On The Pegs 140
desire to win made up for it . His riding style was based on stamina and talent that allowed him to face obstacles with determination . His extremely tough character led him never to accept defeat . He wascomfortable in all terrains , be it in the mud , in the water pools or over jumps and hills . Bill was armed with great self-esteem and had a mind to go far in his career .
The 1960 championship lasted for four months and a couple of weeks . The season opener came at the end of April in Sittendorf , where a decisive event would reveal what everybody had been up to during the winter months . In mixed weather between a burning sun and freezing hailstorms , 30,000 spectators watched 37 riders from seven countries compete . The course was 1.7 kilometres long and had to be covered 15 times in each moto - a hard task even for the well trained and almost impossible for those who weren ’ t in shape .
Husqvarna soon proved to be in top condition – Rolf Tibblin won the first heat while Bill Nilsson came third . In the decisive moments of the second race , Tibblin took another win while Nilsson was second this time around . A double victory for Swedes and the domestic brand , what an eye opener !
By mid-May , Vésoul in France hosted the next Grand Prix . This was definitely not Nilsson ’ s weekend as he broke down in both legs . First , he had an eroding spark plug , while a broken magneto stopped his second outing . But Husqvarna went on to win anyway - with Tibblin .