1973 FIM Motocross World Championship
The 1973 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 17th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
Summary
500cc championship
Roger De Coster won his third consecutive 500cc world championship for Suzuki ahead of West German rider, Willy Bauer. The championship wasn't decided until the final race in the Netherlands, when Bauer suffered a mechanical breakdown, losing the championship to De Coster by two points.[1] Kawasaki joined the world championships with Brad Lackey in the 500cc class and Torleif Hansen in the 250cc class. Suzuki's defense of the 500cc world championship was dealt a setback when, the FIM announced a new motorcycle minimum weight limit of 209 pounds just before the start of the season.[2] European motorcycle manufacturers competing in the championship complained to the FIM that Suzuki was spending millions of dollars to build lightweight motorcycles that the smaller European manufacturers found impossible to compete with.[2] Suzuki had already developed and built their race bikes so, there was no time to build new bikes. As a result, Suzuki resorted to adding ballast to the bikes.[2] Unfortunately, these alterations threw the bikes out of balance and caused them to lose traction.[2][3] To make matters worse, Maico and Yamaha had developed new rear suspensions with longer travel which helped transfer power to the rear wheel over rough terrain.[2][3] The Suzuki management felt they were being unjustly treated by the FIM and were slow to react to developments by the other manufacturers.[2][3][4] Most of the Western European riders boycotted the Austrian 500cc round due to heavy snow on the track.[5] As the season got underway, Yamaha's new "monoshock" rear suspension began to make an impact with Christer Hammargren winning a moto and Jaak van Velthoven taking the overall win at the Finnish Grand Prix.[2] De Coster won both motos of the Italian Grand Prix but, Bauer came back with a hard fought victory in Czechoslovakia, relegating De Coster to second place in both motos and took the lead in the championship points tally.[2] Bauer then took control of the championship by winning 5 out of the next 6 motos.[5] Suzuki management's frustration at their perceived unfair treatment led to a lapse in support and, Suzuki team riders De Coster and Sylvain Geboers then took matters into their own hands by modifying their motorcycle's frames and developed new rear suspensions.[2][3] Going into the final race of the season at Sint Anthonis, Holland, Bauer was still holding the points lead but, the Suzukis were showing improvement. The Sint Anthonis track was composed of deep sand which robbed engines of power and increased fuel consumption.[2] A Suzuki engineer calculated that their bike's gas tanks did not have sufficient capacity to finish the race.[2] De Coster then took one of their tanks and drove two and a half hours to have the tank modified to increase its volume.[2] He then drove back in time for the race. Despite having little sleep, De Coster scored two fourth-place finishes while Bauer suffered a mechanical failure handing De Coster his third consecutive 500cc world championship.[2]
250cc championship
Håkan Andersson won the 250cc world championship to give Yamaha its first motocross world championship. Yamaha's new and innovative rear suspension with a single shock absorber made its debut at the third round in Belgium and was proven to be successful when Andersson won the overall victory.[6] The new suspension design would go on to revolutionize the sport.[6] Jim Pomeroy riding a privateer Bultaco, became the first American rider to win an overall victory in an FIM Motocross Grand Prix race when he won the season opening Spanish Grand Prix.[7] His victory also marked the first Grand Prix victory for the Bultaco factory.[8] Competitors from nine different manufacturers placed in the top ten of the 250cc championship final standings, reflecting the thriving vitality of the sport of motocross.
Grands Prix
500cc
| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Overall Winner | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 1 | France French Grand Prix | Tarare | Sweden Christer Hammargren | Belgium Roger De Coster | Netherlands Gerrit Wolsink | Report |
| 2 | April 15 | Austria Austrian Grand Prix | Sittendorf | Czechoslovakia Jiri Stodulka | Czechoslovakia Jiri Stodulka | Czechoslovakia Jiri Stodulka | Report |
| 3 | May 20 | Finland Finnish Grand Prix | Ruskeasanta | Sweden Christer Hammargren | Belgium Roger De Coster | Belgium Jaak van Velthoven | Report |
| 4 | May 27 | Italy Italian Grand Prix | Pinerolo | Belgium Roger De Coster | Belgium Roger De Coster | Belgium Roger De Coster | Report |
| 5 | June 3 | Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Holice | Germany Willy Bauer | Germany Willy Bauer | Germany Willy Bauer | Report |
| 6 | June 24 | United States United States Grand Prix | Carlsbad | Germany Willy Bauer | Germany Willy Bauer | Germany Willy Bauer | Report |
| 7 | July 15 | Germany West German Grand Prix | Bielstein | Germany Willy Bauer | Belgium Roger De Coster | Belgium Roger De Coster | Report |
| 8 | August 5 | Belgium Belgian Grand Prix | Namur | Germany Willy Bauer | Germany Willy Bauer | Germany Willy Bauer | Report |
| 9 | August 12 | Luxembourg Luxembourg Grand Prix | Ettelbruck | Sweden Åke Jonsson | Sweden Åke Jonsson | Sweden Åke Jonsson | Report |
| 10 | August 12 | Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix | Sint Anthonis | Sweden Åke Jonsson | Netherlands Gerrit Wolsink | Sweden Åke Jonsson | Report |
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250cc
| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Overall Winner | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 8 | Spain Spanish Grand Prix | Sabadell | United States Jim Pomeroy | Germany Adolf Weil | United States Jim Pomeroy | Report |
| 2 | April 15 | Italy Italian Grand Prix | Serramazzoni | Finland Heikki Mikkola | Soviet Union Pavel Rulev | Germany Adolf Weil | Report |
| 3 | April 29 | Belgium Belgian Grand Prix | Wuustwezel | Finland Heikki Mikkola | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Report |
| 4 | May 6 | Switzerland Swiss Grand Prix | Payerne | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Report |
| 5 | May 13 | Poland Polish Grand Prix | Szczecin | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Report |
| 6 | May 20 | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Orehova vas | Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev | Report |
| 7 | June 17 | France French Grand Prix | Cassel | Germany Adolf Weil | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Germany Adolf Weil | Report |
| 8 | August 5 | Finland Finnish Grand Prix | Hyvinkää | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Report |
| 9 | August 12 | Soviet Union Russian Grand Prix | Leningrad | Germany Adolf Weil | Germany Adolf Weil | Germany Adolf Weil | Report |
| 10 | August 19 | Sweden Swedish Grand Prix | Ulricehamn | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Report |
| 11 | August 26 | Austria Austrian Grand Prix | Launsdorf | Germany Adolf Weil | Finland Heikki Mikkola | Germany Adolf Weil | Report |
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Final standings
Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
500cc
| Pos | Rider | Machine | FRA France |
AUT Austria |
FIN Finland |
ITA Italy |
CZE Czech Republic |
USA United States |
GER Germany |
BEL Belgium |
LUX Luxembourg |
NED Netherlands |
Points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium Roger De Coster | Suzuki | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 145 | |||||||
| 2 | West Germany Willy Bauer | Maico | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 143 | ||||||||
| 3 | Belgium Jaak van Velthoven | Yamaha | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 122 | |||||
| 4 | Sweden Åke Jonsson | Yamaha | 3 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 109 | ||||||||
| 5 | Netherlands Gerrit Wolsink | Maico | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 105 | |||||
| 6 | Sweden Christer Hammargren | Yamaha | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 87 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Czech Republic Jiri Stodulka | ČZ | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 56 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | West Germany Werner Schutz | Maico | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 56 | |||||||||
| 9 | Czech Republic Oldrich Hamrsmid | ČZ | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 45 | |||||||||||||
| 10 | Czech Republic Otakar Toman | ČZ | 9 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 45 | ||||||||||
| 11 | United Kingdom John Banks | BSA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 36 | |||||||||||||||
| 12 | Sweden Bengt Åberg | Husqvarna | 8 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 35 | |||||||||||||
| 13 | United States Brad Lackey | Kawasaki | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 26 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Netherlands Frans Sigmans | Yamaha | 4 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 24 | |||||||||||||||
| 15 | Austria Walter Leitgeb | Puch | 3 | 2 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Soviet Union Anatoly Botchkov | ČZ | 3 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Sweden Bert-Ove Wallner | Husqvarna | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Austria Friedrich Schiechtl | Husqvarna | 4 | 6 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Italy Giuseppe Cavallero | Maico | 2 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Vladimir Ovchinnikov | ČZ | 5 | 5 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom Vic Eastwood | Maico / AJS | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Netherlands Peter Willems | Yamaha | 9 | 9 | 5 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||
| 23 | Switzerland Fritz Graf | Yamaha | 4 | 10 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | Belgium Willy van Loon | ČZ | 8 | 6 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | Italy Paolo Piron | Husqvarna / Bultaco | 10 | 6 | 10 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| 26 | France Daniel Péan | Maico | 5 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Pierre Karsmakers | Yamaha | 7 | 9 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium Yvan Van den Broeck | Husqvarna / Maico | 9 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 29 | Sweden Arne Lindfors | Yamaha | 6 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| United States John DeSoto | ČZ | 9 | 8 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 31 | France Serge Bacou | Bultaco | 7 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Tony Van Erp | Maico | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium Raymond Heeren | Maico | 8 | 10 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium Julien de Roover | ČZ | 8 | 10 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden Arne Kring | Husqvarna | 10 | 10 | 9 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Austria Siegfried Lerner | KTM | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Anatoly Mandritchenko | ČZ | 9 | 10 | 10 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 38 | Soviet Union Nikolai Efimov | ČZ | 10 | 9 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Italy Alberto Angiolini | Maico | 8 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic Zdenek Strnad | ČZ | 9 | 10 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 41 | Soviet Union Viatcheslav Krasnotchekov | ČZ | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| United States Jimmy Weinert | Kawasaki | 10 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
250cc
| Pos | Rider | Machine | ESP Spain |
ITA Italy |
BEL Belgium |
CH Switzerland |
POL Poland |
YUG Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
FRA France |
FIN Finland |
USSR Soviet Union |
SWE Sweden |
AUT Austria |
Points | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden Håkan Andersson | Yamaha | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 177 | ||||
| 2 | West Germany Adolf Weil | Maico | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 157 | ||||
| 3 | Finland Heikki Mikkola | Husqvarna | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 143 | |||||
| 4 | Sweden Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 111 | |||||||||
| 5 | Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev | KTM | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 104 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Czech Republic Jaroslav Falta | ČZ | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 86 | ||||||||
| 7 | United States Jim Pomeroy | Bultaco | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 71 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Soviet Union Pavel Rulev | KTM | 9 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 49 | |||||||||||||
| Sweden Uno Palm | Puch | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 49 | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Finland Kalevi Vehkonen | Montesa | 10 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 43 | ||||||||||||||
| 11 | West Germany Hans Maisch | Maico | 2 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 35 | |||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Leonid Shinkarenko | ČZ | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 35 | |||||||||||||||
| 13 | Soviet Union Evgeniy Rybalchenko | ČZ | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 32 | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Belgium Harry Everts | Puch | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 30 | |||||||||||||
| 15 | Czech Republic Antonin Baborowsky | ČZ | 8 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 27 | |||||||||||||||
| Belgium Jean-Claude Laquaye | Yamaha | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 | ||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Japan Torao Suzuki | Yamaha | 7 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 24 | |||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Belgium Joël Robert | Suzuki | 10 | 5 | 4 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Jo Lammers | Montesa | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Belgium Gaston Rahier | Suzuki | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic Miroslav Halm | ČZ | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Belgium Sylvain Geboers | Suzuki | 6 | 6 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | United Kingdom Andy Roberton | Husqvarna | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | West Germany Herbert Schmitz | Maico | 7 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | Czech Republic Zdeneck Velky | ČZ | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | Soviet Union Alexej Kibirin | ČZ | 6 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | Finland Lars Ohberg | Montesa | 8 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland Jorma Jarvinen | Montesa | 8 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29 | Soviet Union Yuri Khudiakov | ČZ | 9 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium Claude Jobe | Montesa | 9 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium Raymond Boven | Montesa | 9 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | Belgium Marcel Wiertz | Bultaco | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Stef Van der Sluis | Yamaha | 10 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden Olle Pettersson | Kawasaki | 10 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "1973 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 "1973 Suzuki RN-73". mxworksbike.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Roger De Coster Interview". supercross.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ "The First US GP". motoretroillustrated.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "1973 500cc motocross world championship". akejonsson.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Torsten Hallman 2005". mxworksbike.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
- ↑ "Jim Pomeroy at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ "Jim Pomeroy, Motocross Legend". ultimatemotorcycling.com. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ↑ "1973 500cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "1973 250cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "1973 250cc motocross world championship race results". jwvanessen.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "1973 500cc motocross world championship final standings" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ↑ "1973 250cc motocross world championship final standings" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ↑ "1973 250cc motocross world championship final standings". jwvanessen.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
