1977 FIM Motocross World Championship explained

The 1977 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 21st F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.

Summary

Heikki Mikkola rejoined the 500cc class in 1977 after winning the 1976 250cc world championship. Now riding for the Yamaha factory racing team, he continued his old rivalry with Suzuki's Roger De Coster. Mikkola won 12 motos to clinch the title ahead of Suzuki teammates De Coster and Gerrit Wolsink. Brad Lackey switched to the Honda racing team and became the first American to score an overall victory in a 500cc motocross world championship Grand Prix when he won the British Grand Prix.^[1]

Bengt Åberg competed in the 500cc world championship on a highly modified four stroke Yamaha XT500 built in collaboration with former world champions Torsten Hallman and Sten Lundin.^[2] Åberg rode the bike to a victory in the first moto of the 1977 500cc Luxembourg Grand Prix and ended the season ranked 9th in the final world championship standings.^[2] After five seasons racing in the 250cc class, Håkan Andersson competed in the 500cc class for Montesa and finished the season in fifth place.

Gennady Moiseyev won his second 250cc world championship as KTM swept the top three positions with Vladimir Kavinov finishing in second place and André Malherbe taking third place in the final standings. Suzuki's Gaston Rahier won the 125cc class for a third consecutive year.

Grands Prix

500cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Race 1 Winner	Race 2 Winner	Overall Winner	Report
1	April 17	Austrian Grand Prix	Sittendorf	Roger De Coster	Gerrit Wolsink	Roger De Coster	Report
2	May 8	Dutch Grand Prix	Norg	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Report
3	May 15	Swedish Grand Prix	Edsbyn	Brad Lackey	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Report
4	May 22	Finnish Grand Prix	Ruskeasanta	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Report
5	June 5	West German Grand Prix	Bielstein	Heikki Mikkola	Gerrit Wolsink	Heikki Mikkola
6	June 12	Italian Grand Prix	Lombardore	Heikki Mikkola	Roger De Coster	Heikki Mikkola	Report
7	June 19	United States Grand Prix	Carlsbad	Jim Pomeroy	Heikki Mikkola	Gerrit Wolsink
8	June 26	Canadian Grand Prix	Mosport	Heikki Mikkola	Gerrit Wolsink	Heikki Mikkola	Report
9	July 3	British Grand Prix	Farleigh Castle	Brad Lackey	Heikki Mikkola	Brad Lackey	Report
10	August 7	Belgian Grand Prix	Namur	Roger De Coster	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Report
11	August 14	Luxembourg Grand Prix	Ettelbruck	Bengt Åberg	Heikki Mikkola	Heikki Mikkola	Report
12	August 28	Swiss Grand Prix	Wohlen	Jaak van Velthoven	Roger De Coster	Roger De Coster	Report

^{[3] [4]}

250cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Winner	Team	Report
1	April 3	Spanish Grand Prix	Sabadell	Raymond Boven	Montesa	Report
2	April 17	Swiss Grand Prix	Payerne	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	Report
3	April 24	Belgian Grand Prix	Borgloon	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	Report
4	April 30	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Holice	Antonin Baborowski	ČZ	Report
5	May 8	Italian Grand Prix	Apiro	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	Report
6	May 15	Austrian Grand Prix	Schwanenstadt	Torao Suzuki	Suzuki	Report
7	May 22	Russian Grand Prix	Chișinău	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	Report
8	June 5	Yugoslavian Grand Prix	Karlovac	Daniel Péan	Maico	Report
9	June 19	West German Grand Prix	Beuern	André Malherbe	KTM
10	June 31	British Grand Prix	Hawkstone Park	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	Report
11	August 14	Swedish Grand Prix	Uddevalla	Vladimir Kavinov	KTM	Report
12	August 21	Finnish Grand Prix	Hyvinkää	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	Report

^[5]

125cc

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Location	Winner	Team	Report
1	April 10	French Grand Prix	Metz	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki
2	April 17	Italian Grand Prix	Lovolo	Akira Watanabe	Suzuki	Report
3	May 1	Belgian Grand Prix	Retinne	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki	Report
4	May 30	Danish Grand Prix	Nissebjerget	Gérard Rond	Yamaha	Report
5	June 5	Polish Grand Prix	Szczecin	Gérard Rond	Yamaha	Report
6	June 12	Yugoslavian Grand Prix	Zabok	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki	Report
7	June 19	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Dalečín	Gérard Rond	Yamaha	Report
8	July 3	West German Grand Prix		Gaston Rahier	Suzuki
9	July 10	Swiss Grand Prix	Roggenburg	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki	Report
10	July 17	United States Grand Prix	Lexington	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki	Report
11	July 24	Canadian Grand Prix	Mosport	André Massant	Yamaha	Report
12	August 14	Spanish Grand Prix	Montgai	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki	Report

^[6]

Final standings

500cc^[7] ^[8]
Pos	Rider	Team	Points
1	Heikki Mikkola	Yamaha	272
2	Roger De Coster	Suzuki	222
3	Gerrit Wolsink	Suzuki	202
4	Brad Lackey	Honda	168
5	Håkan Andersson	Montesa	85
6	Herbert Schmitz	Maico	85
7	Jaak van Velthoven	KTM	81
8	Graham Noyce	Maico	74
9	Bengt Åberg	Yamaha	62
10	Adolf Weil	Maico	45
11	John Banks	CCM	41
12	Pierre Karsmakers	Yamaha	30
13	Willy Bauer	KTM	29
14	Yvan van den Broeck	Maico	18
15	Arne Lindfors	Husqvarna	15
16	Jim Pomeroy	Honda	15
17	Tommy Croft	Honda	11
17	Siegfried Lerner	KTM	11
17	Gaylon Mosier	Maico	11
20	Peter Herlings	Maico	10
20	Arne Lodal	Husqvarna	10
22	Alberto Angiolini	Maico	9
22	Tony DiStefano	Suzuki	9
22	Åke Jonsson	Maico	9
25	Ove Hogberg	Beta	6
25	Afro Rustignoli	Montesa	6
27	Jimmy Ellis	Can-Am	5
27	Italo Forni	Montesa	5
27	Frans Sigmans	Husqvarna	5
27	André Vromans	Suzuki	5
31	Oldrich Hamrsmid	ČZ	4
31	Math Hensen	Maico	4
33	Billy Grossi	Suzuki	3
33	Marty Smith	Honda	3
33	Bob Wright	CCM	3
36	Vic Eastwood	CCM	2
36	Fritz Köbele	Maico	2
36	Frank Svendsen	Husqvarna	2
36	Sylvain Geboers	Maico	2
40	Vic Allan	Husqvarna	1
40	Yves Bertrand	Suzuki	1
40	Bob Levy	Husqvarna	1

250cc^[9]
Pos	Rider	Team	Points
1	Gennady Moiseyev	KTM	245
2	Vladimir Kavinov	KTM	203
3	André Malherbe	KTM	150
4	Harry Everts	Bultaco	121
5	Hans Maisch	Maico	100
6	Antonin Baborowsky	ČZ	98
7	Raymond Boven	Montesa	75
8	Jean-Paul Mingels	Montesa	71
9	Jaroslav Falta	ČZ	64
10	Jean-Jacques Bruno	KTM	61
11	Torleif Hansen	Kawasaki	58
12	Torao Suzuki	Suzuki	58
13	Neil Hudson	Maico	51
14	Anatoly Ovchinikov	KTM	45
15	Rolf Dieffenbach	Kramer-Rotax	35
16	Daniel Péan	Maico	28
17	Håkan Carlqvist	Husqvarna	23
18	Erkki Sundström	Husqvarna	17
19	Marty Moates	Ossa	13
20	Afro Rustignoli	Montesa	10
21	Fritz Schneider	KTM	10
22	Rob Hooper	Husqvarna	9
23	Yuri Khudiakov	ČZ	8
24	Stanislav Janecek	ČZ	7
25	Geoff Mayes	Kawasaki	6
26	Tapani Pikkarainen	KTM	4
27	Matti Tarkkonen	Yamaha	4
28	Kees van der Ven	Husqvarna	4
29	Miroslav Halm	ČZ	3
30	Miroslav Jirka	ČZ	1
31	Christophe Husser	Yamaha	1
32	Tommy Olsson	Montesa	1

125cc^[10]
Pos	Rider	Team	Points
1	Gaston Rahier	Suzuki	292
2	Gérard Rond	Yamaha	201
3	André Massant	Yamaha	149
4	Jiry Churavy	ČZ	137
5	Göte Liljegren	KTM	93
6	Yuri Khudiakov	ČZ	85
7	Gilbert De Roover	Beta	81
8	Matti Autio	KTM	74
9	Paolo Piron	Beta	54
9	Akira Watanabe	Suzuki	54
11	Pavel Rulev	ČZ	46
12	Zdeneck Velky	ČZ	37
13	François Minne	Aprilia	34
14	Corrado Maddii		30
15	Warren Reid	Honda	25
16	Koji Masuda	Suzuki	24
17	Pat Ritcher	Honda	16
17	Roger Harvey	Husqvarna	16
19	Ivan Alborghetti	Aprilia	15
20	Andy Ainsworth	Husqvarna	12
21	Walter Kalberer	Husqvarna	10
21	Gerhard Huber	Can-Am	10
23	Patrick Boniface	KTM	9
23	Gary Ogden	Honda	9
23	Dario Nani	Gilera	9
23	Dinand Ziljlstra	Kawasaki	9
27	Jorma Rautiainen	Maico	8
28	Frank Stacy	Suzuki	7
28	Dieudonne Stouvenakers	Derbi	7
30	Joe MacIntosch	Yamaha	5
31	Jay Kimber	Yamaha	4
32	Danny LaPorte	Suzuki	3
32	Michael Weiss	Can-Am	3
32	Edi Hau	Zündapp	3
35	Stellan Andersson	Honda	2
35	Mike Jones	Honda	2
35	Karel Kasten	ČZ	2
35	Mike Van der Beken	Honda	2
39	Ivano Bessone	Gilera	1
39	Tony Elias	Bultaco	1
39	Alain Fura	Yamaha	1
39	Robert Greisch	Yamaha	1
39	David James	Suzuki	1
39	Joseph Loetscher	Honda	1

Notes and References

1. Book: Race Watch . October 1977 . Cycle World . 18 December 2015 .
2. Web site: Torsten Hallman 2005 . mxworksbike.com . 2016-02-27 . 2016-03-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305033640/http://www.mxworksbike.com/index.php/people/interviews/16-interviews/118-torsten-hallman . dead .
3. Web site: 1977 500cc motocross world championship race results . memotocross.fr . 11 February 2016 .
4. Web site: 1977 500cc motocross world championship . jwvanessen.com . 11 February 2016 . 16 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160116181243/http://jwvanessen.com/gp-results-1977.html . dead .
5. Web site: 1977 250cc motocross world championship race results . memotocross.fr . 11 February 2016 .
6. Web site: 1977 125cc motocross world championship race results . memotocross.fr . 11 February 2016 .
7. Web site: 1977 500cc motocross world championship final standings . memotocross.fr . 11 February 2016 .
8. Web site: 1977 500cc motocross world championship final standings . jwvanessen.com . 11 February 2016 . 16 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160116131914/http://jwvanessen.com/final-score-1977.html . dead .
9. Web site: 1977 250cc motocross world championship final standings . memotocross.fr . 10 February 2016 .
10. Web site: 1977 125cc motocross world championship final standings . memotocross.fr . 3 February 2016 .