Rolf Tibblin (born 7 May 1937) is a Swedish former professional motocross racer.[1] He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1957 to 1967, most prominently as a member of the Husqvarna factory racing team where he was a two-time 500cc Motocross World Champion. His motorcycle racing career spanned the transition from the heavy, four-stroke motorcycles of the 1950s, to the lightweight two-stroke motorcycles of the 1960s. He was one of the first motocross competitors to stress the importance of a rigorous physical fitness training routine.[2]
Tibblin was part of a contingent of Swedish motorcyclists including; Bill Nilsson, Sten Lundin and Torsten Hallman who dominated the sport of motocross in the early 1960s.[3][4] He was a member of Swedish teams that won two consecutive Motocross des Nations events (1961-1962) and was the top individual points scorer at the 1962 event. Tibblin was also an accomplished enduro racer, finishing as the top individual points scorer at the 1960 International Six Days Trial. After his World Championship career, he competed in desert racing, winning the prestigious Baja 1000 off-road race in 1972. Tibblin was inducted into the A.M.A.Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2008.[1]
Motorcycle racing career
Tibblin was born in the Sollentuna Municipality on the north side of Stockholm, Sweden on May 7, 1937.[5] As a youth, he participated in the sports of ice hockey and football.[2][5] He showed enough promise in football that he trained with the Turebergs Athletic Club, however he didn't enjoy the club's slave driving mentality in regards to training.[5] Convinced that physical training should be enjoyable, his interests turned to motorcycle racing and he joined the local Upplands Väsby Motorcycle Club.[5] Tibblin regarded the physical training as an absolute must in order to become a successful rider.[2]
In 1954 at the age of 17, Tibblin began competing in motocross and enduro competitions.[6] Although he lacked natural riding talent, he persevered and by 1956 he won a local Swedish championship riding a BSA motorcycle.[5] In 1957, Tibblin scored an impressive fourth place at the 500cc Swedish Motocross Grand Prix aboard his BSA and ended the season ranked 12th in the 500cc Motocross World Championship.[7]
His impressive performance got the attention of the Husqvarna factory who offered him support for the 1958 season.[6] Tibblin entered the 250cc European Motocross Championship (the predecessor to the 250cc Motocross World Championship) where he scored his first victory in international competition by winning the 250cc West German Grand Prix and finished the season ranked second in the final point standings to Jaromír Čížek (ČZ).[8][9][10]
In the 1959 250cc European Motocross Championship, Tibblin won the first heat race at the season-opening 250cc Austrian Grand Prix, but suffered an eye injury after crashing in the second heat race which forced him to miss the next three rounds.[9] He returned to compete in the East German Grand Prix, but was forced to abandon the race as his eye injury made it difficult for him to focus.[9] Tibblin then scored two third place finishes at the 250cc Polish Grand Prix before he went on a winning streak, winning six of the final seven rounds to claim his first major championship.[9][11] He clinched the European Championship at the 250cc Luxembourg Grand Prix by lapping the entire field with the exception of second placed Brian Stonebridge (Greeves}.[9]
Tibblin (5) leads Bill Nilsson (4) at the 1960 500cc Dutch Grand Prix held in Bergharen.
Tibblin moved up to compete in the premier 500cc division for the 1960 season.[2] He won the first two Grand Prix races of the season in Austria and France, but then his luck changed, and he was overtaken by Husqvarna teammate Bill Nilsson and Sten Lundin (Monark) to finish the season in third place.[2] It was a successful year for Swedish motorcycling as, six of the top eight competitors were Swedish riders.[12] At the 1960 International Six Days Trial held at Bad Aussee, Austria, Tibblin was the top individual points scorer.[5] The International Six Days Trial is a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics that is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the FIM, dating back to 1913.[13] Tibblin also competed in other enduro events during this period, including five consecutive victories in the grueling NovemberkåsanEnduro from 1960 to 1964.[5]
In 1961, Tibblin suffered a broken leg early in the season and dropped to fifth place in the final standings of the 500cc World Championship.[6][14] However, he returned in late August to help the Swedish team to victory at the 1961 Motocross des Nations event.[2][15]
Tibblin returned to form in the 1962 500cc World Championship, winning five of the ten Grand Prix races to claim his first premier class title by four points over second placed Gunnar Johansson.[2][16] Sweden continued to dominate international motocross with Swedish riders taking the top five places in the 500cc Class final standings for 1962. His Husqvarna teammate, Torsten Hallman, won the 250cc Motocross World Championship giving the Husqvarna factory both of the FIM motocross world titles.[17] Tibblin repeated his performance at the 1962 Motocross des Nations event, where he led the Swedish team to victory as the top individual points scorer.[18]
He successfully defended his crown in the 1963 FIM Motocross World Championship, taking five victories out of twelve races to become the first competitor to win back to back 500cc World Championships.[2][19] Hallman repeated as the 250cc Motocross World Champion in 1963 to put the Husqvarna factory at the top of the motocross hierarchy by claiming both world championships for the second consecutive year.[20] However, a significant moment in motocross history occurred during the 1963 season when ČZ factory rider Vlastimil Valek rode a 263cc two-stroke motorcycle to defeat Tibblin in the first moto of the 500cc Czechoslovakian Grand Prix.[21] The victory was a turning point in motocross history as, it marked the first time that a two-stroke powered motorcycle had won a 500cc Motocross World Championship race.[21]
Jeff Smith (37) leads Rolf Tibblin (30) during a race held in St. Anthonis, Holland in 1964.
The Husqvarna factory stopped producing their four-stroke motorcycles in 1963, leaving Tibblin without a motorcycle for the 1964 season.[22] He teamed up with engine tuner, Nisse Hedlund, to build their own complete motocross machine in time for the 1964 season.[22] Tibblin began the season strongly, winning five of the first six races of the season, but he faced strong opposition from BSA factory rider, Jeff Smith.[2] Smith consistently scored points throughout the season and never finished below third place, as the championship wasn't decided until the final race of the season in Spain, where Smith took the victory to claim the World Championship by only two points over Tibblin.[2][23]
Tibblin's 1965 season started with an accident before the first race of the season.[24] Tibblin and Nilsson were test riding motorcycles in their hotel parking lot when they collided in a blind corner.[24] Neither of the riders were wearing their riding gear and Nilsson suffered a broken arm, an amputated toe and a concussion, while Tibblin lost the end of his little finger and also received a concussion which forced him to sit out the start of the season.[24]
By 1965, advances in two-stroke engine technology made apparent the importance of lightness and agility in motocross racing. Motorcycles powered by two-stroke engines weighed significantly less than four-stroke motorcycles, thus took less effort to ride over unforgiving terrain. These advances rendered heavy four-stroke motorcycles obsolete.[25] Upon his return from his injuries, Tibblin was forced to join the Czechoslovakian ČZ team in order to remain competetive.[2] He won the Italian and German Grand Prix races, but was unable to make up lost ground and dropped to third place in the final standings behind Smith and his ČZ teammate, Paul Friedrichs.[26]
Tibblin won two Grand Prix races in 1966 and ended the season ranked second to his teammate Friedrichs who dominated the season by winning eight Grand Prix races.[27] Friedrichs victory on the ČZ marked the first time that a two-stroke motorcycle had won the premier 500cc division. In the spring of 1967, Tibblin suffered a broken arm while competing in a pre-season race in Sint Anthonis, Holland, forcing him to retire from World Championship competition at the age of 30.[5]
Later life
Rolf Tibblin (left) and Mickey Quade competing in the 1972 Baja 1000 at Camalu, Mexico.
Seeking new challenges, Tibblin moved his family to the United States in 1971 where he operated the "Husqvarna International Training Center"; a motocross school in Carlsbad, California during the mid-1970s as the sport enjoyed a boom in popularity.[1][2] He also began to compete in desert racing, teaming with Gunnar Nilsson to win the prestigious Baja 1000off-road race on a Husqvarna in 1972.[1][28] He also won the 1972 Mint 400 desert race with Bob Grossi as his teammate.[29] He repeated his Mint 400 victory in 1973 with Mitch Mayes as his teammate, and in 1976 with teammate Jack Johnson.[30][31] In 1982, Tibblin won the Mint 400 Class-2 division for unlimited four wheel two-seat vehicles with co-driver Jim Temple.[32]
He later moved to Sri Lanka, where he operated a luxury bed and breakfast with his wife.[33] He also held membership with the Sri Lanka Association of Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR), supporting motor sports in Sri Lanka.[1][10][34]
Joël Robert was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1962 to 1976 when the sport experienced a surge in popularity worldwide. A six-time world champion, Robert dominated the 250cc class for almost a decade when, he placed either first or second every year between 1964 and 1972 including, five consecutive world championships. In 1964, he was named the recipient of the Belgian National Sports Merit Award. He won a total of 50 Grand Prix races over his career, a record which stood for nearly 30 years.
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.
Torsten Hallman is a Swedish former professional motocross racer and business entrepreneur. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1959 to 1971, most prominently as a member of the Husqvarna factory racing team where he won four 250cc Motocross World Championships.
Jeffrey Vincent Smith MBE is an English former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1954 to 1969 as a member of the BSA factory racing team.
Åke Jonsson is a Swedish former professional motocross racer. He was one of the top riders in the Motocross World Championships during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jonsson came close to winning the world championship title in 1968, 1970 and in 1971 when he led the championship going into the final round when, a mechanical failure ruined his bid.
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.
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.
Arne Kring is a Swedish former professional motocross racer. He was a top contender in the F.I.M. 500cc Motocross World Championship from 1963 to 1975.
David Geoffrey Bickers was an English professional motocross racer from Coddenham, Suffolk. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1959 to 1969. Bickers won two European motocross championships, and was a member of British motocross teams that won two Motocross des Nations events as well as two Trophée des Nations events. Bickers was awarded the Motorcycle News 'Man of the Year' award in 1960.
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 1979 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 23rd F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.
The 1960 Motocross World Championship was the 4th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
The 1961 Motocross World Championship was the 5th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
The 1962 Motocross World Championship was the 6th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
The 1963 Motocross World Championship was the 7th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
The 1964 Motocross World Championship was the 8th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
The 1965 Motocross World Championship was the 9th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
1 2 Dewhurst, David (2022), Motocross The Golden Years, Walsworth, Marceline, Missouri, ISBN978-0-578-29016-4, Battles between Hallman and Robert quickly became legend, but the most significant moment in the decade of the 1960s came when ČZ factory rider Vlastimil Valek rode a bike with a bored-out 250cc two stroke single and beat a full field of top-class, 500cc four stroke bikes to win the 1963 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix.
↑ Dewhurst, David (2022), Motocross The Golden Years, Walsworth, Marceline, Missouri, ISBN978-0-578-29016-4, The lighter weight of two-strokes was an obvious advantage in motocross because it enhanced handling agility.
1From 1957 to 2002 500cc is the premier class. 2003 top class named motocrossgp which combine the top driver from 500cc and 250cc last year.2004~2013 MX1 and 2014 to today MXGP is the premier class,both use the 450cc 4 stroke bike.
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