1979 FIM Motocross World Championship

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The 1979 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 23rd F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.

Contents

Summary

Graham Noyce won the 1979 500cc world championship for the Honda factory racing team, marking Honda's first ever motocross world championship as well as the first motocross world championship for a British rider since Jeff Smith in 1965. [1] [2] Yamaha's defending champion Heikki Mikkola struggled to recover from a broken leg suffered in preseason. [1] Noyce's consistent results earned him the championship points lead at the midpoint of the season with Suzuki's Gerrit Wolsink, Mikkola and Kawasaki's Brad Lackey within reach of the points lead. [1] Wolsink won his fifth 500cc United States Grand Prix in six years and followed that with another victory at the Canadian Grand Prix to narrow the points lead. [1] Mikkola then suffered another injury at the Canadian Grand Prix and his injuries forced him to sit out the West German Grand Prix. [1] Former Honda factory rider, Lackey, won 6 individual moto victories, more than any other rider in the championship yet, his factory sponsored Kawasaki proved to be unreliable as the team struggled through development issues on a new motorcycle. [1] Noyce then took command of the championship by posting a series of top five finishes to win the title for the Honda team.

Håkan Carlqvist won the 250cc world championship for Husqvarna while Harry Everts dominated the 125cc world championship for the Suzuki factory racing team.

Grands Prix

500cc

RoundDateGrand PrixLocationRace 1 WinnerRace 2 WinnerOverall WinnerReport
1April 22 Flag of Austria.svg Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Yvan van den Broeck Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Noyce Report
2April 29 Flag of France.svg French Grand PrixThours Flag of France.svg Jean-Jacques Bruno Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Report
3May 13 Flag of Sweden.svg Swedish Grand Prix Huskvarna Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Report
4May 27 Flag of Italy.svg Italian Grand Prix Faenza Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Mikkola Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Mikkola Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Mikkola Report
5June 10 Flag of the United States.svg United States Grand Prix Carlsbad Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Report
6June 17 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canadian Grand Prix Mosport Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Noyce Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Report
7June 24 Flag of Germany.svg West German Grand Prix Beuren Flag of France.svg Jean-Jacques Bruno Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Malherbe Flag of France.svg Jean-Jacques Bruno Report
8July 1 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Grand Prix Farleigh Castle Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Noyce Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Noyce Report
9July 8 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Swiss Grand Prix Payerne Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Mikkola Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Mikkola Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Mikkola Report
10July 29 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dutch Grand Prix Markelo Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Noyce Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit Wolsink Report
11August 5 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgian Grand Prix Namur Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Roger De Coster Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Malherbe Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Malherbe Report
12August 12 Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck Flag of the United States.svg Brad Lackey Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Malherbe Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Malherbe Report

[3] [4]

250cc

RoundDateGrand PrixLocationWinnerTeamReport
1April 8 Flag of Spain.svg Spanish Grand Prix Sabadell Flag of Sweden.svg Håkan Carlqvist Husqvarna Report
2April 22 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dutch Grand Prix Halle Flag of Sweden.svg Håkan CarlqvistHusqvarna Report
3April 29 Flag of Italy.svg Italian Grand Prix Bra Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Neil Hudson Maico Report
4May 6 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgian Grand Prix Genk Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry Everts Suzuki Report
5May 20 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Yugoslavian Grand Prix Karlovac Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Neil HudsonMaico Report
6May 27 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Holice Flag of Sweden.svg Håkan CarlqvistHusqvarna Report
7June 10 Flag of Poland.svg Polish Grand Prix Szczecin Flag of Sweden.svg Håkan CarlqvistHusqvarna Report
8June 17 Flag of France.svg French Grand Prix Lavaur Flag of Sweden.svg Håkan CarlqvistHusqvarna Report
9July 1 Flag of Finland.svg Finnish Grand Prix Hyvinkää Flag of the Netherlands.svg Kees van der Ven Maico Report
10July 29 Flag of the United States.svg United States Grand Prix Unadilla Flag of the United States.svg Kent Howerton Suzuki Report
11August 5 Flag of Germany.svg West German Grand Prix Bielstein Flag of Sweden.svg Håkan CarlqvistHusqvarna Report
12August 12 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgarian Grand Prix Samokov Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Gennady Moiseyev KTM Report

[5]

125cc

RoundDateGrand PrixLocationWinnerTeamReport
1April 8 Flag of Austria.svg Austrian Grand PrixLaunsdorf Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry Everts Suzuki Report
2April 15 Flag of Germany.svg West German Grand Prix Goldbach Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
3May 13 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dutch Grand Prix Mill Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
4May 20 Flag of Italy.svg Italian Grand Prix Esanatoglia Flag of Japan.svg Akira Watanabe Suzuki Report
5June 10 Flag of Finland.svg Finnish Grand Prix Tampere Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
6June 17 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Dalečín Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
7June 24 Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Yugoslavian Grand Prix Karlovac Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
8July 1 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Swiss Grand Prix Schupfart Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Gaston Rahier Suzuki Report
9July 8 Flag of France.svg French Grand Prix Sucé-sur-Erdre Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
10July 15 Flag of Ireland.svg Irish Grand Prix Slane [6] Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report
11July 22 Flag of the United States.svg United States Grand Prix Lexington Flag of the United States.svg Mark Barnett Suzuki Report
12August 12 Flag of Spain.svg Spanish Grand Prix Montgai Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Harry EvertsSuzuki Report

[7]

Final standings

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Assoc, American Motorcyclist (September 1979). Noyce makes his mark with run for the title . Retrieved 31 December 2016.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "History MXGP". hondaracingcorporation.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  3. ↑ "1979 500cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "1979 500cc motocross world championship race results". jwvanessen.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "1979 250cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Fairyhouse To Host The Irish Motocross Grand Prix". motocross.ie. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "1979 125cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "1979 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "1979 500cc motocross world championship final standings". jwvanessen.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "1979 250cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "1979 125cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
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