Trial and Enduro for Bultaco (1969-1973)

1969. Beginning in style.

His first victory was the March 9th, 1969 in the IV Trial Navarcles Saint Valentine that opens the Catalan Trials season trials. Estanislao Soler was his direct manager and treated him like a son, doing everything in his hand to this kid with a talent to become a great racer able to win championships in Spain. He was the man who joined him with the Seat 850 of the Bultaco factory, taught him to drive the car and suffered how Fernando learnt the hard way, as the car spin made ​​going to the Trial of Valencia on wet road and made ​​the wins 850 and motorcycle trailer between two TIR large tonnage trucks.

First Victory on official competition Trophy of  Fernando Muñoz: IV Trial of San Valentín de Navarcles

Part of the official team Bultaco participates in his first international race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen ISDT 15 to 20 th September, and Fernando leaves the second day when he was second scored because the chassis had left his bike. It took hard work to Mr. Soler and his companions convince Fernando that his invention, a tight string linked from the engine to handle with a tensioner would not last, and it was better to leave. He was very close to the scoring positions, as seen in the official scores. The Spanish team gets a meritable eleventh position.

Once again Estanis was the long-suffering companion of Muñoz across Europe aboard a 1500 family Seat without stopping to look for a bar where Fernando intended to find the traditional Catalan dish consisting on bread soaked with olive oil, squizzed tomato and ham.

On October 12th, is ninth in the III Trial of Peramola and beat again a week later at the I International Trial Montseny in the Junior category. His victory in a very difficult stage in pouring rain draws much attention because of its wide range of points.

November 2th is the second in the two days All Terrain (now enduro) ranking to 175 cc, and re-emphasizes its pilot skills, being qualified in La Vanguardia newspaper as a revelation pilot. With this brilliant result 1969 season closes.

1970. The year of the ISDT of El Escorial.

In the VI Trial de Tarragona March 1 is third in inter category, March 15th in the V Trial of Saint Valentine Navarcles, fifth in the same category.

In the VII Trial of Campellas, on the 15th May, he finished 2nd. Finally finished the championship of Spain in 3rd place after Bultó and Pi.

From 5 to 10th October took place ISDT El Escorial All Terrain. The Spanish Bultaco team was ranked in second place and Fernando was ninth in the individual classification of motorcycles up to 250 cc before to lose the top score after a dramatic drop in the chicane of Jarama in the speed race in extreme conditions of heat and cold nights that made reach the finish line 329 of 186 drivers which started the race.

ISDT El Escorial 1970

ISDT El Escorial RTVE’s Filmoteca

Malcolm Smith in the ISDT of El Escorial

1971. Entrance in motocross races.

Fernando’s obligatory military service

With the one year obligatory military service stop, compulsory for every spanish boy, even for top sportsmen, Fernando rejoins the competition.

On July 25th , he is ranked in fourth place in the V Trial Las Santas.

A proof of his talent was his score for the first time in official competition in motocross. In the International Motocross in Mongay in front of 25,000 spectators is brilliantly qualified in 2nd place in junior category.

1971-Montgai

1971-Montgai

In a TT practice session suffered a blow in the belly colliding head-on with Narcis Casas, that should be a long season medical leave, but so great was his enthusiasm for racing that said nothing to his team. Estanis forced him to go to the clinic Soler Roig in Barcelona. The doctors said that if they had arrived half an hour later, had died of internal bleeding.

According Pepe Muñoz, his brother, Fernando was starting to like motocross more. Fernando preferred the melee competition, the immediacy of first pass through the finish line, instead of waiting for a judge to write down the results in a notebook. And not relent in its efforts to race the championship motocross Spain.

By this time Fernando was named Randy. Malcolm Rathmell was official Bultaco motocross rider and training with Fernando at trial, he suggested to try a trial area of ​​particular difficulty. Rathmell passed zero, and became a pilot trial. As he found hard to pronounce Fernando, came Randy, and Randy the nickname remained for the rest of his career.

1972. International recognition in the Scottish Six Days.

On May 7th was series champion 250 to 350 cc of Scottish SSDT and gets «Ben Newis» trophy as award to obtain the second position among the debutantes of the Six Days.

It is the first time a Spanish collects a trophy in Six Days, and there Muñoz is compared with the elite of the international trial, as Mick Andrews, Malcolm Rathmell and Martin Lampkin.

After completing the trial Fernando was lost and stopped at a service station for help, as explained his brother Pepe. By hazard, Mick Andrews met him and invited him home with his family. He spent several days in England without Fernando’s family knew anything of it (the communications were not the same as today). He also befriended the Lampkin family.Together they spent many hours training and working in the coal family business. Finally appeared in Santander, Spain after getting off the ferry.

El Mundo Deportivo. «Éxito de nuestra industria motorística»

Meanwhile, Malcolm Rathmell became the surprise success trial pilot in Britain riding his Bultaco Sherpa.

Fernando ends the Spanish championship in 7th place.

El Mundo Deportivo. Clasificación final del Campeonato de España de Trial de 1972

1973. Trial Spanish Champion.

The season begins with three clear favorites: Bultó and Muñoz as official racers for Bultaco, Mila for Montesa and Payà for Ossa.

The first round of the championship of Spain, the VII Trial de Sant Feliu de Codines was raced on January 15th is a hard challenging race where are classified only 33 of 125 runners and shows how to Bultaco Muñoz is a serious contender for the title, winning clearly by fourteen points of advantage.

On January 28th, Munoz was fourth in the Trial of Manresa, despite winning the first test. On 18th March achieves a overwhelming victory on the III Trial Gallifa, occupying the first position of the provisional championship of Spain.

III Trial Gallifa

The spectacular circuit «La Paella» of Valencia hosts the third round of the championship of Spain on February 11, and Munoz finished in fifth position.

Scores seventh in Spain XII Championship Motocross Championship in circuit Vallés, where especially shines a stranger in our country: the American Jim Pomeroy.

In the ninth Trial Primavera is 2nd in a race characterized by greater equality between competitors and adverse conditions they did qualify for 30 runners of all registered, and the Memorial Santiago Herrera is 3rd, won in hard conditions because of rain. Upon completion of this test is provisional leader with 69 points.

From 23 to 25th April races the Three Days Trial Santigosa, and gets a close 4th place.

1972 – 3 Days Trial of Santigosa

X. Ventura. «Dominio catalán en el trial español». El Mundo Deportivo, 3 de mayo de 1973

Again it is the first Spanish classified and twelfth overall in the SSDT Scotland from 1 to 5th May. That same weekend in the I Trial in the Castle of Lerida is 2nd.

1973 – Few could stand against Muñoz

In the Trial of Italy is ranked in 11th place in early June, and a week after winning the Trial of San Fructuoso.

In Trial II Otoño Palencia is 5th and still leads the championship in Spain. After racing the Trial of Seville, wins the Spanish Championship.

1973 -Bultaco victories

 1974. Transfer to Ossa

1974 – Delivery of the Trophy of Spanish Trial Champion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new champion of Spain starts the season winning the eighth Reyes Trial on January 13th and confirming his great sporting moment.

And surprisingly decides to join Ossa with his great friend and spanish motocross champion Domingo Gris in March, debuting on Ossa team in the Trial of Sant Llorenç. Something happened in the last trial with the Bultaco team that made him accept the profitable offer by Ossa, including motocross racing. It was very hard to him to make the decision because he felt obliged to Bultaco.

Fits surprisingly fast to his new bike and the next race, wins the X Primavera Trial, but in the Three Days of Trial Santigosa is in position 19th.

1974 – Domingo Gris and Fernando Muñoz transfers by Ossa

Scores fourth in October in the Two Day Trial of Llinas and second in the V Palencia Fall Trial Championship in November. There a very young and mathematically champion  Manuel Soler proclaims as winner, with just two races.

The last round of the championship of Spain is the Trial of Bruc, and Fernando Muñoz obtains the fifth position overall. He is increasingly eager to give gas only in a motocross circuit.