Benelli Racing
Benelli returned to the 250cc Grand Prix Class in
1959, having won the 1950 250cc World Championship
in 1950 with Dario Ambrosini, with a revised version
of their well proven, although slightly dated twin
cam single. However, even as that machine was making
its debut a twin cam four cylinder machine was in
development. The new machine followed the established
pattern for Italian racing fours of the period in
virtually all respects, making its competition debut
at the 1962 Imola Gold Cup races. The rest of the
season was marked by disappointment and interspersed
with occasional hints at the potential of the new
machine. Grassetti beat the works Honda's of Tom Phillips
and Jim Redman at Cesentatico and kept the Morini
of Provini "honest" at a number of meetings
but also suffered from the inevitable failures that
occur with a new design.
Over the next three season's development of the
250cc four continued, resulting in Tarquinio Provini,
who had joined the Benelli team for 1964, winning
both the 1965 and 1966 Italian Senior Championship
titles as well as taking a well deserved victory in
the 1965 Italian Grand Prix. Of equal note was the
appearance at the same meeting of a 350cc class machine,
initially displacing 322cc, later increasing to 343cc
which was joined in 1967 by a 500cc four, that won
on its debut at Modena, piloted by Renzo Pasolini
who had replaced Provini as Benelli's lead rider following
Provini's retirement in 1966.
Benelli were now in the enviable position of having
competitive four cylinder machines in three Grand
Prix classes; however they also had a desperate need
of riders which hampered them throughout the 1967
and 1968 seasons. With Silvio Grasetti's resigning
for the team in 1968 the situation was alleviated
but it was not wholly addressed until the 1969 season
when Kel Carruthers joined the team alongside Pasolini.
As a consequence of this Benelli were not able to
exploit the situation to its full extent, although
Pasolini and Grassetti secured a number of wins in
the Italian National Championship and Pasolini took
a fine second place finish in the 1968 Junior TT.
Following Kel Carruthers signing for the 1969 season
the team was able to mount a strong challenge for
the 250cc World Championship which Carruthers eventually
won, giving Benelli their second 250cc World Championship.
Although the team had focused on the 250cc class
they did not neglect the 350 and 500cc classes, with
riders such as Mike Hailwood and Phil Read being employed
at different times to ride the 500cc. Unfortunately,
1969 also marked the high water mark for the company,
the declining domestic motorcycle market resulted
in the Benelli family selling a controlling interest
in the company to Allessandro de Tomaso. Although
the team would continue to enter machines in Grand
Prix's on an occasional basis they would never again
mount a sustained campaign to challenge for a title.
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