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1973 FIM Motocross World Championship

(Redirected from 1973 FIM Motocross World Championship season)

The 1973 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 17th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.

Summary

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500cc championship

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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

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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

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500cc

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Round Date Grand Prix Location Race 1 Winner Race 2 Winner Overall Winner Report
1 April 1   French Grand Prix Tarare   Christer Hammargren   Roger De Coster   Gerrit Wolsink Report
2 April 15   Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf   Jiri Stodulka   Jiri Stodulka   Jiri Stodulka Report
3 May 20   Finnish Grand Prix Ruskeasanta   Christer Hammargren   Roger De Coster   Jaak van Velthoven Report
4 May 27   Italian Grand Prix Pinerolo   Roger De Coster   Roger De Coster   Roger De Coster Report
5 June 3   Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Holice   Willy Bauer   Willy Bauer   Willy Bauer Report
6 June 24   United States Grand Prix Carlsbad   Willy Bauer   Willy Bauer   Willy Bauer Report
7 July 15   West German Grand Prix Bielstein   Willy Bauer   Roger De Coster   Roger De Coster Report
8 August 5   Belgian Grand Prix Namur   Willy Bauer   Willy Bauer   Willy Bauer Report
9 August 12   Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck   Åke Jonsson   Åke Jonsson   Åke Jonsson Report
10 August 12   Dutch Grand Prix Sint Anthonis   Åke Jonsson   Gerrit Wolsink   Åke Jonsson Report

[5][9]

250cc

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Round Date Grand Prix Location Race 1 Winner Race 2 Winner Overall Winner Report
1 April 8   Spanish Grand Prix Sabadell   Jim Pomeroy   Adolf Weil   Jim Pomeroy Report
2 April 15   Italian Grand Prix Serramazzoni   Heikki Mikkola   Pavel Rulev   Adolf Weil Report
3 April 29   Belgian Grand Prix Wuustwezel   Heikki Mikkola   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson Report
4 May 6   Swiss Grand Prix Payerne   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson Report
5 May 13   Polish Grand Prix Szczecin   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson Report
6 May 20   Yugoslavian Grand Prix Orehova vas   Gennady Moiseyev   Håkan Andersson   Gennady Moiseyev Report
7 June 17   French Grand Prix Cassel   Adolf Weil   Håkan Andersson   Adolf Weil Report
8 August 5   Finnish Grand Prix Hyvinkää   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson Report
9 August 12   Russian Grand Prix Leningrad   Adolf Weil   Adolf Weil   Adolf Weil Report
10 August 19   Swedish Grand Prix Ulricehamn   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson   Håkan Andersson Report
11 August 26   Austrian Grand Prix Launsdorf   Adolf Weil   Heikki Mikkola   Adolf Weil Report

[10][11]

Final standings

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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

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Pos Rider Machine FRA
  		AUT
  		FIN
  		ITA
  		CZE
  		USA
  		GER
  		BEL
  		LUX
  		NED
  		Points
1   Roger De Coster Suzuki 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 4 4 145
2   Willy Bauer Maico 4 4 5 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 143
3   Jaak van Velthoven Yamaha 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 10 6 5 2 2 3 2 3 122
4   Åke Jonsson Yamaha 3 7 8 7 7 3 2 4 1 1 1 2 109
5   Gerrit Wolsink Maico 6 2 4 4 5 6 4 6 2 4 3 5 3 4 1 105
6   Christer Hammargren Yamaha 1 1 3 5 8 5 4 3 7 3 87
7   Jiri Stodulka ČZ 1 1 3 10 7 6 5 56
8   Werner Schutz Maico 5 6 6 7 6 5 6 6 4 6 9 56
9   Oldrich Hamrsmid ČZ 3 5 2 5 6 9 7 45
10   Otakar Toman ČZ 9 9 3 4 5 8 7 8 5 10 45
11   John Banks BSA 4 3 4 4 9 36
12   Bengt Åberg Husqvarna 8 5 2 8 9 5 8 35
13   Brad Lackey Kawasaki 8 9 8 8 7 10 6 6 26
14   Frans Sigmans Yamaha 4 7 8 5 8 24
15   Walter Leitgeb Puch 3 2 22
16   Anatoly Botchkov ČZ 3 10 8 6 20
17   Bert-Ove Wallner Husqvarna 7 7 8 6 16
18   Friedrich Schiechtl Husqvarna 4 6 13
19   Giuseppe Cavallero Maico 2 12
  Vladimir Ovchinnikov ČZ 5 5 12
  Vic Eastwood Maico / AJS 7 9 9 7 12
22   Peter Willems Yamaha 9 9 5 10
23   Fritz Graf Yamaha 4 10 9
24   Willy van Loon ČZ 8 6 8
25   Paolo Piron Husqvarna / Bultaco 10 6 10 7
26   Daniel Péan Maico 5 6
  Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha 7 9 6
  Yvan Van den Broeck Husqvarna / Maico 9 7 6
29   Arne Lindfors Yamaha 6 5
  John DeSoto ČZ 9 8 5
31   Serge Bacou Bultaco 7 4
  Tony Van Erp Maico 7 4
  Raymond Heeren Maico 8 10 4
  Julien de Roover ČZ 8 10 4
  Arne Kring Husqvarna 10 10 9 4
  Siegfried Lerner KTM 7 4
  Anatoly Mandritchenko ČZ 9 10 10 4
38   Nikolai Efimov ČZ 10 9 3
  Alberto Angiolini Maico 8 3
  Zdenek Strnad ČZ 9 10 3
41   Viatcheslav Krasnotchekov ČZ 10 1
  Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki 10 1

Sources:[1][5][12]

250cc

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Pos Rider Machine ESP
  		ITA
  		BEL
  		CH
  		POL
  		YUG
  		FRA
  		FIN
  		USSR
  		SWE
  		AUT
  		Points
1   Håkan Andersson Yamaha 6 2 3 6 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 4 177
2   Adolf Weil Maico 5 1 4 2 5 3 2 2 4 1 2 2 1 1 5 4 1 2 157
3   Heikki Mikkola Husqvarna 3 1 1 2 3 3 2 4 3 3 4 3 2 2 3 5 1 143
4   Torleif Hansen Kawasaki 4 4 6 5 6 3 4 3 3 2 2 2 3 111
5   Gennady Moiseyev KTM 2 4 2 2 1 3 2 4 3 6 104
6   Jaroslav Falta ČZ 7 3 6 4 4 5 4 2 6 6 5 8 6 4 86
7   Jim Pomeroy Bultaco 1 4 5 5 7 6 5 5 3 10 8 10 71
8   Pavel Rulev KTM 9 6 1 8 4 7 7 7 7 49
  Uno Palm Puch 8 6 8 10 8 5 5 9 7 3 5 49
10   Kalevi Vehkonen Montesa 10 5 3 5 3 8 6 9 43
11   Hans Maisch Maico 2 3 10 7 4 35
  Leonid Shinkarenko ČZ 8 7 5 5 7 6 5 10 35
13   Evgeniy Rybalchenko ČZ 9 7 9 7 9 6 10 7 6 8 32
14   Harry Everts Puch 8 9 9 7 7 8 4 9 9 30
15   Antonin Baborowsky ČZ 8 3 10 9 9 8 5 27
  Jean-Claude Laquaye Yamaha 8 5 7 6 7 10 7 27
17   Torao Suzuki Yamaha 7 4 4 10 8 24
18   Joël Robert Suzuki 10 5 4 15
  Jo Lammers Montesa 10 8 9 7 8 9 15
20   Gaston Rahier Suzuki 10 10 10 10 9 6 11
  Miroslav Halm ČZ 8 8 7 10 11
22   Sylvain Geboers Suzuki 6 6 10
23   Andy Roberton Husqvarna 10 9 10 6 9
24   Herbert Schmitz Maico 7 8 7
25   Zdeneck Velky ČZ 9 9 9 6
26   Alexej Kibirin ČZ 6 5
27   Lars Ohberg Montesa 8 3
  Jorma Jarvinen Montesa 8 3
29   Yuri Khudiakov ČZ 9 2
  Claude Jobe Montesa 9 2
  Raymond Boven Montesa 9 2
32   Marcel Wiertz Bultaco 10 1
  Stef Van der Sluis Yamaha 10 1
  Olle Pettersson Kawasaki 10 1

Sources:[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "1973 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "1973 Suzuki RN-73". mxworksbike.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d "Roger De Coster Interview". supercross.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  4. ^ "The First US GP". motoretroillustrated.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "1973 500cc motocross world championship". akejonsson.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Torsten Hallman 2005". mxworksbike.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  7. ^ "Jim Pomeroy at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  8. ^ "Jim Pomeroy, Motocross Legend". ultimatemotorcycling.com. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  9. ^ "1973 500cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. ^ "1973 250cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  11. ^ "1973 250cc motocross world championship race results". jwvanessen.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  12. ^ "1973 500cc motocross world championship final standings" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  13. ^ "1973 250cc motocross world championship final standings" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  14. ^ "1973 250cc motocross world championship final standings". jwvanessen.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
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