Out front in the Austrian GP: Bauer, Robert, Weil, Hansen, Everts and Falta. But after five of the 12, 250 cc GPs, it´s Willi Bauer with yhe points lead. If he keeps that up, if Roger does it again this year, and if Gaston Rahier continues to dominate the 125 cc, Suzuki could take all three in the first year all the classes are World Championships.
He lost the Championship to the Russian last year when a bad back injury put him out for the beginning of the season, but Hakan Andersson is dialed again. The first moto of the season was his in Spain, there was another in Belgium, and a couple of good finishes in Poland put him into the race. Hakan could put it together and do it again.
Joel Robert is back and in training, trying for an incredible seventh Championship. Guenady Moiseev, purported champion this year, is out so far this season with an arm that's broken in two places. Rybaltchenko, the Russian who knocked Falta down last year, is in, however, and has scored points in every GP. Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Moiseev's KTM teammate, has been trying, but his best to date was an eighth at the Polish GP.
Harry Everts Keeps smiling, but the GP season is serious. The racing's been tight; he won in Spain on time like Bauer did in Czechoslovakia. As a matter fact, it's remarkable that the Czechs gave it to Willi, since he was tied with Miroslav Halm, the CZ rider who usually only shows up to win the hometown event. But after five events, things are settling down and the trends are beginning to show.
Everts and Roberts: both possibles for this year's Champion. Harry won in Spain and in Poland; he's the only rider even close to Bauer. But Joel is, after all, Joel. Anything is possible for him. It´s rumored that he's swearing off everything but motocross this year.
Jim Pomeroy used to be the only American ever to win a Grand Prix. Now he's the only American to ever win two. At Retinne, Belgium, he set fastest time in practice, missed the start, and worked his way past everyone in the world to take it. In the second moto, he worked his way up again until he was behind a German trio of Willi Bauer, Adolf Weil and Hans Maisch, all following Hakan, who had the moto wire to wire. When Weil slipped a chain, Willi and Jim got by. That was good for fourth and good enough for the overall.
Hideaki Suzuki is sharing the Grand Prix circuit with his brother, Torao. Hideaki will ride the Yamaha until the German GP, then Torao takes over. Hideaki is a true banzai rider, giving it everything, using both hands and feet to turn, and forcing his way past anyone he can. His best ride was a fourth in Poland's first moto.
Off Montesa and on Husqvarna, Kalevi Vehkonen ran into bad luck at the Sittendorf, Austria, track. A "rally driver" wiped out his car, the organizers slapped him into the second start row, and then someone stood in front of him as the gate fell. He punched the guy out, but that didn't make up for finishing out of the points.
Jaroslav Falta, back in fourth place in points, spoke about this year's season: "I think Hakan Andersson and Harry Everts will be the guys to look for," and about 250s in general: "It's tougher in the 250 class because there are better riders and so many more makes are competing. This makes standards higher. I don't like the 500s. They are dull and clumsier".
250CC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
SPANISH GRAND PRIX
SPANISH GRAND PRIX
- Harry Everts ....PUC
- Willi Bauer......SUZ
- Hakan Andersson.....YAM
- Adolf Weil......MAI
- Jaroslav Falta.......CZ
- Sylvain Geboers.......HUS
- Torleif Hansen.......KAW
- Joel Roberts..........SUZ
- Kalevi Vehkonen.........HUS
- Hans Maisch......MAI
AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
- Jaroslav Falta ....CZ
- Joel Robert ....SUZ
- Willi Bauer .... SUZ
- Oldrich Hammersmid .... CZ
- Jim Pomeroy .... BUL
- Harry Everts .... PUC
- Hans Maisch .... MAI
- Torleif Hansen .... KAW
- Adolf Weil .... MAI
- Zdenek Velky .... CZ
BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
- Jim Pomeroy .... BUL
- Willi Bauer .... SUZ
- Adolf Weil .... MAI
- Hakan Andersson .... YAM
- Hans Maisch .... MAI
- Zdenek Velky .... CZ
- Joel Roberts .... SUZ
- Harry Everts .... PUC
- Eugeny Rybaltchenko .... CZ
- Uno Palm .... HUS
CZECHOSLOVAKIAN GRAND PRIX
- Willi Bauer .... SUZ
- Miroslav Halm .... CZ
- Zdenek Velky .... CZ
- Jaroslav Falta .... CZ
- Hans Maisch .... MAI
- Joel Robert .... SUZ
- Oldrich Hammersmid .... CZ
- Adolf Weil .... MAI
- Jim Pomeroy .... BUL
- Vic Allan .... BUL
POLISH GRAND PRIX
- Harry Evert .... PUC
- Hakan Andersson ....YAM
- Willi Bauer .... SUZ
- Adolf Weil .... MAI
- Uno Palm .... HUS
- Hans Maisch .... MAI
- Hideaki Suzuki .... YAM
- Eugeny Rybaltchenko .... CZ
- Vic Allan .... BUL
- Sylvain Geboers .... HUS
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