The 1979 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 23rd F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
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.
Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Overall Winner | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | April 22 | Austrian Grand Prix | Sittendorf | Yvan van den Broeck | Brad Lackey | Graham Noyce | Report |
2 | April 29 | French Grand Prix | Thours | Jean-Jacques Bruno | Brad Lackey | Brad Lackey | Report |
3 | May 13 | Swedish Grand Prix | Huskvarna | Brad Lackey | Gerrit Wolsink | Gerrit Wolsink | Report |
4 | May 27 | Italian Grand Prix | Faenza | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
5 | June 10 | United States Grand Prix | Carlsbad | Gerrit Wolsink | Brad Lackey | Gerrit Wolsink | Report |
6 | June 17 | Canadian Grand Prix | Mosport | Graham Noyce | Gerrit Wolsink | Gerrit Wolsink | Report |
7 | June 24 | West German Grand Prix | Beuren | Jean-Jacques Bruno | André Malherbe | Jean-Jacques Bruno | Report |
8 | July 1 | British Grand Prix | Farleigh Castle | Brad Lackey | Graham Noyce | Graham Noyce | Report |
9 | July 8 | Swiss Grand Prix | Payerne | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
10 | July 29 | Dutch Grand Prix | Markelo | Graham Noyce | Gerrit Wolsink | Gerrit Wolsink | Report |
11 | August 5 | Belgian Grand Prix | Namur | Roger De Coster | André Malherbe | André Malherbe | Report |
12 | August 12 | Luxembourg Grand Prix | Ettelbruck | Brad Lackey | André Malherbe | André Malherbe | Report |
Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Winner | Team | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | April 8 | Spanish Grand Prix | Sabadell | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | Report |
2 | April 22 | Dutch Grand Prix | Halle | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | Report |
3 | April 29 | Italian Grand Prix | Bra | Neil Hudson | Maico | Report |
4 | May 6 | Belgian Grand Prix | Genk | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
5 | May 20 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Karlovac | Neil Hudson | Maico | Report |
6 | May 27 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Holice | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | Report |
7 | June 10 | Polish Grand Prix | Szczecin | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | Report |
8 | June 17 | French Grand Prix | Lavaur | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | Report |
9 | July 1 | Finnish Grand Prix | Hyvinkää | Kees van der Ven | Maico | Report |
10 | July 29 | United States Grand Prix | Unadilla | Kent Howerton | Suzuki | Report |
11 | August 5 | West German Grand Prix | Bielstein | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | Report |
12 | August 12 | Bulgarian Grand Prix | Samokov | Gennady Moiseyev | KTM | Report |
Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Winner | Team | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | April 8 | Austrian Grand Prix | Launsdorf | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
2 | April 15 | West German Grand Prix | Goldbach | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
3 | May 13 | Dutch Grand Prix | Mill | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
4 | May 20 | Italian Grand Prix | Esanatoglia | Akira Watanabe | Suzuki | Report |
5 | June 10 | Finnish Grand Prix | Tampere | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
6 | June 17 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Dalečín | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
7 | June 24 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Karlovac | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
8 | July 1 | Swiss Grand Prix | Schupfart | Mauro Miele | Ktm | Report |
9 | July 8 | French Grand Prix | Sucé-sur-Erdre | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
10 | July 15 | Irish Grand Prix | Slane [6] | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
11 | July 22 | United States Grand Prix | Lexington | Mark Barnett | Suzuki | Report |
12 | August 12 | Spanish Grand Prix | Montgai | Harry Everts | Suzuki | Report |
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Jim Pomeroy was an American professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1972 to 1973 and in the Motocross World Championships from 1973 to 1976, before returning to compete in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1977 to 1978.
Roger De Coster is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and current Motorsport Director of KTM and Husqvarna North America. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1966 to 1980, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won five FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships.
Heikki Antero Mikkola is a Finnish former professional motocross racer and motocross team manager. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1967 to 1979, most prominently as a member of the Husqvarna factory racing team where he became the first competitor to win both the 250cc and 500cc world championships.
Brad Lackey is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1970 to 1972 and, in the Motocross World Championships from 1973 to 1982. Lackey was notable for becoming the first and only American to win the 500cc motocross world championship in 1982. Nicknamed "Bad Brad", Lackey was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and, in 2013 he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
Georges Jobé was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1979 to 1992. Jobé is notable for being a five-time FIM motocross world champion and a nine-time Belgian motocross national champion. He was named Belgian Sportsman of the year in 1987 and 1992.
Eric Geboers was a Belgian professional motocross racer and racing driver. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1980 to 1990.
André Malherbe was a Belgian professional Grand Prix motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1975 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Honda factory racing team where he won three FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships. In 1984, Malherbe was named the recipient of the Belgian National Sports Merit Award.
Håkan Carlqvist was a Swedish professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1974 to 1988. Carlqvist was a two-time world champion who was known for his fierce competitiveness.
Graham Noyce is an English former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1975 to 1984. Noyce was the 1979 500cc motocross world champion.
Gennady Anatolyevich Moiseyev was a Russian former Grand Prix motocross racer. He was a three-time 250cc motocross world champion.
Jacky Vimond is a French former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1979 to 1988. Vimond is notable for being the first French competitor to win an FIM motocross world championship. In 2016, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
Neil Hudson is an English former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1977 to 1983. Hudson is notable for winning the 1981 F.I.M. 250cc Motocross World Championship.
John Banks is a British former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1963 to 1977. A four-time 500cc British national champion, Banks was twice runner-up in the 500cc motocross world championship.
The 1972 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 16th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1973 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 17th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1974 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 18th FIM Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1975 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 19th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1976 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 20th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1977 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 21st F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1978 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 22nd F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
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