1961 Motocross World Championship

The 1961 Motocross World Championship was the 5th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.

1961 Motocross World Championship
OrganizerFIM
Duration8 April/3 September
Number of races11
Number of manufacturers15
Champions
500ccSweden Sten Lundin
250cc[a]United Kingdom Dave Bickers
Motocross World Championship seasons

Summary

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Sten Lundin, riding a Monark motorcycle rebadged as a Lito, took an early championship lead by winning the first three Grand Prix races of the year then, held off a challenge from Husqvarna's Bill Nilsson to claim his second 500cc Motocross World Championship.[1][2][3] Dave Bickers riding for the Greeves factory racing team claimed his second consecutive 250cc European Motocross Championship over his countrymen, BSA teammates Arthur Lampkin and Jeff Smith.[4][5] Future four-time 250cc world champion, Torsten Hallman, wins the first world championship race of his career at the 1961 250cc Finnish Grand Prix.

Grands Prix

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500cc

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Round Date Grand Prix Location Winner Team Report
1 April 9   Swiss Grand Prix Payerne   Sten Lundin Lito Report
2 April 30   Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf   Sten Lundin Lito Report
3 May 28   French Grand Prix Jonzac   Sten Lundin Lito Report
4 June 4   Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Přerov   Bill Nilsson Husqvarna Report
5 June 11   Italian Grand Prix Imola   Bill Nilsson Husqvarna Report
6 July 2   British Grand Prix Hawkstone Park   Dave Curtis Matchless Report
7 July 24   Dutch Grand Prix Dreumel   Broer Dirkx BSA Report
8 August 5   Belgian Grand Prix Namur   Sten Lundin Lito Report
9 August 13   Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck   Sten Lundin Lito Report
10 August 20   Swedish Grand Prix Uddevalla   Bill Nilsson Husqvarna Report
11 September 3   West German Grand Prix Immenstadt   Sten Lundin Lito Report
Sources:[2][6]


250cc

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Round Date Grand Prix Location Winner Team Report
1 April 23   Belgian Grand Prix Aywaille   Dave Bickers Greeves Report
2 May 7   French Grand Prix Thomer-la-Sôgne   Dave Bickers Greeves Report
3 May 11   Dutch Grand Prix Markelo   Jeff Smith BSA Report
4 May 21   Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Divoká Šárka   Jeff Smith BSA Report
5 May 28   Polish Grand Prix Katowice-Zabrze   Dave Bickers Greeves Report
6 June 4   Luxembourg Grand Prix Schifflange   Dave Bickers Greeves Report
7 June 18   Finnish Grand Prix Tikkurila   Torsten Hallman Husqvarna Report
8 June 25   Italian Grand Prix Settimo   Arthur Lampkin BSA Report
9 July 2   West German Grand Prix Ühlingen   Arthur Lampkin BSA Report
10 July 15   British Grand Prix Shrubland Park   Dave Bickers Greeves Report
11 August 13   Swiss Grand Prix Wohlen   Arthur Lampkin BSA Report
12 September 3   Swedish Grand Prix Knutstorp   Dave Bickers Greeves Report
13 September 10   East German Grand Prix Apolda   Jaromír Čížek Jawa Report
Sources:[4][7]

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Final standings

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Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

500cc

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Pos Rider Machine CH
 
AUT
 
FRA
 
CZE
 
ITA
 
UK
 
NED
 
BEL
 
LUX
 
SWE
 
GER
 
Points
1   Sten Lundin Lito 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 48
2   Bill Nilsson Husqvarna 2 1 1 3 1 5 36
3   Gunnar Johansson Lito 3 4 3 3 6 2 3 6 25
4   Miloslav Soucek ESO 4 3 2 2 19
5   Rolf Tibblin Husqvarna 5 4 4 6 2 15
6   John Burton BSA 2 4 3 13
7   Broer Dirk BSA 1 3 12
8   David Curtis Matchless 1 8
9   Ove Lundell Monark 2 6 7
10   Ervín Krajčovič ESO 5 4 5 7
11   Lars Gustavsson Lito 2 6
12   Jeff Smith BSA 5 3 6
13   Herman De Soete Matchless 5 6 4 6
14   Derek Rickman Triumph-Métisse 3 4
15   Guy Bertrand BSA 4 3
16   Jan Clijnk BSA 4 3
17   Per Olaf Persson Monark 4 3
18   Gordon Blakeway Triumph 4 3
19   Tim Gibbes AJS 5 2
20   John Harris BSA 5 2
21   Frans Slechten BSA 5 2
22   Hubert Scaillet Triumph 5 2
23   Roine Lööf BSA 5 2
24   Georges Delpeyrat Triumph 6 1
25   Josef Hrebecek ESO 6 1
26   Florian Thevenaz Triumph 6 1
27   Roger Vanderbecken BSA 6 1
28   Jef Theuwissen BSA 6 1
28   Jacques Langel BSA 6 1
Source:[6]

250cc

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Pos Rider Machine BEL
 
FRA
 
NED
 
CZE
 
POL
 
LUX
 
FIN
 
ITA
 
GER
 
UK
 
CH
 
SWE
 
GDR
 
Pts
1   Dave Bickers Greeves 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 51
2   Arthur Lampkin BSA 2 2 2 4 3 1 1 2 1 2 48
3   Jeff Smith BSA 2 1 1 4 2 4 2 3 2 40
4   Torsten Hallman Husqvarna 4 3 3 5 3 1 2 3 4 33
5   Jaromír Čížek Jawa 3 3 6 5 1 19
6   Aarno Erola Husqvarna 5 5 2 4 3 17
7   Vlastimil Valek ČZ/Greeves 3 5 5 2 14
8   Lennart Dahlén Jawa 2 4 9
9   Fritz Selling Greeves 6 3 3 9
10   Fritz Betzelbacher Maico 6 5 3 7
11   Sivert Eriksson Husqvarna 6 4 6 5 7
12   John Draper BSA 5 4 6 6
13   Nic Jansen Greeves 5 4 5
14   Miloslav Soucek ESO 4 3
  Fred Willamowski MZ 4 3
16   Josef Chara Jawa 6 6 6 3
17   Luciano Conti Aermacchi 5 2
  Gerhard Stauch Maico 5 2
  Otto Walz Maico 5 2
20   Vincenzo Soletti Parilla 6 1
  Bryan Sharp Greeves 6 1
  Jan Johansson Husqvarna 6 1
  Paul Friedrichs ESO 6 1
Source:[7]


Notes

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  1. ^ Now called the European Championship.

References

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  1. ^ "Classic Motocross Iron: 1961 Lito 500 Motocross". motocrossactionmag.com. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "1961 500cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  3. ^ "1961 500cc motocross world championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b "1961 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  5. ^ "1961 250cc motocross world championship results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b "1961 500cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b "1961 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 18 December 2022.