Motocross 500cc World Championship 1987 - Round 7, the Italian
Grand Prix, Sunday, June 14
With 1985/86 World Champion Dave Thorpe sidelined through
injury, the rest of the contenders were more than keen to make up further
leeway.
And, as this video superbly shows, the racing was fast and
furious on the wide open expanses of the Ponte a Egola circuit. From
starting-gate to the fall of the chequered flag, there was no room for let-up
by the World’s finest riders and teams.
Belgium’s Georges Jobe was the man bidding to wrest the
title from Thorpe and the Honda factory put all it had behind him. They were
especially keen to capitalise on a practice crash which ruled out Dutch KTM
star Kees van der Ven.
Leaping out of the dusty holes, slithering around the tight
curves and blasting full bore down the straights, the iron men of motocross
provide the cameramen with plenty of high thrills.
Enjoying a revival in fortunes was Thorpe’s fellow Briton
Kurt Nicoll, the son of former works BSA rider Dave Nicoll. The Kawasaki man
really took to the Italian track and set some sparkling performances, as also
did Team Green man Greg Hanson