62 replies to this topic

[renzo_zorzi]

ok i apologize for asking a non-formula 1 related question here. but it deals with the "formula 1" of motorbike - the legendary FIM 500 cc worldchampionships. i guess there are likeminded people here just into many forms of motor sports like me and i didnt find a good bike gp forum yet.

ok now the question: i am too young to have witnesses it myself but during my self-taught history-lessons i came across strange results regarding the 1982 500cc gp of france held in Nogaro.

that race was won by suisse rider Michel frutschi on an italian bike called "Sanvenero", in fact a small company that was unlikely to be competitive against suzuki, honda, yamaha and kawasaki, all of which have had their teams competing in the 1982 500cc championships. no other big names (like roberts, spencer or mamola) entered that particular race so i guess there must have been a strike or some other incident that kept the first league of riders away from the Nogaro-circuit. unfortunately on the net there is near to nothing in english available on the 82 French gp apart from those odd results.

maybe someone could enlighten me briefly on what happaned there?
thanx in advance!

[JB Miltonian]

I have only one issue of "Motocourse", and it just happens to be - 1982!

The French GP at Nogaro was boycotted by all of the major riders. The story is told at length in the text of the book, but it boils down to the following which was the content of the riders letter to the event organizers:

"To: The Organizers, French Grand Prix
We, the undersigned have unamiously agreed that for the reasons listed below, we will not compete in the French Grand Prix at Nogaro.
1. The overall conditions of the circuit and the paddock fall well short of civilized standards.
2. The track surface is too bumpy and presents serious safety hazards for both riders and machines.
3. The toilets, used daily by more than 250 people, are a disgrace and a serious health hazard.
4. Though there are some electric power points, these are totally inadequate.
5. The overcrowded paddock is a fire risk, magnified by the problems of the electric supply. A fire would be totally uncontrollable and due to the confined area, and the notable lack of fire fighting equipment would cause wholesale loss of property and perhaps even life.

We are particularly disappointed to have to make this decision at this stage, but would point out that the FIM was told of our serious concern at the suitability of Nogaro for the French GP at a meeting with the riders at the British GP at Silverstone last year."

So there you go.

[MoMurray]

In 1982, Franco Uncini won the 500GP title on a Suzuki and deserved to. However, the title in the 250GP class was very much decided by that Nogaro race and the unlikely Tounadre goes down in histroy as a wc because of it.

Mo.

[MoMurray]

ps. as a point of curiosity, why have you selected the username Renzo Zorzi?

Mo.

[renzo_zorzi]

i like the sound of it. and his name was much better than his results ;)

[renzo_zorzi]

thanx a lot JB!!! riddle of history solved!

[philippe7]

Originally posted by MoMurray
However, the title in the 250GP class was very much decided by that Nogaro race and the unlikely Tounadre goes down in histroy as a wc because of it.

Mo.

As a nationalistic frog, I will of course strongly object to your comment, Mo ;)

Seriously though, Tournadre indeed took a 15 points advantage on Tony Mang on the occasion, but he nevertheless scored 6 podium finishes out of the 11 other races, and it was sympathetic anyway to see a small privateer beat all the works bikes.....and hell, Tony Mang has got enough world titles as it his, he can share a little !

In the french media, the extraordinary thing in Tournadre's title was not so much seen as the Nogaro events, but rather the national "plot" in the last GP at Hockenheim which helped him collect the exact number of points he needed to win the title : he had to finish fourth at least if Mang won, and on the ultra-fast Hockenheim track Tournadre's private TZ was not at its best, and he soon found himself pushed back in 5th place by the ultra-quick Rotax of Manfred Herweh. In a rather unusual example of national solidarity, Tournadre was then pulled back up the field by his better equipped fellow Frenchmen Thierry Espié (Pernod) , Christian Estrosi (Pernod) and Patrick Fernandez (Bartol) , who helped him catch and pass Herweh, the latter two then "cleverly" managing to block the German while Tournadre pulled away in Espié's slipstream, much to the displeasure of the patriotic Hockenheim crowd..

[Santi]

Something similar happened in Phillip Island, the last race of the 1990 125 World Championship.
Capirossi arrived to Australia leading the board 2 points ahead Hans Spaan. Being 3 points the difference between winning the race and being 2nd, it wasn't enought to cross the line behind the flying Dutch who moreover was the poleman for the Sunday's race.
Besides Fausto Gresini, his teammate, Loris was helped by Doriano Romboni and Bruno Casanova.
"La Mafia" managed to bother poor Hans Spaan when he tried to break away along the main straight on his powerful Honda. Once and again Romboni and Casanova caught the fugitive running like if they did it by their lifes.
Finally Loris won the race leading the whole pack, only separated by 6 tenths of a second from Fausto Gresini, who was the 5th.
That way Loris Capirossi became the youngest World Champion ever.

[MoMurray]

I must say though, I did like to color scheme on Tournadre's bike. Sort of a rising sun thing IIRC. Does anyone have a picture?

Mo.

[renzo_zorzi]

moMurrey, i found this website with tornadre-pix:

http://www.highsider...r/Tournadre.htm

enjoy

[MoMurray]

Thanks,

He makes that TZ look like a mini bike doesn't he?

Take a look at the second to last pic (from '86) and look at the primative anti dive device he has attached to the front brake...

Mo.

[philippe7]

Nice website, will have to look deeper into it....

Of course, the "two-before-last" pictures are from Jean-Louis' ill-fated attempt to return to GP's in 1986....after two seasons trying to race a formula 3 . He had gone back to his '82 colours scheme, but I think this come back ended in an awsome crash at Spa . He continued later in french superbikes though ( last picture)

[ghinzani]

I never heard of him in F3 tho?

You are right its a good site - just briefly scanning I found a lady bike racer called Catherine Coburn - she is at Daytona tho, have any ladies ever raced bike GPs? I know there was a girl in 125s a couple years back - Katja someting, but any top class 500cc entries?
http://www.highsider...oburn_87_02.htm

[philippe7]

Regarding girls racing bikes, take a look at this link , again on Vincent Glon's site, and click on "les femmes en Grand Prix" in the top right hand corner . Of course it's in French but I'm sure you'll get what it means

http://www.chez.com/...O-GP-ANNEES.htm

[renzo_zorzi]

i m ptretty sure no chick ever raced a 500cc gp bike, but another quite successful one comes to my mind - finish girl Taru Rinne, who according to some sources even raced in formula 3 against Mika Hakkinen! heres a pic of her in action at the bottom of the page:

http://www.motofoto1...ls.php?album=19

[philippe7]

for Ghinzani : Katherine ( Kathleen ? ) Coburn ( together with Tonie Sharpless ) partnered french lady bike racer Véronique Parisot in an all-girls team at the Bol D'or and Le Mans 24 hours a couple of times a few years back . And they featured pretty well....


for RenzoZorzi : Here below a copy of the data on Vincent's Glon's page . I think you'll get the most of it , but the major points are :

1/ One girl did indeed take part in a 500 GP , American lady Gina Bovaird on a 500TZ Yamaha, precisely at this 1982 French GP that this thread started with . Surely, the boycott by all the japanese works teams helped a little her qualifying ! ( she had tried , without success, to qualify in a few GP's the previous year )

2/ Three ladies scored points in solo classes :

Taru Rinne (Finland) scored a total of 25 points in the 125cc class, in 1988 and 1989 , and was second in practice for the 1898 German GP

Tomoko Igata (Japan) scored a total of 30 points in the 125cc class , in 1994 and 1995.

Katia Poensgen ( Germany ) scored a few points in the 250cc class in 2001

3/ Apart from the four mentioned above, at least seven other girls took part in solo classes GP's without scoring points, and of course at least 15 ladies scored points as passengers in the sidecar races. ( all names in bold below )

4/ And finally, let's not forget the original case of Canadian Mike Duff, winner of three Grand Prix in the 60's , who now happily lives ( and sometimes takes part in classic meetings ) under the name of Mrs Michelle Duff


Elles sont trois à avoir marqué des points en championnats du Monde :

Il aura fallu attendre 1988 pour qu'une fille, la Finlandaise Taru Rinne, marque des points en GP. C'était au Castellet en 1988 et elle se classa 14ème des 125cc. Elle a en tout marqué 25 points entre 88 et 89. Elle signa également le 2ème temps des essais du GP d'Allemagne 125 en 1989.
La Japonaise Tomoko Igata a marqué elle aussi des points en 125 (30 points en 94 et 95).
Enfin, en 2001, l'Allemande Katja Poensgen a été la première à marquer en 250cc.

D'autres encore ont participé aux GP, mais sans parvenir à marquer des points.
Voici celles que je connais :

L'Américaine Gina Bovaird fut en 1980 la première femme licenciée aux USA et la première engagée à Daytona. En 1981 elle manqua la qualification à quelques GP et fut, au GP de France 82 à Nogaro la première femme au départ d'un GP 500.
L'Allemande Inge Arends a couru en GP 50cc en 1983.
L'Allemande Undine Kummer a couru en GP 80cc en 1988 et 1989
L'Allemande Petra Gschwander courut avec son frère en 80cc dans les années 80.
Daniela Tognoli, Linda Walsh et Cath Thompson ont obtenu des places de Wild-Card en GP 125 entre 93 et 2001.
Dernière en date, la Tchèque Markéta Janáková , qualifiée au GP de République Tchèque 125 en 2003, serait la plus jeune femme au départ d'un GP moto.

Le GP d'Allemagne '88 semble présenter le record de participation féminine : elles étaient trois engagées,Gschwander, Kummer et Rinne.

En sidecars (Grands-Prix, Coupe du Monde, Championnat du Monde) :

Si aucune femme n'a (pour l'instant) jamais marqué de points comme pilote au niveau mondial, elles furent nombreuses en qualité de passagères.
Voici celles que j'ai pu relever pour l'instant (le prénom est quelquefois trompeur):

Rosetta Arnold, Julia Bingham, Jane Fleury, Gertrud Hahn, Dawna Holloway, Marianne Kjellmodin-Hansen, Ruth Laidlow, Hélène Marzloff, Marie Mühlemann, Armgard Neumann, Muriel Prigent, Carolina Riedel, Dane Rowe, Karin Sterzenbach, Inge Stoll.

[philippe7]

......and for some pictures of Miss Bovaird aboard her 500TZ.....

http://www.highsider...vaird_82_01.htm

http://www.highsider...vaird_81_04.htm

[Macca]

It's a pity the first one is captioned as a TZ500 when it's a Suzuki RG500 Mk6..............

In 1980 Gina Bovaird raced in a meeting at Brands on a plain white TZ500, apparently having some financial support from Brands Hatch's owners for the trip from the USA after the publicity she got for Daytona - I may have a couple of photos somewhere.....



Paul M

[philippe7]

Originally posted by Macca
It's a pity the first one is captioned as a TZ500 when it's a Suzuki RG500 Mk6..............

Paul M

That's exactly what I thought too at first sight, but then I assumed (too quickly) that it probably was one of the "second version" TZ500's with the outside cylinders turned around and the two relevant exhausts under the seat......but looking closely, I agree it looks very RG500 like - specially the fairing ( I think one can even see a little of the "gamma" sign on the tank partly hidden by Gina's arm )

[renzo_zorzi]

its definitely not the most important question to answer but i also think its definitely a suzuki rg 500 , from my experience in model kit building ( ) i would confirm that all visible parts look exactly like suzukis.

[Macca]

Yes, I made the Matchbox kit of Barry Sheene on his XR22 and the Tamiya kits of Mamola's Suzuki XR34M and Roberts' Yamaha OW48 (with square-tube ali frame)........................and I also bought a fairing identical to the one on Gina's bike, RG500 Mk 6 with added hand-blisters like the Mk 7, and fitted it to my road Suzuki 250!


You can certainly see the Kayaba 'Golden Shock' unit under the seat (twin-shock); but it can't be a Gamma, that only applied to the works XR35s and maybe some of the last production bikes (RG500 Mk 9 or 10?).


Wish I had one though!


Paul M

[philippe7]

I see, we have some real RG specialists around here....

Can you identify this lot ?



Same lot from the back, should help...



( photos copyright myself, no worries....)

[Macca]

From the front: 1979 XR23B 680cc , 1976 WC-winning XR22 500cc, 1973 Seeley-framed TR750 (European F750 Champ), 1977 WC-winning XR22 (like my model!)............I think!

(but of course, strictly speaking, none of them are RGs........ )

Part of the late great Bazza's collection.


Paul M

[philippe7]

Well, that was quickly and correctly done Macca

I won't comment on the model codes 'cos I really don't know , but you certainly got the years right

Barry refered to the first bike as his "650" , but I agree it must be the 1979 680 model

And of course you're right, none of those are RG's "stricto sensu" ( specially the TR750 )

Let's see if you do as well for the other half of the collection .....there's a little "trick"there though !

[Macca]

A 'little trick'.................is it that the furthest three bikes are Yamahas, not Suzukis; or that although they all have yellow number discs (for 500cc class), the two white Yamahas are 750s?

The two at the front are the 1978 or 1979 XR23 or XR27 (they look the same and I'm not well-enough up to be able totell from sponsor stickers)and the 1984 XR40 or XR45 - I think the XR45 which was the unsuccessful 1983 works bike which Bazza said wouldn't 'pull the c*ck off a chocolate mouse'.


Paul M

[MoMurray]

http://www.highsider...scher_87_02.htm

Ok so this is a little self indulgent...please forgive me. When I started snooping around in Highsider.com, i found a picture of...myself. The mechanic on the left of this picture (the rider;s right) is me. I spent a few years as a GP mechanic in the mid eighties for a variety of teams including Manfred Fischer and the Hien Gericke team befor moving to the US to do the same. Incidentally, the girl in the backround is Inge Arends who is also mentioned in this thread. She was Manfred's girlfriend for many years. Oh how the internet is shrinking the world. This is a time in my life that seems so distant now but I was delighted to show my six and four year old children what daddy used to do.

Again sorry for the self indulgence but I thought you might be interested.

mo

[philippe7]

Well yes , the trick ( I did say "little" ) is that the two white Yamahas are indeed 750's , disregarding the yellow number plates .

I don't know either if the black Suzuki is a 78 or 79 model....I was counting on you to solve the mistery !

And finally, the lovely blue Suzuki



is (from what I recall Barry told me) a unique model , commissioned and paid by Barry himself, with as you can see a round tubing frame ( I think he said made by Harris ) quite unlike the square section aluminium frames the other factory bikes were using . The engine was , he said, a "works engine from the previous year " ( 83 ?) inherited from the Gallina team.

[philippe7]

Originally posted by MoMurray

Again sorry for the self indulgence

But not at all ! that's a great story . I understood from some of your posts that you had been involved in the sport in the US , but it's great news to have a former Grand Prix mechanic aboard the "Bike" Nostalgia Forum . You must have fascinating stories to tell ! Keep them coming !

[MoMurray]

Thanks, I will.

Actually, forgive the thread jumping but I would love th get a copy of Cheval du Fer mentioned on the other bike thread. Can you point me in the right direction?

Mo.

[MoMurray]

Thanks, I will.

Actually, forgive the thread jumping but I would love to get a copy of Cheval du Fer mentioned on the other bike thread. Can you point me in the right direction?

Mo.

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by MoMurray
http://www.highsider...scher_87_02.htm

Ok so this is a little self indulgent...please forgive me. When I started snooping around in Highsider.com, i found a picture of...myself. The mechanic on the left of this picture (the rider;s right) is me. I spent a few years as a GP mechanic in the mid eighties for a variety of teams including Manfred Fischer and the Hien Gericke team befor moving to the US to do the same. Incidentally, the girl in the backround is Inge Arends who is also mentioned in this thread. She was Manfred's girlfriend for many years. Oh how the internet is shrinking the world. This is a time in my life that seems so distant now but I was delighted to show my six and four year old children what daddy used to do.

Again sorry for the self indulgence but I thought you might be interested.

mo

Overalls direct from Kraftwerk or THX1138 I presume ?
Then again I wore some right abortions in the late 80s/early 90s. Especially stuff to do with the PCGB Porsche series.

I bet the world of non-works GP riders was fascinating back then? Much like the March privateers in the 70s or the Osellas/Minardis of the 80s in F1.

[MoMurray]

Yes it was. There was a very blurred line between the works(ish) teams and the rest of us and even the true factory guys were open and helpful. It was a lot of fun. The HG team was owned by Hein Gericke himself before he sold (and rebought and resold) the company. He insited everything was pure white, the bikes, the apparel, the trucks, everything. Gustav Reiner was our GP teammate and he was a real piece of work. Klaus Klien and Peter Rubatto were on the team but rode superbikes. Manfred had a unique ability to start the triple Honda (back in the dead engine start days). He would sit astride the bike and after a paddle and a half he would fire up. So in many GPs he would lead the first half lap from the third row while Lawson et al struggled to get their machines fired. It was a fun time and we won the European Championship in '87 and I believe Manfred holds the outright lap record at the old Brno from that season. Of course that will never be broken...

[philippe7]

Mo

As far as I found out from the Cheval de Fer website it's easy to get it in France ( just a matter of sending a cheque in euros...) but they don't say anything about shipping oveseas , or credit card paiement etc....I'll give them a ring tomorrow to find out and will send you a PM .

[Macca]

Originally posted by philippe7
Well yes , the trick ( I did say "little" ) is that the two white Yamahas are indeed 750's , disregarding the yellow number plates .

I don't know either if the black Suzuki is a 78 or 79 model....I was counting on you to solve the mistery !

And finally, the lovely blue Suzuki



is (from what I recall Barry told me) a unique model , commissioned and paid by Barry himself, with as you can see a round tubing frame ( I think he said made by Harris ) quite unlike the square section aluminium frames the other factory bikes were using . The engine was , he said, a "works engine from the previous year " ( 83 ?) inherited from the Gallina team.

Barry got the 1983 works XR45 from Gallina (the previous year's successfull XR40 went to Suzuki GB and was ridden by Rob McElnea and then formed the basis of the composite framed bikes they built) which had never been much good in '83 - the factory had tried too hard to lighten it and the frame flexed, so Barry did indeed get a steel-tube Harris frame. He debuted it in the wet South African GP and came third. At the end of the season he let Roger Burnett ride it at Brands, after Barry had decided to retire.

Both Barry and the bike star in what is definitely the worst movie ever made about any form of motor-sport, 'Space Riders'..........avoid it at all costs!

Paul M

[ghinzani]

Christ MoMurray they drove bikes round the old Brno as late as then?

So what would the equivalent of the European championship be now? Were they run to proper GP regs? or more like the 750s/Superbike/F1 type Championships? The only European championships I hear of these days are the Superstocks and Sidecars.

[renzo_zorzi]

Originally posted by Macca



Both Barry and the bike star in what is definitely the worst movie ever made about any form of motor-sport, 'Space Riders'..........avoid it at all costs!

Paul M

it cant be worse than "Driven"

ps: does anybody got pix of the 1984/85 harris-suzuki? iirc it looked really good compared to other 500cc gp bikes of that era. since i m too young i only got it in a book thats now out or reach (at my parents place a cupla miles away from where i live now) besides it had interesting technical features - the monocoque-like frame.

[Macca]

Originally posted by renzo_zorzi


it cant be worse than "Driven"

ps: does anybody got pix of the 1984/85 harris-suzuki? iirc it looked really good compared to other 500cc gp bikes of that era. since i m too young i only got it in a book thats now out or reach (at my parents place a cupla miles away from where i live now) besides it had interesting technical features - the monocoque-like frame.

It really is MUCH worse than 'Driven' - it went straight to video and AFAIK has never been on TV.

The Harris-Suzuki had a very conventional round-tube steel frame - it was the Suzuki GB team (separate from Barry) who built the composite frames, first in Nomex and later carbon fibre (Gallina in Italy did a special frame too). I'll look for some pictures for you.

Paul M

[MoMurray]

Ginzani, yes I believe the race we won was the last at the circuit. It must have been in '86 as we went to Most the following year for the Czeck round. The Brno race was great as there were over 300,000 spectators, mostly eats germans and when it ended they carried Manfred and I on their shoulders to the podium. We had the bike geared for 320kph at that race and he actually over revved it coming down the hill into the last hairpin. Over 200 mph on a bike at that track...still frightens me!

The Euro championship has no equivelant these days. It was run to full GP regs with 80, 125, 250 and 500 classes as well as sidecars. Most privateers raced that series in conjunction with the world championship. Remember back then the WC was mostly in Europe anyway. We had a full calendar with the GPs, the Euro round and a full slate of German championship races also. The Euro rounds were very relaxed and there was a great spirit of camaraderie among the teams. There were a lot of RS500 Hondas and so we were all sharing parts and info. Nobody stayed in hotels and so the paddock was like our own little village every week. Even at GPs back then, most of the teams slept in motorhomes or campers at the track and so late night bbq was the choice most nights, although the italians were always good about feeding anyone who came by.

Great fun.

Mo

[philippe7]

.....and for (almost) complete results of the European Championships, as usual, nothing better than Vincent Glon's site :

http://www.chez.com/...O-GP-ANNEES.htm

scroll down to "les championnats d'europe de vitesse" , click on the blue arrow, and once you're on the proper page click on the name of the champion of the year/category to get the detailed results

edit : that links goes directly to the "Grand Prix results " page , you'll first need to go back to the previous page by hitting the "Moto" link on the top left hand corner ....for some reason I can't manage to link to a precise page on this site , all pages seem to carry the same adress....

[Manfred]

Macca wrote on Gina Bovaird's ride:

"It's a pity the first one is captioned as a TZ500 when it's a Suzuki RG500 Mk6............."

Right you are of course, Macca, and I've changed this immediately. This comes from copying HTML-files, adapting them to the new rider/year/date and everything else and forgetting to change the bike. Forgive me, please and do believe me, I can tell an RG from a TZ.

By the way, I'm the highsider.com guy and I do appreciate the feedback in this forum. I haven't even registered my site with Google, Yahoo etc. yet, but somehow you've found it.

And hey, Mo Murray, I've read your posting too. And thanks for the info on Inge Arend. I do remember Manfred Fischer had an ex-racer for a girlfriend then, but forgot about her name.

I have a lot of work ahead of me, it'll take at least another six months, till my website is more or less complete. I generally go through my archive by years; the current year is 1990. But if you have a rider you badly want to see featured, I may give him a boost. So go ahead and make suggestions.

Cheers, Manfred

[renzo_zorzi]

wow welcome here, muchas gracias por website magnifico! its really a wonderful site, nowhere else on the web i was able to find such good pictures of for instance michel Frutschi (who i started this thread because of more or less) and his rare Sanvenero 500. i personally have this weird thing for early/mid 80s cagiva - just those days before they became competitive so i would like to see the virginio ferrari and marco lucchinelli sections working. but i m happy with the site anyways we bike enthusiasts think its a great effort.

[Santi]

I love your pics, Manfred.

Most webs are only for world champions, but you show the bottom of the pack, too.
I'm pretty sure it's the only place where you can find a pic of a Massa-Real, Ad-Majora, Malanca or Roberto "Meon" Pietri and Jimmy Adamo riding the Cagiva 500 or that beautiful Cagiva/Ducati multitubular ridden by Trevor Nation or... well, the way Migliorati Sr used to protect his head of the sun

I hope you find the time to keep the web rolling.

Oh... and I'm sure people here would be very happy to help anyway if you doubt on some pic.;)



Edit/PD

You see? Going to bed at this time must be insane, but I couldn't stop watching all your stuff.

[Manfred]

renzo_zorzi wrote:

" i would like to see the virginio ferrari and marco lucchinelli sections working"

Well Renzo, I have just uploaded most of Ferrari and some of Lucchinelli. I'll spend the weekend at Hockenheim for the Jim-Clark-Revival (http://www.jimclark-...glisch/saso.htm), but go back to work on my website on Monday, with Lucchinelli being high up on the agenda.

Santi wrote:

"Oh... and I'm sure people here would be very happy to help anyway if you doubt on some pic. "

Thanks Santi, I have recently added a section "please help identify" which is admissible from the nations overwiew page. Some of the guys depicted there I have not the slightest idea who they are. Try your luck!

Manfred

[philippe7]

Welcome on TNF Manfred , and congratulations for your site ! I realised it was "in progress" since dozens of listed riders don't have pictures yet.

For some reason I can't manage to see the two pictures you have posted of Patrick Igoa, I just get a red cross....so if you can fix this, and of course if you've got more !....( since you suggest to boost a few up ! )

Cheers

[philippe7]

Originally posted by Manfred

Thanks Santi, I have recently added a section "please help identify" which is admissible from the nations overwiew page. Some of the guys depicted there I have not the slightest idea who they are. Try your luck!

Manfred

Right, I found one : your number 10 pic to identify is Belgian Jean-Marc Toffolo at the 1979 French GP ( ok I cheated, I have the official starting list for that race ! )

I'll try to find more next week when I'm at work (!) where I have broadband connection , and of course I'll use the direct e-mail link from your site if I find any other

Cheers

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Santi
[B] or that beautiful Cagiva/Ducati multitubular ridden by Trevor Nation or... B]

Now theres a name I have'nt heard mentioned for a while, he was top drawer IMHO

[renzo_zorzi]

Originally posted by philippe7


Right, I found one : your number 10 pic to identify is Belgian Jean-Marc Toffolo at the 1979 French GP ( ok I cheated, I have the official starting list for that race ! )

I'll try to find more next week when I'm at work (!) where I have broadband connection , and of course I'll use the direct e-mail link from your site if I find any other

Cheers

c mon philippe7 thats no cheating since its no quizzshow! anyhow, since im an avid moto gp historian (altho too young to have whitnessed most portrayed riders, not even born in some cases ) i especially learnded to like the late 70ies and 80ies moto gp curcuit. todays races r cool too but back then underdogs and privateers held better chances of scoring good results. and i am the kind of enthusiasts that rather supports the underdog, cuz they really need it hehe. just keep the good work all, too bad i cant b much of help in the unknown rider section.

[Macca]

First, welcome Manfred, and that is a nice website, superb photos.

Here are a couple of photos (from magazines) of the Nomex-composite-chassis Suzuki 500 that Suzuki GB built and Rob McElnea raced:




Paul M

[Manfred]

philippe7 wrote:

Right, I found one : your number 10 pic to identify is Belgian Jean-Marc Toffolo at the 1979 French GP ( ok I cheated, I have the official starting list for that race ! )
-------------

Thanks Philippe, already fixed. So you were at that race too. I remember Ferrari crashing and Sheene winning one of his last races. My buddy and I were staying at a campsite in a little forest behind the back straight. Saturday night our French tent neighbours invited us over for a red wine party. I mean the whole place was a red wine party, and I've never after been so drunk in my life. The photos are all from Saturday practice. I had jumped the fence and somehow nobody stopped me - weren't we all young then!.

Cheers, Manfred

[Manfred]

philippe7 wrote

"For some reason I can't manage to see the two pictures you have posted of Patrick Igoa, I just get a red cross....so if you can fix this, and of course if you've got more !....( since you suggest to boost a few up ! )"

Philippe, the reason is just my sloppiness: I uploaded the text files before the images.There's actually just one of Igoa out of 82. He restarts in my archive in 1986 on the works Honda. Those photos will be up soon.

Manfred