RACING REVIEW
HE WENT THATAWAY
The crushing ease with which the three-time 250cc world motocross champion, Torsten Hallman defeated all comers in the United States and Canada, must be evident to those who have seen him. To be fair, most of his opponents were not the sort of full-time professional that Mr. Hallman himself is. On the physical condition level alone, it’s hard to beat the lean, blonde, 27-year-old Swede, who began riding motorcycles at the age of 13 and entered active competition at 17. Torsten, soft-spoken, but firm, modest, but direct, runs several miles a day to keep fit. When a world points event is at stake, he arrives at the course a week before if he can, walks it, and then puts in 75 to 100 laps of practice so that he knows every dimple in the circuit. It should be very clear that the majority of our AMA pro and sportsman riders could well benefit from such a regimen! However, to use a Formula car parallel, AMA racing is still in the days of flashy, rock-em-sock-em riding in the style of Fangio and Taruffi, rather than in the present keep-fit-and-drink-milk days of Clark and Brabham.
It is no surprise, then, that Hallman identifies with that clean-cut formula car driver, Jim Clark. His first comment on being presented a bag in which to carry his new full coverage helmet from BellToptex was: “Hah, yust like Yim Clark.” He explained that Clark, unlike motorcycle factory riders, doesn’t have to work on his own car, and arrives in town for a race carrying little more than a small bag.
You read about Wilseyville last month and about Hope Town this month, so we won’t go too deeply into his other North American appearances. Except for these two races, he found the others short, both in length and duration, which bears out our opinion that most clubs hereabouts are making their closed circuit races too short and easy, and that riders — unless they enter hare and hound, or hare scrambles — aren’t getting a proper run for their money (even the Dirtdiggers GP has been chopped to 10 short laps).
At his appearance at Aldergrove, B.C., Canada, Hallman had virtually no opposition and spent most of the time with his front wheel in the air for fun, although he lost the chance to lap second-place Vern Amor in one two-fifty heat when he fell in some muck. In the open class, Hallman’s biggest opposition was Bultacomounted amateur Peter Van Bruegel, who was turning up the wick more skillfully than the experts with whom he shared company. Aldergrove, although it has some tough spots, is only a half mile long, which hardly meets the standard for a true international contest a la FIM.
When Hallman headed East, everyone opined, “Wait’ll Joe Bolger and the boys get through with him. They ride rough scrambles back there.” Arrangements were made by New England Sports Committee president Bob Hicks for Torsten to have a go at Pepperell, Mass., which is thought to be one of the rougher New England courses and is appropriately nicknamed “Pepper Hell.” Along came aforesaid Bolger, experimenting with a new barrel on his Bultaco; 500cc champ Mei Ganscos and a stock Victor Grand Prix with a few handling mods; Hicks on a Sprint; George Cunha, Triumph; Dick Bettencourt, 360 CZ; Canadian team rider Dave Sehl, 360 CZ; Norm Richens, 360 Husqvarna; New Yorker Barry Higgins, BSA Victor; and no less than Canadian champion Yvon du Hamel, CZ.
In practice, Bob Hicks looked the most impressive of the bunch. Hallman saved his Husky for the real thing. Joe Bolger blew a piston. As a matter of fact, it just wasn’t Bolger’s day and he managed to blow up in all three 250 heats. Canadian du Hamel faded away in the latter heats, as did much of the other opposition. Overall it was Hallman, first, with 1,200 points; Hicks, second with 769; Floridan Dorsey Fields, third with 619; and Ron Jeckel with 525.
In the three 500cc races, Hallman used the same production Husqvarna he had used in the 250cc races, due to the expensive logistics involved in bringing his machinery east. Barry Higgins managed to stay with Hallman in one of the heats, after battling with du Hamel for second. Mel Ganscos crashed early in the game, which rather queered his chances for doing too well. George Cunha Jr. put up a good show in the final heat. Overall, it was Hallman, followed -by Higgins, Cunha, Richens and Bettencourt.
It was at the 1 /2-mile, 10-lap Pepperell event that Hallman noted that European courses were a good deal longer and rougher. “You must be a good rider to go around the course there,” he said, “but here you can take a street bike and go around it.”
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SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP
In 1957,-Barry Briggs, a young 21-yearold New Zealander, won the World Speedway Championship for the first time in his career. Nine years later he won it for the fourth time at Gothenburg in Sweden, thus making sure his name will go down in Speedway history as one of motorcycling’s all-time greats.
And what a season this cheerful “Newzap” has had! Apart from winning the title, he has won practically every title there is to win this year — the British league riders Championship, Best Pairs Trophy, Golden Helmet holder, and winner of the Champion of Champions match race.
His crowning glory was that he came out in third place in the “Man of the Year” contest organized by the largest weekly in Britain, Motor Cycle News. And the two in front of him in the contest? Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood, no less!
Barry won the title in typical style: Flat out and tigering all the way. But it was not easy. For a start he was riding with his shoulder strapped up, legacy of a grass track fall some time ago. It was giving him considerable pain. Allied to that, in the toughest heat of the night Norwegian Sverre Harrfeldt led him from the gate. Briggs got past and was heading for the flag when his ESO engine spluttered and Harrfeldt started to close the gap. The motor coughed into life again just in time for Briggs to take the flag. Harrfeldt came in second and was second to Briggs in the title standings, one point behind. Third man was Antonyn Woryna from Poland, who placed third in the European qualifying round.
CHAMPIONSHIP PLACINGS
AMA INDOOR SESSION
Twenty-three swiftly paced races comprised the latest program of AMA indoor short track races at Southern California’s plush Long Beach Arena. The circular beachfront edifice played host to 100 machines and riders in the professional 250cc class, with an additional 37 bikes competing in the new lOOcc category.
Day-long practice preceded the Saturday night race meet, and a new track shape was created for the event. Longer and narrower, the course allowed far more sliding and passing than before, as well as providing better spectator visibility.
Riders drew lots for starting positions in 10-man heat races, then worked their way through four semi-finals to lOOcc, “A” and “B” Main Events.
Favored to take home a sizable portion of the $2,500-plus purse was Eddie Mulder, practically unbeatable in previous indoor sessions at Long Beach. The Triumph ace finished first in his heat race, as expected, but failed to find the winning combination thereafter.
Decisive victor in the 15-lap “A” final was H-D Sprint-mounted Mert Lawwill, who made two jarring trips to the concrete in preliminary events before settling down for the win that counted.
Honda rider Jack Simmons, first in the lOOcc Main and 250cc Trophy Dash, wound up second to Lawwill in the 250cc feature for the evening’s most consistent (and lucrative) performance.
Action, ultra-close and frantic, produced numerous spills, none of them serious. In fact, several were humorous, including one in which Bob Bailey found himself an unwilling passenger on the rear fender of John Tibben’s Sprint, necessitating a “B” Main restart.
Winner of the “B” Main was Ralph White on a resurrected 1937 BSA, once ridden by Nick Nicholson to class victory at a Catalina race. White was followed in by Bultaco riders Steve Scott and Sonny Nutter.
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A progressive program pitted novices, amateurs and experts against one another, and several first-year riders gave excellent accounts of themselves. Outstanding among these was Rick Woods; he rode a heady, steady race to finish third in the “A” final ahead of expert Elliott Schultz and another rapid novice, Mike Lithicum. Dan Kelley also did well, grabbing second in the lOOcc go.
Adding to the color of the show, intermission activities included a go-kart exhibition, mini-bike races between local disc jockeys, a drawing for a free motorcycle, the resounding talents of the Long Beach Junior Concert Band — 100 strong — and an attractive assortment of flag wavers and baton twirlers.
Pleased by audience reaction to the event, promoters Don Brymer and Bob Dowis, of Trojan Enterprises, have announced four more short track dates upcoming at the Long Beach Arena — January 14, 21 and February 4 and 18. Riders, winter-weary and race-hungry, will be out in force.
SHORT TRACK RESULTS
AAMRR CLUB CLASSIC
Winding up the AAMRR 1966 season was the big one at Danville, Va., the Second Annual AAMRR Club Classic. Starting off a series of exciting finals were the 125, 175 and 200cc classes, running concurrently for separate prizes. Larry Koup led all the way on a 200cc Bultaco, experiencing difficulty holding the lead twice. Kurt Liebmann, hard after him on his Benelli, blew on the third lap. As the end neared, 175cc winner James Baughn, Honda, caught onto Larry and chased him for several laps. Mixing it up all the way, the 125 Yamaha of William Pew led the 125 Morini right into the middle of the 175 class, and into the winners circle.
The contest between Kurt and Larry also decided the 200cc championship this year, with Larry taking it along with the Danville win.
In the 250cc event, John Barnes, Yamaha, kept John Cooper some distance behind on an H-D Sprint. The race followed. Kurt Liebmann grabbed third with his Bultaco, Leon Cromer latched onto fourth, Richard Clark, fifth, and Frank Camillieri, sixth, for the first lap. Then Frank passed Clark on the second and Cromer on the third. Beau Brinker passed Clark on the fourth and Jim Murphy did the same on the fifth. Some more changing followed and, across the finish it was Barnes, Cooper, Liebmann, Camillieri, Cromer, Murphy. Frank Camillieri, who was the only one in position to challenge Andres Lascoutx’s commanding point lead (Andy was out with a bandaged hand) was unable to get into position to hurt him.
The 250 juniors were led all the way by Yamaha-mounted Phil Crichton, and Elvis Nicholson, both of whom will be in the senior class next season. Some distance behind, Bennie Johnson fought off a battle for third successively with his H-D Sprint. Terry Ernst got fourth with a Yamaha and Gerald Shoemaker fifth on an H-D.
The 350 junior and senior classes ran concurrently. Getting around in fantastic speed, Kurt Liebmann led Fred Simone, John Barnes, Phil Crichton, Frank Camillieri and John Cooper into the second lap. Frank grabbed third spot on the second as Fred dropped off behind Cooper and Phil dropped behind Fred. Next lap saw Leon Cromer take one more position from Phil as he edged by into sixth, then by Fred into fifth. On the fifth lap, Barnes dropped out, moving Frank into second. Gradually, Frank closed up on Kurt, who was still leading. On the eighth lap, Frank and Kurt crossed the line side by side, while, in the back, Fred Simone lost his engine. Finish was Frank, Kurt, John Cooper, Cromer and Crichton. This win gave Camillieri the 350cc class championship, Kurt place position and the immortal Andres Lascoutx show spot.
A tough contest marked the combined class 500cc junior and senior event, the fight being for second place, Ed LaBelle ran off with his Manx to take first, but George Rockett, Norton, and John Barnes, Honda, had quite an argument for second, with Barnes victorious.
1967 AMA EVENTS
ENDUROS
SCRAMBLES
OTHERS
Point leader George Rockett got enough for third place to ensure the championship for the second time in three years. Ed LaBelle, last year’s class champion, got second in point standings.
George and Ed swapped positions for the open class championship. Ed won this one by winning the event at Danville. George lost a lap due to engine trouble.
USA vs. MEXICO
Each year a little known U. S. group known as PARA (Pan-American Racing Association) stages a two-part Pan American Trials and Motocross Championship with one leg in Sedan, Kansas, and the other in Mexico City. The activities of this FIM-affiliated group are sparked by Sedan frame manufacturer William Grapevine. In addition to riding his own product with various engines therein, he directs an 80-acre facility called Aztec Park, which is the scene of the Yanqui part of the competition.
The statesiders dominated both the trials and motocross events at each leg, mainly because they were on better machinery.
However, one Mexico City native managed to push into third in the 175cc motocross class of the Kansas leg — Guillermo Medina on a 125cc Moto Guzzi. In the Mexican leg of the lOOcc motocross, Pepe Peralta managed a third on his Carabela; winner was Californian Bill Stewart, Suzuki, who had already won in Kansas. Twofifty winner in Mexico was Bill Thomas, Montesa. Two-fifty winner in Kansas was Britisher Victor Booco*ck, Greeves.
In putting on these events, PARA was a joint sponsor with the Mexican FIM affiliate, the Federación Mexicana de Motociclismo.
PARA’s plans for 1967 include a national U. S. trials championship to be held on April 15 and 16 in Sedan, Kansas. Deadline for entries is March 30. The trial will be a Scotts-type trial, putting emphasis on speed through the entire course as well as foot-up style through the individual sections.
Further information is available from PARA president Grapevine, Aztec Park, Box 359, Sedan, Kansas.
RACING IN LAS VEGAS
Vegas Sports Promotions is going for motorcycles in a big way this year, having both drags and GP-style road racing with purses scheduled at the Stardust International Raceway, Las Vegas, Nevada. First of the events is on Saturday, February 18 — an all-bike drag meet featuring 10 of the West Coast’s fastest big-bore dragsters.
An AFM purse race, guaranteeing $1,500 or 40 percent of the gate, whichever is greater, is scheduled for Sunday, February 19. Interested parties should contact their local AFM chapters for further information and entry blanks. Inquiries on the track, itself, should go to Reg Scheldrick, director, at Box 5511, Las Vegas, Nev., or by telephone: (702-382-8156).
