1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 31st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Season summary

A season of changing fortunes in the 500cc class saw American, Kenny Roberts capture his second crown in the face of the Suzuki-mounted opposition.[1] In the 50cc class, Eugenio Lazzarini won every race in which he finished to take the championship.[1] Angel Nieto dominated on a Minarelli to take his seventh world championship.[1] Kork Ballington would repeat as double world champion in the 250cc and 350cc classes for Kawasaki.[1]

Defending champion Roberts was injured in a pre-season test but came back to win round two in impressive fashion.[2] His rivals also suffered from bad luck. Hartog breaking his arm in practice, Cecotto badly breaking his kneecap in Austria and Sheene suffering from mechanical failures.[1] The 1979 British Grand Prix would be remembered as one of the greatest races of the modern era with Roberts beating Sheene to the finish line by three-hundredths of a second.[3]

After an eleven-year absence from world championship racing, Honda returned to competition with the exotic, four-stroke NR500 ridden by riders Mick Grant and Takazumi Katayama at the British Grand Prix.[4] The motorcycle featured an engine with oval-shaped cylinders as well as a monocoque chassis. Both bikes retired from the race, Grant crashing out on the first turn after the bike spilled oil onto his rear tire. Katayama retired on the seventh lap due to ignition problems.[4]

The top riders boycotted the Belgian Grand Prix over safety issues showing their increasing dissatisfaction with the way the FIM conducted races.[5] After several safety issues, the top riders banded together near the end of the year to announce that they would create a competing championship called the World Series.[1] Although the series never got off the ground, the riders had flexed their political muscles and it forced the FIM to change the way they dealt with races and the riders themselves.[1] The FIM announced an increase in prize money for the following year.[1] This would mark the beginning of an era of increased professionalism in the sport.[1]

1979 Grand Prix season calendar

Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report
1 March 18 Venezuelan Grand Prix San Carlos Angel Nieto Walter Villa Carlos Lavado Barry Sheene Report
2 April 29 Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report
3 May 6 German Grand Prix Hockenheimring Gerhard Waibel Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Jon Ekerold Wil Hartog Report
4 May 13 Nations Grand Prix Imola Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Gregg Hansford Kenny Roberts Report
5 May 20 Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report
6 June 10 Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Graziano Rossi Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report
7 June 23 Dutch TT Assen Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Graziano Rossi Gregg Hansford Virginio Ferrari Report
8 July 1 Belgian Grand Prix[6] Spa-Francorchamps Henk van Kessel Barry Smith Edi Stoellinger Dennis Ireland Report
9 July 22 Swedish Grand Prix Karlskoga Pier Paolo Bianchi Graziano Rossi Barry Sheene Report
10 July 29 Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Ricardo Tormo Kork Ballington Gregg Hansford Boet van Dulmen Report
11 August 12 British Grand Prix Silverstone Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report
12 August 19 Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Guy Bertin Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Report
13 September 2 French Grand Prix Le Mans Eugenio Lazzarini Guy Bertin Kork Ballington Patrick Fernandez Barry Sheene Report

Final standings

500cc standings

Place Rider Team Machine Points Wins
1 Kenny Roberts Yamaha USA YZR500 113 5
2 Virginio Ferrari Nava Gallina-Suzuki RG500 89 1
3 Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 87 3
4 Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing RG500 66 1
5 Franco Uncini Zago-Suzuki RG500 51 0
6 Boet van Dulmen RG500 50 1
7 Jack Middelburg RG500 42 0
8 Randy Mamola Zago-Suzuki RG500 29 0
9 Philippe Coulon Frankonia Suzuki RG500 29 0
10 Tom Herron Heron-Suzuki RG500 28 0
11 Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 26
12 Steve Parrish Heron-Suzuki RG500 19
13 Mike Baldwin Zago-Suzuki RG500 17
14 Dennis Ireland Derry's Racing RG500 17 1
15 Michel Rougerie Ecurie Ste Pernod RG500 16
16 Bernard Fau Suzuki-France RG500 13
17 Kenny Blake YZR500/RG500 12
18 Marco Lucchinelli RG500 11
19 Gary Lingham RG500 10
20 Johnny Cecotto Venemotos-Yamaha YZR500 10
21 Gustav Reiner Dieter Braun Team RG500 8
22 Hiroyuki Kawasaki Heron-Suzuki RG500 6
23 Henk De Vries Team 77 RG500 6
24 Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing RG500 6
25 Roberto Pietri RG500 5
26 Sepp Hage Dieter Braun Team RG500 5
27 Jacky Matagne RG500 4
28 Max Wiener RG500 4
29 Ikujiro Takai Yamaha International YZR500 3
30 Carlo Perugini RG500 3
31 Sergio Pellandini RG500 2
32 Guy Cooremans RG500 2
33 Graziano Rossi Morbidelli 2
34 John Woodley RG500 2
35 Peter Sjostrom Ava MC Stockholm RG500 1
36 Seppo Rossi Kouv MK RG500 1
37 Dieter Heinen RG500 1
38 Mick Grant Honda-HRC RG500/NR500 1
39 John Newbold Team Appleby Glade RG500 1
40 Gianni Pelletier RG500 1

350cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Kork Ballington 1 South Africa Kawasaki 99 5
2 Patrick Fernandez France Yamaha 90 1
3 Gregg Hansford 3 Australia Kawasaki 77 3
4 Anton Mang 16 West Germany Kawasaki 63 0
5 Michel Frutschi Switzerland Yamaha 47 0
6 Michel Rougerie 6 France Yamaha 47 0
7 Roland Freymond 27 Switzerland Yamaha 40 0
8 Jon Ekerold 4 South Africa Yamaha 34 1
9 Sadao Asami Japan Yamaha 27 0
10 Jeff Sayle Australia Yamaha 24 0
11 Pekka Nurmi usa 23
12 Penti Korhonen Usa 17
13 Christian Estrosi Usa 16
14 Carlos Lavado Spa 15
15 Patrick Pons Spa 12
16 Eric Saul Spa 10
17 Michel Rougerie Fra 10
18 Richard Hubin Fra 9
19 Herve Guilleux Fra 8
20 Olivier Chevallier ita 8
21 Victor Soussan Ita 8
22 Graeme McGregor Ita 5
23 Murray Sayle Irl 5
24 Eddy Elias Irl 4
25 Bengt Elgh Irl 4
26 Paolo Pileri Isl 4
27 Edi Stoellinger Isl 4
28 Reinhold Roth Isl 3
29 Tony Head Can 3
30 Klaas Hernamdt can 3
31 Victor Palomo can 3
32 Eero Hyvärinen Mex 3
33 Alan North Mex 3
34 Adelio Faccioli Mex 2
35 Joey Dunlop Jpn 2
36 Yoshimi Matsumoto jpn 2
37 Gianfranco Bonera Jpn 2
38 Max Wiener Kor 1

250cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Kork Ballington 1 South Africa Kawasaki 141 7
2 Gregg Hansford 2 Australia Kawasaki 81 0
3 Graziano Rossi 46 Italy Morbidelli 67 3
4 Randy Mamola United States Yamaha 64 0
5 Patrick Fernandez 3 France Yamaha 63 0
6 Anton Mang 5 West Germany Kawasaki 56 0
7 Walter Villa 16 Italy Yamaha 39 1
8 Jean-François Baldé 13 France Kawasaki 29 0
9 Edi Stoellinger Austria Kawasaki 28 1
10 Roland Freymond 22 Switzerland Yamaha 22 0
11 Olivier Chevallier usa 22
12 Christian Estrosi Usa 19
13 Chas Mortimer Usa 14
14 Paolo Pileri spa 14
15 Graeme McGregor Spa 14
16 Barry Ditchburn Spa 13
17 Victor Soussan Spa 11
18 Eric Saul fra 11
19 Jskalw Fra 10
20 Fernando Gonzales de N. Fra 9
21 Penti Korhonen Ita 9
22 Jon Ekerold Ita 8
23 Richard Hubin Ita 7
24 Guy Bertin Irl 6
25 Michel Simeon Irl 5
26 Jeffrey Sayle Irl 4
27 Hans Müller Isl 4
28 Massimo Matteoni Isl 3
29 Maurizio Massimiani Isl 3
30 Pekka Nurmi gbr 3
31 Nsms Gbr 3
32 Ndme Gbr 2
33 Dnsm Isl 2
34 Eero Hyvärinen Isl 1
35 Tony Head Isl 1
36 Sadao Asami Can 1
37 Thierry Espié Can 1
38 Alan North Can 1
39 Rinus Van Kasteren Mex 1

125cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Angel Nieto 2 Spain Minarelli 120 8
2 Maurizio Massimiani 6 Italy MBA 53 0
3 Hans Müller 7 Switzerland MBA 50 0
4 Thierry Espié 5 France Motobécane 48 0
5 Gert Bender West Germany GB Bender 47 0
6 Guy Bertin France Motobécane 40 2
7 Ricardo Tormo 8 Spain Bultaco 39 1
8 Harald Bartol 4 Austria Morbidelli 36 0
9 Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland MBA 36 0
10 Pier Paolo Bianchi 3 Italy Minarelli 35 1
11 Stefan Dörflinger Spa 35
12 Barry Smith Spa
13 Walter Koschine spa 25
14 August Auinger fra 25
15 Eugenio Lazzarini Fra 22
16 Jean Louis Guignabodet Fra 20
17 Matti Kinnunen Ita 19
18 Patrick Herouard Ita 18
19 Marcelino Garcia Ita 17
20 Thierry Noblesse Irl 16
21 Per-Edward Carlson irl 14
22 Jean Francois Lecureux Irl 12
23 Patrick Plisson Isl 12
24 Martin Van Soest Isl 10
25 Gianpaolo Marchetti Isl 10
26 Rolf Blatter Gbr 8
27 Peter Looijesteijn Gbr 8
28 Clive Horton Gbr 7
29 Francois Granon Can 7
30 Stefan Janssen Can 7
31 Ivan Troisi Can 5
32 Paul Bordes mex 5
33 Pierluigi Conforti Mex 4
34 Anton Straver Mex 4
35 Peter Balaz Nze 3
36 Jean Paul Magnoni Nze 2
37 Alfred Waibel Nze 2
38 Stefano Ferretti Rus 2
39 Henk van Kessel Rus 2
40 Jan Huberts Rus 2
41 Marc Antoine Constantin bra 2
42 Miguel Cortes Bra 1
43 Fernando Gonzales de N. Bra 1
44 Renè Renier aus 1
45 Johnny Wickstroem Jpn 1

50cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Eugenio Lazzarini 2 Italy Kreidler 75 5
2 Rolf Blatter 5 Switzerland Kreidler 62 0
3 Patrick Plisson 3 France ABF 32 0
4 Gerhard Waibel West Germany Kreidler 31 1
5 Peter Looijensteijn 8 Netherlands Kreidler 30 0
6 Hagen Klein 17 West Germany Kreidler 26 0
7 Henk van Kessel 12 Netherlands Sparta 23 1
8 Jacques Hutteau France Kreidler 27 0
9 Ingo Emmerich West Germany Kreidler 8 0
10 Stefan Dörflinger Switzerland Kreidler 6 0
11 Rainer Scheidhauer Spa 17
12 Theo Timmer Spa 16
13 Aldo Pero Spa 16
14 Rudolf Kunz Fra 13
15 Jsmsk fra 10
16 Wolfgang Müller Fra 9
17 Ricardo Tormo ita 6
18 Enrico Cereda ita 5
19 Joaquim Gali Ita 5
20 Daniel Mateos Irl 4
21 Jwjwk Irl 4
22 Graham Singer Irl 4
23 Jamak Gbr 3
24 Theo Van Geffen Gbr 3
25 Wjkw Gbr 2
26 Claudio Granata Isl 2
27 Hans Hummel Isl 2
28 Cees Van Dongen Isl 1
29 Jsnwm Aus 1
30 Gerrit Strikker Jpn 1

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  2. ^ "Roberts Ruptures Spleen In Crash". The Hour. United Press International. 16 February 1979. p. 26. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Silverstone 1979 – a Roberts-Sheene classic". motogp.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  4. ^ a b "The NR500s: A Humiliating Debut". world.honda.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Roberts Suspended For Boycott". Modesto Bee. Modesto Bee. 2 July 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  6. ^ Top riders went on strike at the Belgian Grand Prix over track safety.

References

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