1968 FIM Motocross World Championship

1968 FIM Motocross World Championship
1968 FIM Motocross World Championship
Organizer	FIM
Duration	2 April/20 August
Number of races	26
Number of manufacturers	8
Champions
500cc	Paul Friedrichs
250cc	Joël Robert

The 1968 Motocross World Championship was the 12th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.

Summary

ČZ factory sponsored Paul Friedrichs overcame a late season charge by BSA factory team rider John Banks to win his third consecutive 500cc World Championship by a single point over his British competitor.^[1]^[2] The championship wasn't decided until the final round in Switzerland where Friedrichs, Banks and Åke Jonsson (Husqvarna) each had a mathematical chance of winning the world championship.

Friedrichs won the season ending Swiss Grand Prix to claim the 500cc World Championship by a narrow margin over Banks. Banks actually scored more points overall but fell victim to FIM scoring rules which only recognize the top seven of thirteen results. The rules would be changed in 1977. Friedrichs won four of the thirteen Grand Prix events to become the first three-time winner of the premier 500cc displacement class since the inception of the Motocross World Championships in 1957. In the face of the rapid development of two-stroke engine technology, the BSA factory was the last remaining manufacturer to compete with four-stroke engines.

Joël Robert and Torsten Hallman once again battled for supremacy of the 250cc class.^[3] The ČZ factory switched Dave Bickers from the 500cc class to the 250cc class and hired 23-year-old Sylvain Geboers to support Robert while the Husqvarna team hired Håkan Andersson in support of Hallman.^[3] Andersson won the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix to become an early title contender, however he suffered a broken leg at the Dutch Grand Prix and was forced to withdraw from the competition.^[3] After Robert won three consecutive Grand Prix races in France, Holland and West Germany to take the early points lead, Hallman then won three races in Russia, Yugoslavia and Sweden to tie Robert for the championship points lead as they went into the final round in Austria where Roberts won the event to clinch the World Championship by two points over Hallman.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] Suzuki became the first Japanese manufacturer to win a Motocross World Championship heat race when Olle Pettersson rode a Suzuki to win the first heat race at the 250cc Belgian Grand Prix in Genk.^[3]

Grands Prix

500cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Race 1 Winner	Race 2 Winner	Overall Winner	Report
1	April 21	Austrian Grand Prix	Sittendorf	Paul Friedrichs	John Banks	Bengt Åberg	Report
2	May 12	Italian Grand Prix	Gallarate	Roger De Coster	Roger De Coster	Roger De Coster	Report
3	May 19	Swedish Grand Prix	Motala	Åke Jonsson	Paul Friedrichs	Åke Jonsson	Report
4	May 26	Finnish Grand Prix	Tikkurila	Paul Friedrichs	John Banks	Paul Friedrichs	Report
5	June 9	East German Grand Prix	Apolda	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Report
6	June 16	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Přerov	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Paul Friedrichs	Report
7	July 7	British Grand Prix	Farleigh Castle	Vic Eastwood	Åke Jonsson	Vic Eastwood	Report
8	July 14	West German Grand Prix	Beuren	Paul Friedrichs	Adolf Weil	Åke Jonsson	Report
9	July 21	French Grand Prix	Bellême	Roger De Coster	John Banks	John Banks	Report
10	July 28	Dutch Grand Prix	Sint Anthonis	John Banks	John Banks	John Banks	Report
11	August 4	Belgian Grand Prix	Namur	John Banks	Paul Friedrichs	Bengt Åberg	Report
12	August 11	Luxembourg Grand Prix	Ettelbruck	Paul Friedrichs	Vic Eastwood	Vic Eastwood	Report
13	August 18	Swiss Grand Prix	Wohlen	Bengt Åberg	Vic Eastwood	Paul Friedrichs	Report
Sources:^[2]^[7]

250cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Race 1 Winner	Race 2 Winner	Overall Winner	Report
1	March 31	Spanish Grand Prix	Sabadell	Joël Robert	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Report
2	April 28	Belgian Grand Prix	Genk	Olle Pettersson	Håkan Andersson	Sylvain Geboers	Report
3	May 5	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Holice	Håkan Andersson	Håkan Andersson	Håkan Andersson	Report
4	May 12	French Grand Prix	Thouars	Joël Robert	Håkan Andersson	Joël Robert	Report
5	May 19	Dutch Grand Prix	Markelo	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Report
6	May 23	West German Grand Prix	Bielstein	Joël Robert	Torsten Hallman	Joël Robert	Report
7	May 26	Luxembourg Grand Prix	Schifflange	Torsten Hallman	Joël Robert	Torsten Hallman	Report
8	June 16	Polish Grand Prix	Szczecin	Joël Robert	Torsten Hallman	Joël Robert	Report
9	June 23	Russian Grand Prix	Lviv	Karel Konecny	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Report
10	June 30	Yugoslavian Grand Prix	Tržič	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Torsten Hallman	Report
11	July 27	Finnish Grand Prix	Hyvinkää	Kalevi Vehkonen	Kalevi Vehkonen	Kalevi Vehkonen	Report
12	August 4	Swedish Grand Prix	Hedemora	Joël Robert	Heikki Mikkola	Torsten Hallman	Report
13	August 11	British Grand Prix	Dodington Park	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Report
14	October 6	Austrian Grand Prix	Launsdorf	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Joël Robert	Report
Sources:^[6]^[8]

Final standings

Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers. For the 500cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 13 results are retained. For the 250cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 14 results are retained.

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

500cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos	Rider	Machine	AUT		ITA		SWE		FIN		GDR		CZE		UK		GER		FRA		NED		BEL		LUX		CH		Points
Pos	Rider	Machine	R1	R2	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	Paul Friedrichs	ČZ	1	18	NC	-	-	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	8	1	1	3	2	2	42
2	John Banks	BSA	30	1	-	-	-	-	5	1	4	4	3	2	-	-	8	4	2	1	1	1	1	4	6	2	3	5	41
3	Åke Jonsson	Husqvarna	-	6	NC	-	1	6	2	4	6	3	4	3	-	1	3	2	5	6	-	7	-	-	7	4	4	4	34
4	Bengt Åberg	Husqvarna	2	2	NC	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	10	2	3	37	2	6	-	3	2	4	5	1	10	29
5	Roger De Coster	ČZ	11	-	1	1	5	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	6	10	-	1	3	4	12	4	-	-	-	7	-	21
6	Vic Eastwood	Husqvarna	-	-	NC	-	-	4	-	-	9	2	-	-	1	2	4	-	29	30	3	-	2	-	2	1	-	1	17
7	Petr Dobry	ČZ	-	-	6	2	-	-	-	-	2	6	2	5	3	3	-	-	13	7	-	-	7	7	-	-	11	-	16
8	Jeff Smith	BSA	25	-	NC	-	-	-	3	3	10	10	6	-	6	8	-	-	6	5	5	5	5	6	-	-	5	3	16
9	Jeff Teuwissen	Husqvarna	8	26	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	7	-	-	-	7	3	4	2	2	6	3	11	-	-	-	14
10	Christer Hammargren	Husqvarna	9	8	NC	-	4	3	-	-	8	7	-	-	2	5	7	5	31	-	8	-	16	21	-	8	-	6	13
11	Vlastimil Valek	ČZ	4	24	8	-	3	-	-	-	3	5	-	-	-	-	6	8	7	27	17	11	10	8	3	6	6	7	13
12	Vaclav Svastal	ČZ	3	7	5	4	-	-	-	-	7	8	-	-	7	12	-	-	4	8	-	-	17	9	8	7	-	-	8
13	Vilis Brunis	ČZ	5	3	4	-	-	-	-	-	15	12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6
14	Allan Clough	Husqvarna	26	-	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	13	-	-	36	36	-	-	19	18	-	-	-	-	4
15	Wolfgang Müller	Maico	-	-	9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	6	-	-	12	13	-	-	-	-	8	8	4
15	Vladimir Pogrebniak	ČZ	7	4	NC	-	2	-	-	-	11	17	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4
17	Heinz Hoppe	ČZ	10	9	NC	-	-	-	4	-	13	13	5	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	15	18	12	10	12	-	-	3
18	Dave Bickers	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3
19	Pierre Karsmakers	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8	9	7	6	13	14	-	-	-	-	3
20	Adolf Weil	Maico	12	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
20	Erwin Schmider	Maico	-	-	7	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	15	12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
22	Keith Hickman	BSA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	14	8	4	8	9	-	-	40	-	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	2
	Gerrit Wolsink	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	4	25	16	-	-	-	-	2
	Gunnar Draugs	ČZ	6	23	NC	-	-	-	6	6	12	9	11	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
25	Jan Johansson	Lindstrom	-	10	-	-	6	-	8	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
25	Gaston Rahier	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	5	-	9	-	-	1
-	Yuri Matveev	ČZ	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
-	Frans Sigmans	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
Sources:^[1]^[7]

250cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos	Rider	Machine	ESP		BEL		CZE		FRA		NED		GER		LUX		POL		USSR		YUG		FIN		SWE		UK		AUT		Pts
Pos	Rider	Machine	R1	R2	R1	R2	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	Joël Robert	ČZ	1	4	4	-	2	2	1	2	1	1	1	2	3	1	1	2	-	-	-	8	2	2	1	-	1	1	1	1	54
2	Torsten Hallman	Husqvarna	2	1	-	-	-	-	2	-	8	3	3	1	1	2	7	1	2	1	1	1	3	-	4	2	2	2	2	-	52
3	Sylvain Geboers	ČZ	5	5	2	2	5	4	5	3	3	6	14	-	10	7	2	4	-	-	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	4	31
4	Karel Konecny	ČZ	-	-	-	-	6	9	6	4	32	11	5	5	11	9	3	3	1	2	2	2	7	4	-	-	5	3	6	3	29
5	Dave Bickers	ČZ	6	3	6	8	7	-	4	7	24	-	8	12	2	3	-	-	4	3	5	7	-	-	7	6	3	4	7	5	21
6	Håkan Andersson	Husqvarna	-	2	3	1	1	1	3	1	4	26	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18
7	Olle Pettersson	Suzuki	-	13	1	3	8	6	11	6	6	2	4	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18
8	Kalevi Vehkonen	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	8	-	8
9	Victor Arbekov	ČZ	-	-	9	4	3	3	8	5	11	27	6	4	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
10	Heikki Mikkola	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	6	1	-	-	9	-	7
11	Stig Pettersson	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	5	5	5	11	-	11	-	7
12	Marcel Wiertz	Bultaco	3	-	8	9	14	13	-	-	18	12	13	11	12	14	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	-	5	2	6
13	Adolf Weil	Maico	7	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	15	18	2	3	9	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6
14	Malcolm Davis	AJS	10	12	5	7	-	-	10	9	-	-	-	-	4	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	6
15	Gennady Moiseyev	ČZ	-	-	21	11	9	12	12	19	5	5	12	10	14	13	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5
15	Leonid Shinkarenko	ČZ	-	-	10	15	-	17	9	11	2	-	-	-	5	-	4	6	5	4	4	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5
17	Bengt Arne Bonn	Husqvarna	17	11	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	16	19	16	-	5	-	-	-	-	4	3	-	3	-	-	-	-	4
18	Jyrki Storm	Husqvarna	-	-	-	6	28	7	16	13	7	4	19	17	18	15	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	9	6	-	-	4
19	Jiri Stodulka	ČZ	-	-	13	18	4	5	31	12	22	9	15	7	13	8	-	-	-	-	6	6	-	-	-	-	7	7	10	-	4
20	Evgeny Petushkov	ČZ	-	-	11	10	15	14	13	10	17	-	9	8	8	10	-	-	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3
20	Vilis Brunis	ČZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3
22	Don Rickman	Bultaco	4	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
	Bryan Wade	Greeves	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	8	9	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	4	5	-	-	2
	Torleif Hansen	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	12	-	4	6	2
25	Uno Palm	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
	Yngve Holmqvist	Husqvarna	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	-	-	-	-	1
	Vic Allan	Greeves	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	8	-	-	1
-	Gaston Rahier	ČZ	13	10	7	12	-	-	-	14	-	-	-	-	16	11	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
-	Roger De Coster	ČZ	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0
Sources:^[5]^[8]

Notes

References

^ ^a ^b "1968 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b "1968 500cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Trippe, Gavin (1 September 1968). "Motocross". Cycle World. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ "Hallman's Fight For The fifth Title". husqvarna-motorcycles.com. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b "1968 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b "1968 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b "1968 500cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b "1968 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[1968_500cc_motocross_world_championship_final_standings-1] "1968 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[1968_500cc_motocross_world_championship_race_winners-2] "1968 500cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[Motocross-3] Trippe, Gavin (1 September 1968). "Motocross". Cycle World. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[Hallman's_Fight_For_The_fifth_Title-4] "Hallman's Fight For The fifth Title". husqvarna-motorcycles.com. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[1968_250cc_motocross_world_championship_final_standings-5] "1968 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[1968_250cc_motocross_world_championship_race_winners-6] "1968 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[1968_500cc_motocross_world_championship_results-7] "1968 500cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

[1968_250cc_motocross_world_championship_results-8] "1968 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 January 2025.

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