, not for any chauvinistic rea ons but because the way he's hauled him elf up Ihrough the GP tables after starting GP racing on an old Yamaha and just enough ash to get to the first race is a model to the dedi ated bUI impecunious rider. Fifth in the last '83 GP on an Armstrong, he's been rewarded with a works-assi ted ride this season using one of the new Armstrong (not Rotax) engines most likely in the revolutionary carbon-fiber frame. If the development bugs can be sorted out, the bike is certainly light and power. ful enough to do well. At the same time don't overlook former Suzuki works rider Loris Reggiani, now recovered from the erious injuries that kept him sidelined almost all last season. He's bought the pair of Kawasakis run by Pier Conforti in Italy and could well . emulate Herve Guilleux's fourth place in the championship last eason on similar bikes, Pickinga winner out ofthis lot is a lottery, but I'll go for Mang because he's proved he's fit again, he really wants to regain his title, and Sepp Schlogl i a bloody clever bloke, But Sarron, Fontan, Carter, Cornu and I-1erweh could all give him problems, and that's not even allowing for the new Honda. I'd fancy Reggiani's chances 100, except 1 think he'll run out of pares for the Kawasaki, One thing's sure, though, the 250cc race will invariably be the highlight of a day's GP racing this season, And I do think the 1984 250cc World Champion will be ridinga Yamaha-powered Look for more exotic machinery in the Sidecar ranks and the Rolf Biland team to dominate, rider than he was a year ago, Sito has real talent, but pitting it on standard machines against the works-assisted bikes of Lavado, Martin Wimmer and, of course, the Kenny Roberts team of Alan Carter and "Superbike champ Wayne Rainey is unlikely to lead to success, KR's decision to get into team management with Yamaha was a logical step, and if anyone can make young Carter simmer down and realize you have to stay on to win, Roberts can, Given the right kind of control, Caner can be the Barry heene of the 1980s, but he won't get that from his family because they're too close to him, "Mighty Mouse" needs the firm, authoritative handling that omeone like Kenny can give to make him into a consistent GP winner. That he's got what it take was proved by his last to first win in France last year, but then he started unloading in almost every race, usually byovercooking it as a result of immalllrity, and was lucky not to damage himself badly. Getting taken under KR's wing is the best thing that could have happened to Alan Carter, and though teammate Rainey is an excellent rider he'll take a while to settle in Europe and by then Carter could be World Champion-if he listens to King Kenny, Not to be discounted are other maclline. 19 5 though -that' another thing. In the 125cc la there's nothing to stop Angel Nieto making it lucky number 13, provided he isn't expected to Let Lazzarini finally win a l25cc title again on the other Garelli, Vitali and some of the other MBA runners might get into the frame a couple of times, but only if the Garellis falter. [n the _80cc class, though, there looks to be some exciting racing in store, with onsiderably increased power and speed over the old fifties and a whole host of new designs, some incorporating really innovative engineering concepts, Having won the inaugural ,8Qcc , '

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