Home » Motorcycles cry Paul Smart: his victory at the 200 Miglia di Imola ’72

Motorcycles cry Paul Smart: his victory at the 200 Miglia di Imola ’72

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The English champion died in a car accident at the age of 78: he won the first edition of the race with 100,000 spectators

Massimo Falcioni

Motorcycling is again in mourning: this time for the death of former English champion Paul Smart which occurred yesterday at the age of 78 in a road accident between East and Kent due to an unspecified cause on which the police are investigating. Smart, in good shape, had remained with a passion for racing and motorcycles and, as was his habit, he was making the daily ride on a motorbike when he violently hit the ground, it is not known whether for the slimy asphalt or for a contact with another middle.

The beginnings

Born on April 23, 1943 in the small village of Eynsford belonging to the county of Kent in south-east England, Paul had started early, before the age of 20, to compete on the big English twin-cylinders, on a national level, making himself noticed for the impetuousness that he paid with many falls. In 1967 the leap in quality with second place in the Production TT 750 behind the more popular and well-known 34-year-old John Hartle, former Norton official racer, MV Agusta, Honda, Gilera.

The debut in the world championship

In 1968, he made his debut in the World Championship, again at the Tourist Trophy with a 250 Yamaha that was not particularly fast and reliable. Subsequently, from 1970, he obtained good results with the new Yamaha 250 and 350: third at the TT, in Finland and at Ulster in the quarter-liter and third in the 350 at the TT and again in 1971 two second places in the 250 in East Germany and in Sweden and a third in West Germany, and, above all, also after the good performances in the USA on the big Kawasakis, passport for the next call in Ducati.

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He and Ducati

Smart, in fact, owes its international notoriety particularly to the victory with Ducati at the first Imola 200 Miglia in 1972. A triumph, obtained at the age of 29, with which in fact he ended a career that was not particularly long – in the MotoGP from 1968 to 1974 – nor particularly rich in striking results, at least referring to the classification of the various championships in the 250, 350, 500 classes, with a fifth final place in the 1971 “treemmezzo”, touching the podium at the GP of Nations in Monza 1972 on the Ducati 500 GP, after the previous triumph in April ’72 at the 200 Miglia Imola on the new 750 twin-cylinder Ducati. That triumph on the Santerno circuit, in addition to placing it in an extraordinary roll of honor among the greats of world motorcycling and earning him international fame and a substantial sum, I linked him to the Bolognese company which, out of gratitude, in 2005 dedicated a motorcycle to him revival Imola 200 Miglia, built in a limited edition, appreciated and immediately snapped up.

The race of the century

It was said of the first 200 Miglia di Imola, the first edition of the Daytona of Europe called the “race of the century”, and supported by media coverage never seen before in racing. At the start, in front of 100,000 present, the beauty of 41 riders from all over the world, including Giacomo Agostini on the new MV 750 Sport 4-cylinder cardan drive; the Ducati trio Bruno Spaggiari, Paul Smart, Ermanno Giuliano; Phil Read and Peter Williams (Norton); Walter Villa (Triumph); John Cooper (BSA); Gary Nixon (Triumph); John Rutter (Norton); Ray Pickrell (Triumph); Tony Jeffeeries (Triumph); John Williams, Silvio Grassetti, Roberto Gallina, Otello Buscherini, John Smith, Luigi Anelli, Franco Trabalzini (Honda); Dave Croxford (BSA); Eric Offensdat, John Carr, Paolo Campanelli, Paolo Isnardi, Silvano Bertarelli (Kawasaki), Ron Grant, Jack Findlay, Vittorio Brambilla, Guido Mnadracci (Guzzi); Helunt Deehne and Jan Betenuth (Bmw).

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In everyone’s heart

The roar of the crowd on the hills of heartbeat and passion at Tosa and Rivazza and on the stands of the Acque Minerali remains consigned to history. After a show race, Spaggiari in the lead up to the last corner of the Rivazza is forced to cross the finish line with the engine off (fuel run out), “burned” in the sprint by Smart. The public invades the track. Show on show. The three great protagonists: Smart, Spaggiari, Agostini set the same record time in the fastest lap: 1’52.1 at an average of 161.116 km / h. That restrained smile of Paul Smart on the podium, the sincere hug to Spaggiari and Agostini as if he wanted to apologize, his bow to the cheering public, are consigned to the history of great motorcycling and remain in everyone’s heart. Paul leaves his wife Maggie and children Scott, also a good professional runner, and Paula.

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