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Jaroslav Falta interview - What Happened in 1974?
Interview Tuesday 21th March 2011 By Geoff Meyer
Jaroslav Falta will always be remembered as the unlucky runner-up in the 1974 World 250cc Championship. The Czechoslovakian rider grew up in an era that didn’t always lead to the best riders winning Grands Prix. In one of the most disappointing days in Motocross history Falta went into the last round of the 1974 FIM World 250cc Motocross Championship with a chance of being crowned World Champion.
In what turned out to be a tragedy he was knocked off by Russian riders, handing the Championship to Guennady Moissev.
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He was also part of the European invasion on American soil, being one of the first riders to win a major race in America. Winning the Super Bowl of Motocross in 1974.
Mr. Falta turns 60 tomorrow and we decided to give him a call and ask him about that day nearly 40 years ago.
Q: The last round of the 1974 World Motocross Championship will always be a point in Motocross that is important, maybe for the wrong reason. Can you give me your opinion of what happened that day?
Falta: It was the last World Championship race of the year. To become World Champion I had to win at least one of two heats. Soviet rider Guennady Moissev had also chance to win the title. After start of the first heat Moissev fell down. I caught him as a rider, but he was one lap behind, but he blocked me until I fell down. I finished at race in 3rd place. Second heat started dramatically, during the start a lot of riders crashed to starting grid (I was also there). After the start I was at first place and behind us was a massive crash. Race organizer had to stop the race and repeat the start again. When they saw me coming in first place on lap two they let the race continue. The plan was to penalized me after the race by one minute for premature start. It woud mean for me not to win the title even though I won the heat. It needs to be explained, that Moissev rode KTM bike, and race organizer was general dealer of KTM bikes for Switzerland. After the third lap I caught some Soviet racers who were one lap behind (lappers). They blocked me and disable me to ride. I finaly passed them. Next lap unsportsmanlike conduct occured again. Popenko was the more brutal, he knocked me down and ran across my back. This did not leave a good feeling with the viewers and other riders. After the fall I did not stop fighting, I continued to race. I passed rider by rider until the last lap. I was in second place behind race leader Harry Everts. When he saw what happend at the track, he let me into first place and I won the second heat. Other events have been unsportsmanlike – all were solved by the FIM.
Q: Winning the big Supercross race in America, at Los Angeles, how was that for you. Can you give me your opinion of that day and the whole visiting American experience?
Falta: The race in LA was my first experience of this type. Of course I was very pleased with the victory. I appreciated it, there was a wonderful atmosphere and a lot of excellent riders. The tour throug USA left me with beautiful impressions. It was also great advertisement of the CZ brand.
Q: Which rider in your era was the toughest to beat and why?
Falta: My friend Miroslav Halm. He was more experienced and his ride was always hard and respectable for the others. From the foreign riders it was Harry Everts. We started our sport career together. At the track we were rivals, but in the paddock we were friends. His sporting gesture in 1974 (Vohlen) is sufficient proof.
Q: Do you still follow Motocross now? If yes what do you think of it and todays riders?
Falta: I follow up Motocross. Riding technique is adequate of bike development.
Q: Which rider in the sport do you most respect?
Falta: From Czech riders I like to watch how Zaremba rides. With huge respect I followed career of Stefan Everts. I take hat off to his results.
Q: What is your opinion of Joel Robert?
Falta: Joel Robert is for me the man whom I respect enormously. I am glad to have possibility to meet him at the track.
Q: Back in your racing days coming from Czech Republic was difficult. Can you give me some of your stories from those days?
Falta: I do not relive my sport career. I take live as it goes. Nice experience for me was the Veteran World championship (MxoN) at Holice in 2004. After 30 years I became world champion!! My hobby in present days is renovation of old bikes.
Q: Do you miss being a racer, if yes who and if no who not?
Falta: This question is difficult to answer. Sometimes I meet my peers within various meetings or races. Each encountering is pleasant, we reminisce about our era and of course those who are no longer with us.
Q: Riding for the CZ factory team, what was that like. What nice experiences do you have from that, maybe a nice story?
Falta: I like to reminisce about times when I represented this team. I was young, succesful and I had opportunity to travel abroad and represent Czechoslovakia. CZ bikes were one of the best and it was honour for me to represent my country.
Q: Which circuits did you like and why?
Falta: I liked Barcelona circuit. Home it was Holice. Both circuits were technicaly challenging which suited me.
Q: Which circuits did you not like and why?
Falta: I did not like sandy circuits. Probably due to fact, we had not this kind of circuits in Czech republic to practise. But I was also occasionally able to win on these unpopular circuits.
Q: How if your life now, what do you do with your time?
Falta: I live a quiet life outside of Prague. Sometimes I visit some races, a lot of time I spent in the garage with renovation of old bikes. Time by time I go for a beer.
Q: The last 40 years of your life, what did you experience with work and your family life?
Falta: The last 40 years – basically my whole life. 33 years ago I got married, I have 2 children and still the same wife!!!! (awful!) J . Daughter is married in USA. I become grandfather 18 months ago - my son has a son called Jiri.
Q: How would you like to be remembered by the Motocross fans?
Falta: I appreciate the fact that even after so many years fans speak/address me. The story from 1974 is still alive, even though it has been many years ago. It is main topic of each discussion/forum. I have been invited several times abroad. Sometimes I feel that foreign fans knows me better than domestic fans.
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