1973 FIM Motocross World Championship

1973 FIM Motocross World Championship
First lap action from the 1973 250cc Spanish Grand Prix.
OrganizerFIM
Duration1 April/26 August
Number of races21
Number of manufacturers12
Champions
500cc Roger De Coster
250cc Håkan Andersson

The 1973 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 17th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.

The FIM implements a new championship points scoring formula beginning in 1973. The Grand Prix races are still run with 2 heats but it is the sum of the results of each heat that counts for the final classification of the World Championship and not the points acquired at each Grand Prix.

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 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 Czechoslovak 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
Sources:[9][10]

250cc

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 Håkan Andersson 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
Sources:[11][12]

Final standings

Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers of each moto. For the 500cc final championship standings, the 10 best of 20 moto results are retained. For the 250cc final championship standings, the 12 best of 22 moto results are retained.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th 
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

500cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos Rider Machine FRA
 AUT
 FIN
 ITA
 TCH
 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 Cheney-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][10]

250cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

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:[12][13]

References

  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 "1973 500cc motocross world championship". akejonsson.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Torsten Hallman 2005". mxworksbike.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  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 winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. ^ a b "1973 500cc motocross world championship final results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  11. ^ "1973 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  12. ^ a b "1973 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. ^ "1973 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
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