1972 FIM Motocross World Championship

1972 FIM Motocross World Championship
Joël Robert in action in 1972
Organizer	FIM
Duration	9 April/27 August
Number of races	24
Number of manufacturers	12
Champions
500cc	Roger De Coster
250cc	Joël Robert
FIM Motocross World Championship seasons
← 1971 1973 →

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

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.

Second place in the championship would not be decided until the final race of the season in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg where Åke Jonsson (Maico) appeared poised to repeat his second-place result from the previous year. Jonsson won the first moto and, was leading the second moto on the last lap when his motorcycle ran out of fuel, dropping him to fourth in the final championship points standings. In his final season of competition, former three-time World Champion, Paul Friedrichs (ČZ), won the French and East German Grand Prix races and finished the season in second place to mark the end of his impressive career. ^{[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]} Friedrichs, Mikkola and Jonsson finished the season separated by just three points in the final standings.

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] Van Velthoven actually scored enough points to finish the season ranked second overall but fell victim to FIM scoring rules which only recognize the top seven of twelve results. The rules would be changed in 1977.

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 fifth consecutive 250cc World Championship, and sixth overall. 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

500cc

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

250cc

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

Final standings

Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers. For the 500cc final championship standings, since the Italian Grand Prix was canceled the net result is achieved by taking half of the 11 results + 1 or the 6 best results. For the 250cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 12 results are retained.

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

500cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

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

250cc

(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

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

References

1. "1972 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
2. "1972 500cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
3. "1972 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
4. "1972 250cc motocross world championship race winners". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
5. "1972 500cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
6. "1972 500cc motocross world championship complete results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
7. "1972 250cc motocross world championship results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
8. "1972 250cc motocross world championship complete results" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 13 February 2025.

External links

• Official website