View text source at Wikipedia

1972 FIM Motocross World Championship

1972 FIM Motocross World Championship
OrganizerFIM
Duration9 April/27 August
Number of races24
Number of manufacturers12
Champions
500ccBelgium Roger De Coster
250ccBelgium Joël Robert
FIM Motocross World Championship seasons

The 1972 Motocross World Championship was the 16th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.

Summary

[edit]

With no weight limit rules imposed by the FIM, Suzuki were able to develop extremely lightweight motorcycles for the 1972 season. Suzuki factory rider Roger De Coster led the 500cc World Championship from start to finish, winning six of twelve Grand Prix races to clinch the title with two races remaining on the schedule.[1][2] The victory was the second consecutive 500cc World Championship for De Coster and Suzuki.

Former three-time World Champion, Paul Friedrichs (ČZ), won the French and East German Grand Prix races to finish the season in second place.[1][2] Heikki Mikkola (Husqvarna) moved up from the 250cc class and made a positive impression with Grand Prix victories in Switzerland and Czechoslovakia to claim third in the 500 class.[1][2] The Yamaha factory team added former Husqvarna riders Christer Hammargren and Jaak van Velthoven in the 500cc class and Håkan Andersson in the 250cc class. Van Velthoven won the 500cc Luxembourg Grand Prix to give the Yamaha factory its first World Championship victory.[2]

Suzuki factory rider Joël Robert once again dominated the 250cc World Championship, winning six of the twelve Grand Prix events to clinch the title with four races to go.[3][4] The victory would be Robert's sixth 250cc World Championship, and fifth in a row. Yamaha factory rider Håkan Andersson would take second place in the championship ahead of Suzuki's Sylvain Geboers.[3] Pavel Rulev gave the KTM factory its first race victory by winning the first moto of the 250cc Russian Grand Prix. Olle Pettersson scored the Kawasaki factory's first motocross world championship points with a 6th place at the 1972 250cc French Grand Prix.

Grands Prix

[edit]

500cc

[edit]
Round Date Grand Prix Location Race 1 Winner Race 2 Winner Overall Winner Report
1 April 23 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Report
2 April 30 Switzerland Swiss Grand Prix Payerne Finland Heikki Mikkola Finland Heikki Mikkola Finland Heikki Mikkola Report
3 May 7 Italy Italian Grand Prix Pinerolo Cancelled - - Report
4 May 14 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Västerås Belgium Roger De Coster West Germany Adolf Weil Belgium Roger De Coster Report
5 May 24 France French Grand Prix Corseul East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs Report
6 June 4 Soviet Union Russian Grand Prix Poltava Belgium Roger De Coster East Germany Paul Friedrichs Belgium Roger De Coster Report
7 June 11 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Přerov Belgium Roger De Coster Sweden Bengt Åberg Finland Heikki Mikkola Report
8 July 9 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Farleigh Castle Belgium Roger De Coster Sweden Åke Jonsson Belgium Roger De Coster Report
9 July 16 Germany West German Grand Prix Beuren Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Report
10 July 23 East Germany East German Grand Prix Apolda Belgium Roger De Coster East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs Report
11 August 6 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Namur Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Report
12 August 13 Luxembourg Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck Sweden Åke Jonsson West Germany Adolf Weil Belgium Jaak van Velthoven Report
Sources:[2][5]

250cc

[edit]
Round Date Grand Prix Location Race 1 Winner Race 2 Winner Overall Winner Report
1 April 9 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Sabadell Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Sylvain Geboers Belgium Sylvain Geboers Report
2 April 16 France French Grand Prix Pernes-les-Fontaines Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
3 May 7 Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix Markelo Belgium Joël Robert Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev Belgium Joël Robert Report
4 May 14 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Holice Belgium Joël Robert Soviet Union Vladimir Kavinov Soviet Union Vladimir Kavinov Report
5 May 28 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Tržič Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
6 June 4 Germany West German Grand Prix Bielstein Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
7 June 11 Poland Polish Grand Prix Szczecin Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
8 June 18 Soviet Union Russian Grand Prix Chișinău Soviet Union Pavel Rulev Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
9 August 6 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Hyvinkää Belgium Sylvain Geboers Belgium Sylvain Geboers Belgium Sylvain Geboers Report
10 August 13 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Huskvarna Sweden Arne Kring Sweden Håkan Andersson Sweden Håkan Andersson Report
11 August 20 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Dodington Park Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Falta Sweden Håkan Andersson Czechoslovakia Jaroslav Falta Report
12 August 27 Switzerland Swiss Grand Prix Wohlen Belgium Joël Robert Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev Sweden Håkan Andersson Report
Sources:[4][6]

Final standings

[edit]

Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers.

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

500cc

[edit]
Pos Rider Machine AUT
Austria 		CH
Switzerland 		ITA
Italy 		SWE
Sweden 		FRA
France 		USSR
Soviet Union 		CZE
Czech Republic 		UK
United Kingdom 		GER
West Germany 		GDR
East Germany 		BEL
Belgium 		LUX
Luxembourg 		Points
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 Belgium Roger De Coster Suzuki 1 1 2 2 - - 1 3 5 - 1 2 1 - 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 - - 90
2 East Germany Paul Friedrichs ČZ - - 5 - - - - - 1 1 8 1 - - 7 - 2 5 2 1 6 - 6 3 62
3 Finland Heikki Mikkola Husqvarna 10 6 1 1 - - - - 6 5 3 5 2 3 5 - - - 5 5 13 5 - - 61
4 Sweden Åke Jonsson Maico 6 2 6 5 - - - - - - 9 3 13 2 3 1 4 3 - 2 2 2 1 - 60
5 Belgium Jaak van Velthoven Yamaha - - - - - - 5 6 10 6 4 - 5 4 4 2 5 2 6 6 4 3 2 2 57
6 Czech Republic Jiri Stodulka ČZ 4 4 - - - - 14 5 - - 5 7 3 5 - 9 8 6 9 7 10 15 5 4 45
7 Sweden Bengt Åberg Husqvarna 7 8 3 3 - - 2 - 3 4 2 6 - 1 6 - - - 4 4 5 - - - 44
8 West Germany Adolf Weil Maico - - 4 - - - 3 1 2 2 - - 4 - 2 4 - - - - 3 4 - 1 42
9 West Germany Willy Bauer Maico 2 3 - - - - 4 2 - 3 - - - - 9 8 7 4 3 - - - - - 33
10 Netherlands Gerrit Wolsink Husqvarna 5 10 7 4 - - 8 - 4 8 - - - - 8 5 3 - 12 - 7 6 4 12 32
11 United Kingdom Andy Roberton Husqvarna 8 5 - - - - - 10 - 10 - - 8 8 12 7 - - 11 8 11 8 - - 19
12 Sweden Christer Hammargren Yamaha 9 - 9 - - - 6 4 7 - 7 10 10 - - - - - 10 9 8 9 15 - 18
13 United Kingdom John Banks ČZ - - 8 6 - - 7 9 8 - - - 9 6 17 - 6 - - - - - 3 - 16
14 Czech Republic Vlastimil Valek Jawa 3 7 14 10 - - - - 11 7 - - 7 - 14 12 11 9 8 - 12 13 - - 16
15 Soviet Union Nikolai Efimov ČZ - 9 10 9 - - 9 - 9 9 10 4 - - - - - - 7 10 - - - - 14
16 Finland Jyrki Storm Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15 16 14 10 14 12 15 16 7 5 11
17 United Kingdom Bryan Wade Husqvarna - - - - - - 11 7 - - - - - - 11 6 - - - - - - - - 8
18 Netherlands Pierre Karsmakers Husqvarna - - - 8 - - - - - - - - 6 - - - 10 - - - 9 7 - - 7
19 Czech Republic Zdenek Strnad ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 - - 12 8 - - - - - - 7
20 Austria Friedrich Schiechtl Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 8 7 6
21 Soviet Union Viatcheslav Krasnotchekov ČZ - - 11 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
Soviet Union Vladimir Ovchinnikov ČZ - - - - - - - - - - 6 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
Sweden Bert-Ove Wallner Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 - - - - - - - - 10 - 4
Italy Afro Rustignoli ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13 6 4
25 France Serge Bacou Bultaco - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 13 - 11 - - - - 9 10 3
26 Sweden Jan Johansson Husqvarna - - - - - - 13 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
Switzerland Anton Stifter Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 9 2
United Kingdom Vic Eastwood AJS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 15 - - - - - - - - 1
29 Sweden Anders Hermansson Husqvarna - - - - - - 10 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
East Germany Heinz Hoppe ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 13 - - - - 1
United States Bryan Kenney Yamaha - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 11 - - - - 1
United States Bill Clements Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 20 16 11 1
Soviet Union Anatoly Botchkov ČZ - - 12 13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
Sources:[1][5]

250cc

[edit]
Pos Rider Machine ESP
Spain 		FRA
France 		NED
Netherlands 		CZE
Czech Republic 		YUG
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 		GER
West Germany 		POL
Poland 		USSR
Soviet Union 		FIN
Finland 		SWE
Sweden 		UK
United Kingdom 		CH
Switzerland 		Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 Belgium Joël Robert Suzuki 1 - 1 1 1 2 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 - - - - - - 1 30 102
2 Sweden Håkan Andersson Yamaha - - - - - - 3 8 7 - 4 6 3 5 6 4 4 3 2 1 5 1 3 2 82
3 Belgium Sylvain Geboers Suzuki 2 1 - - 2 3 - - 2 3 8 3 2 - 3 - 1 1 - - 3 - - - 62
4 Finland Kalevi Vehkonen Montesa 6 - 8 10 8 4 10 9 4 2 10 - - - 4 - 3 2 5 5 6 3 5 5 57
5 Sweden Uno Palm Husqvarna 12 2 7 7 6 6 4 3 5 8 - - 4 6 5 3 - - - - - - - - 53
6 Czech Republic Miroslav Halm ČZ - - 9 3 10 10 5 6 - - 14 2 5 3 8 - 5 7 3 9 2 4 - - 45
7 Soviet Union Alexei Kibirine ČZ 5 3 3 8 11 11 6 4 9 10 - - 9 - 7 2 10 6 - 13 - - 11 10 44
8 Sweden Arne Kring Husqvarna - - - - 4 - 7 2 - 4 7 - - - 10 - 2 9 1 2 - - 4 3 42
9 Czech Republic Jaroslav Falta ČZ - - 2 26 - 9 - - - 9 3 - 6 4 9 5 6 5 9 8 1 2 - - 39
10 Soviet Union Pavel Rulev ČZ - - 4 5 - - - - 3 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
KTM - - - - - - - - - - 13 5 - - 1 - 7 4 4 3 - - 2 -
11 Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev ČZ 3 - 5 4 5 1 9 - 6 - - - - - - 6 - - - - 19 9 6 1 38
12 Soviet Union Vladimir Kavinov ČZ 7 - - 2 3 - 2 1 - - 2 4 8 2 - - - - - - - - - - 33
13 Belgium Gaston Rahier Husqvarna 4 4 10 9 15 8 - 7 8 6 6 - 10 8 - - - - - - - - - - 23
14 Sweden Olle Pettersson Kawasaki 9 - 6 6 - 7 - - - - 11 - 7 7 - - - - - 7 - 5 7 7 18
15 West Germany Herbert Schmitz Maico - - - - - - 8 - - - 5 7 - - - - 8 8 - 6 - - 9 6 13
16 Belgium Marcel Wiertz Bultaco - 6 - - - - - - - - 9 8 12 10 - - - - - 10 14 - 16 8 13
17 Czech Republic Jiry Churavy ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 6 8 4 12
18 Sweden Torleif Hansen Husqvarna - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - - - - - 7 4 8 13 - - 9
19 Netherlands Jo Lammers Maico - - 15 14 7 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 16 - - 6
20 Denmark Erling Klinke ČZ - 7 22 23 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 15 - - 5
United Kingdom Jim Aird AJS 10 - 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 - 9 7 - - 5
22 Denmark Ole Ottoson Husqvarna - 8 23 24 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 - - - 4
Soviet Union Anatoly Mandritchenko ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 - - - - - - - - 4
United Kingdom Vic Allan Bultaco - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 8 - - 4
25 United Kingdom Rob Taylor Maico - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 10 - - 3
East Germany Helmut Schadenberg ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 - 9 - - - - - - - - 3
Sweden Kjell Thorne Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 - - - - 3
28 Belgium Harry Everts Puch - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 9 - - - - - - - - - - 2
Bulgaria Velicko Manilov ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - - - 2
Sweden Bjorn Casseborg Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 - - - - 2
31 France Jean-Claude Nowak Montesa - - 13 11 - - - - - - 17 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
Austria Walter Leitgeb KTM - - - - - - - - - 15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
West Germany Werner Schutz Maico - - 16 12 - - - - 10 - 12 - - - - - - - 6 - - - - - 1
Norway Roger Smestad Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 10 - - - - - - 1
Sweden Orjan Eklund Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 - - - - - 1
Spain Domingo Gris Bultaco - - 12 15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 - 1
Sources:[3][6]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "1972 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "1972 500cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "1972 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b "1972 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b "1972 500cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b "1972 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
[edit]