Ulster Grand Prix
B. R. NICHOLLS
BINGO FOR BULTACO! With a 1-2-3 victory in the 250 class of the Ulster Grand Prix, it was the surprise result at this year’s meeting, run, as usual, in wet conditions on the 7-1/2-mile Dundrod circuit in Northern Ireland. Course alterations at the infamous Leathemstown Bridge section had changed three tricky corners to a fast straight and this accounted for 125 and 500cc lap records by Honda teamsters Ralph Bryans and Mike Hailwood, respectively.
The day began with the 350 race and a big panic session minutes before the start, when mechanics adjusted a slack rear chain on Hailwood’s Honda. Although the works MV-3 of Giacomo Agostini led initially, it was Mike the Bike leading at the end of the first lap, with Agostini second. That was how they finished. Hailwood was over 80 seconds ahead. Behind them, however, it was a real ding dong for third spot, with 1965 winner Franta Stastny (Jawa) ahead of Gustav Havel (Jawa), John Blanchard (Seeley AJS) and Heinz Rosner (MZ). By lap six, things had settled down. Blanchard was out with brake trouble and Stastny’s bike had broken a crankshaft. Rosner, riding brilliantly on the 251 MZ, moved easily into third spot, only to suffer magneto trouble. Then, shooting through from a bad start came local hero Tommy Robb, 252cc Bultaco, revelling in the rain, to pass Havel and take third place. Dave Simmonds was now up to fifth after a trip down a slip road on his Nortonframed 305cc Honda twin. Joe Dunphy was sixth on his Norton and Peter Williams held seventh on the Arter AJS. The race finished with seven different makes taking the first seven places. Hailwood’s victory gave him the 350cc world title, which he takes over from teammate Jim Redman.
The 125 race followed with Phil Read electing to ride the Yamaha twin, instead of the new 11-speed water-cooled four that had been flown over for him to try in practice. Luigi Taveri, the 36-year-old Swiss ace on the Honda 5, drew away to win and his teammate, local hero, Ralph Bryans scorched through from a bad start to set a record lap and take second place from Read. Tommy Robb, riding a Yamaha in the place of injured Bill Ivy, took fourth place. Hugh Anderson and Frank Perris were fifth and sixth on Suzukis. It is one of the mysteries of the 1966 season just what has gone wrong with these Japanese two-strokes that took the 1965 title, for they are virtually unchanged, yet are two teeth down on gearing at the rear wheel. With Yamaha having already lost their 250 title to Honda and Suzuki, apparently unable to hold the Hondas in 50 and 125 classes, it looks as if all the solo titles will end up with the Honda concern.
ULSTER GRAND PRIX
After a lunch interval, during which the roads dried a little, the 500s lined up for battle. Away went Hailwood in front. Agostini did his best, but was unable to catch him. It was the 350 race all over again, for Mike won with consúmate ease and he and Agostini were the only ones to cover full distance. Blanchard was prominent on the Seeley Matchless, battling Jack Findlay (McIntyre Matchless), Chris Conn (Norton) and Peter Williams (Arter Matchless). Franta Stastny was a safe third on the 440cc Jawa, using a large auxiliary oil tank underneath the sump. Blanchard “threw it away” on the last lap without injury, giving fourth spot to Findlay. Hailwood completed his last lap at 105.3 mph for a new lap record, having been steadily breaking the old figure throughout the race.
So to the last race of the day and the 250s set off in steady rain. Hailwood, already class champion, was not riding, as the mileage limit rule of a maximum 310 miles a day applied with the distances he had covered in the 350 and 500 events. Phil Read (Yamaha) was the first lap leader. Tommy Robb (Bultaco) went out when a blow-hole in the crankcase caused the engine to tighten. Then Rosner (MZ) went out with gearbox trouble. Next to go was Stuart Graham (Honda 6). Out went the two Yamahas of Read and Mike Duff, so Fred Stevens, riding the MZ, for the first time, found himself leading. But his luck was short-lived. A carburetor stub broke off and his retirement left three Bultacos out front. So the race finished with New Zealander Ginger Malloy the winner, Gyula Marovsky, second and Kevin Cass, third. Selwyn Griffiths brought a Royal Enfield home fourth to gain that marque’s first championship points of the year.
