The story is full of unexplained moments and oddities of all kinds. Today we go back in time to the weekend of August 14, 1971, when nothing went as planned.
The problems go back well beyond that date. In fact, we find ourselves in Ulster, in Northern Ireland. Here, the Ulster Grand Prix is traditionally held, contested for the first time in 1922, which undoubtedly counts as one of the most legendary events in our sport.
In 1949, this crazy race, organized on roads like the Tourist Trophy, was integrated into the world motorcycling championship. Except that for ten years, travel there has been complicated. Indeed, the Northern Irish conflict rages. Very complex and sometimes judged as a war or a revolution, this opposition commits losses and clashes. From August 9 to 11, the week of the race, the British army killed eleven civilians during the terrible massacre in Ballymurphy, a district of Belfast.
The fresco in honor of the massacre. Photo: RO Murphy
Despite the tensions, MV Agusta, a firm well ahead of the general ranking, managed to reach the country, but first of all. Giacomo Agostini, already 350cc and 500cc world champion (his ninth and tenth titles), fears for his own safety and refuses to race. As a result, MV withdraws. This first adventure leaves the door wide open to all the others. Remember that the Italian had won all the 500cc races until now. Second problem, the 50cc category. The FIM only received eight entrants, a paltry figure which forced them to cancel the event altogether. This has the consequence of definitively eliminating the Dutchman Jos Schurgers from the title race. ; there were only three rounds left to go.
And again, it was only the beginning of a nightmarish week. Phil Read, in 250cc, is coming out of injury but still leads the championnat. While he hopes to be crowned, the Briton Rodney Gould puts up resistance. On a good series of two consecutive victories, he can hope to tickle Read. Nope. In pouring rain (as if that wasn't enough), Gould was only sixth, in distress on the Ulster technical track. Up front, Phil Read jostles with a local, a great specialist in these conditions: Ray McCullough, on Yamsel. Read breaks his box, gives up and leaves control of the championship to Gould! The Northern Irishman therefore won in front of his audience, a feat described as “ historic day » in the press.
Agostini, already titled, did not have the heart to go there. Photo: Panini
In 350cc, the race is no less strange. Starting in front, Jarno Saarinen leads before falling. Tommy Robb, not far away, succeeds him, but is also forced to retire for mechanical reasons! Peter Williams, on MZ, inherits first place and wins for the only time in his life.
But the icing on the cake remains. When the cat's away the mice will play. The legendary Jack Findlay, 36, has never won a career race. The hero of the film Continental Circus won his first success that day, oh so historic. First of all, this is Suzuki's first victory in the category, but also the first of a 500cc two-stroke since the 1912 Tourist Trophy!
Popular, Findlay exults. Eleven years after its debut, a big celebration is entirely deserved. What a surprise to the audience when the officials launched La Marseillaise instead of the Australian anthem! In fact, Findlay was licensed in France. A strange situation which punctuated a long, ludicrous and sad week for the families of the victims of the conflict.
Well, almost, since in sidecars, the duo Horst Owesle/Peter Rutterford (Münch/URS) is titled, but widely suspected of cheating by BMW officials. The latter accuse the champions of having too large a cylinder capacity, but after checks, iThey change version and now speak of non-compliant gasoline.
When it doesn't want, it doesn't want. Subsequently, the Ulster GP no longer featured in the world championship, and this chaotic edition probably had nothing to do with it.
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The drivers of the 1971 season, here at Monza.
Cover picture ; Phil Read at the 1971 German Grand Prix. Photo: Yamaha Community
