1968 FIM Motocross World Championship

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1968 FIM Motocross World Championship
OrganizerFIM
Duration2 April/20 August
Number of races26
Number of manufacturers8
Champions
500ccEast Germany Paul Friedrichs
250ccBelgium Joël Robert
FIM Motocross World Championship seasons

The 1968 Motocross World Championship was the 12th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.

Summary

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ČZ factory-sponsored Paul Friedrichs overcame a late-season charge by BSA factory team rider John Banks to win his third consecutive 500cc World Championship by a single point over his British competitor.[1][2] The championship wasn't decided until the final round in Switzerland, where Friedrichs, Banks, and Åke Jonsson (Husqvarna) each had a mathematical chance of winning the world championship.

Friedrichs won the season-ending Swiss Grand Prix to claim the 500cc World Championship by a narrow margin over Banks. Banks actually scored more points overall but fell victim to FIM scoring rules, which only recognize the top seven of thirteen results. The rules would be changed in 1977. Friedrichs won four of the thirteen Grand Prix events to become the first three-time winner of the premier 500cc displacement class since the inception of the Motocross World Championships in 1957. In the face of the rapid development of two-stroke engine technology, the BSA factory was the last remaining manufacturer to compete with four-stroke engines.

Joël Robert and Torsten Hallman once again battled for supremacy in the 250cc class.[3] The ČZ factory switched Dave Bickers from the 500cc class to the 250cc class and hired 23-year-old Sylvain Geboers to support Robert, while the Husqvarna team hired Håkan Andersson in support of Hallman.[3] Andersson won the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix to become an early title contender; however, he suffered a broken leg at the Dutch Grand Prix and was forced to withdraw from the competition.[3] After Robert won three consecutive Grand Prix races in France, Holland, and West Germany to take the early points lead, Hallman then won three races in Russia, Yugoslavia, and Sweden to tie Robert for the championship points lead as they went into the final round in Austria, where Robert won the event to clinch the World Championship by two points over Hallman.[3][4][5][6] Suzuki became the first Japanese manufacturer to win a Motocross World Championship heat race when Olle Pettersson rode a Suzuki to win the first heat race at the 250cc Belgian Grand Prix in Genk.[3]

Grands Prix

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500cc

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Round Date Grand Prix Location Race 1 Winner Race 2 Winner Overall Winner Report
1 April 21 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf East Germany Paul Friedrichs United Kingdom John Banks Sweden Bengt Åberg Report
2 May 12 Italy Italian Grand Prix Gallarate Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Belgium Roger De Coster Report
3 May 19 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Motala Sweden Åke Jonsson East Germany Paul Friedrichs Sweden Åke Jonsson Report
4 May 26 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Tikkurila East Germany Paul Friedrichs United Kingdom John Banks East Germany Paul Friedrichs Report
5 June 9 East Germany East German Grand Prix Apolda East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs Report
6 June 16 Czech Republic Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Přerov East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs East Germany Paul Friedrichs Report
7 July 7 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Farleigh Castle United Kingdom Vic Eastwood Sweden Åke Jonsson United Kingdom Vic Eastwood Report
8 July 14 West Germany West German Grand Prix Beuren East Germany Paul Friedrichs West Germany Adolf Weil Sweden Åke Jonsson Report
9 July 21 France French Grand Prix Bellême Belgium Roger De Coster United Kingdom John Banks United Kingdom John Banks Report
10 July 28 Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix Sint Anthonis United Kingdom John Banks United Kingdom John Banks United Kingdom John Banks Report
11 August 4 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Namur United Kingdom John Banks East Germany Paul Friedrichs Sweden Bengt Åberg Report
12 August 11 Luxembourg Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck East Germany Paul Friedrichs United Kingdom Vic Eastwood United Kingdom Vic Eastwood Report
13 August 18 Switzerland Swiss Grand Prix Wohlen Sweden Bengt Åberg United Kingdom Vic Eastwood East Germany Paul Friedrichs Report
Sources:[2][7]

250cc

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Round Date Grand Prix Location Race 1 Winner Race 2 Winner Overall Winner Report
1 March 31 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Sabadell Belgium Joël Robert Sweden Torsten Hallman Sweden Torsten Hallman Report
2 April 28 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Genk Sweden Olle Pettersson Sweden Håkan Andersson Belgium Sylvain Geboers Report
3 May 5 Czech Republic Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Holice Sweden Håkan Andersson Sweden Håkan Andersson Sweden Håkan Andersson Report
4 May 12 France French Grand Prix Thouars Belgium Joël Robert Sweden Håkan Andersson Belgium Joël Robert Report
5 May 19 Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix Markelo Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
6 May 23 West Germany West German Grand Prix Bielstein Belgium Joël Robert Sweden Torsten Hallman Belgium Joël Robert Report
7 May 26 Luxembourg Luxembourg Grand Prix Schifflange Sweden Torsten Hallman Belgium Joël Robert Sweden Torsten Hallman Report
8 June 16 Poland Polish Grand Prix Szczecin Belgium Joël Robert Sweden Torsten Hallman Belgium Joël Robert Report
9 June 23 Soviet Union Russian Grand Prix Lviv Czech Republic Karel Konecny Sweden Torsten Hallman Sweden Torsten Hallman Report
10 June 30 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Tržič Sweden Torsten Hallman Sweden Torsten Hallman Sweden Torsten Hallman Report
11 July 27 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Hyvinkää Finland Kalevi Vehkonen Finland Kalevi Vehkonen Finland Kalevi Vehkonen Report
12 August 4 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Hedemora Belgium Joël Robert Finland Heikki Mikkola Sweden Torsten Hallman Report
13 August 11 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Dodington Park Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
14 October 6 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Launsdorf Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Belgium Joël Robert Report
Sources:[6][8]

Final standings

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Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers. For the 500cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 13 results are retained. For the 250cc final championship standings, the 7 best of 14 results are retained.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

500cc

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(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos Rider Machine AUT
Austria 		ITA
Italy 		SWE
Sweden 		FIN
Finland 		GDR
East Germany 		CZE
Czech Republic 		UK
United Kingdom 		GER
West Germany 		FRA
France 		NED
Netherlands 		BEL
Belgium 		LUX
Luxembourg 		CH
Switzerland 		Points
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 East Germany Paul Friedrichs ČZ 1 18 NC - - 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 - - 1 - - - - - 8 1 1 3 2 2 42
2 United Kingdom John Banks BSA 30 1 - - - - 5 1 4 4 3 2 - - 8 4 2 1 1 1 1 4 6 2 3 5 41
3 Sweden Åke Jonsson Husqvarna - 6 NC - 1 6 2 4 6 3 4 3 - 1 3 2 5 6 - 7 - - 7 4 4 4 34
4 Sweden Bengt Åberg Husqvarna 2 2 NC - - 2 - - - - - - 9 10 2 3 37 2 6 - 3 2 4 5 1 10 29
5 Belgium Roger De Coster ČZ 11 - 1 1 5 5 - - - - - - 5 6 10 - 1 3 4 12 4 - - - 7 - 21
6 United Kingdom Vic Eastwood Husqvarna - - NC - - 4 - - 9 2 - - 1 2 4 - 29 30 3 - 2 - 2 1 - 1 17
7 Czech Republic Petr Dobry ČZ - - 6 2 - - - - 2 6 2 5 3 3 - - 13 7 - - 7 7 - - 11 - 16
8 United Kingdom Jeff Smith BSA 25 - NC - - - 3 3 10 10 6 - 6 8 - - 6 5 5 5 5 6 - - 5 3 16
9 Belgium Jeff Teuwissen Husqvarna 8 26 - - - - - - - - 7 7 - - - 7 3 4 2 2 6 3 11 - - - 14
10 Sweden Christer Hammargren Husqvarna 9 8 NC - 4 3 - - 8 7 - - 2 5 7 5 31 - 8 - 16 21 - 8 - 6 13
11 Czech Republic Vlastimil Válek ČZ 4 24 8 - 3 - - - 3 5 - - - - 6 8 7 27 17 11 10 8 3 6 6 7 13
12 Czech Republic Vaclav Svastal ČZ 3 7 5 4 - - - - 7 8 - - 7 12 - - 4 8 - - 17 9 8 7 - - 8
13 Soviet Union Vilis Brunis ČZ 5 3 4 - - - - - 15 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
14 United Kingdom Allan Clough Husqvarna 26 - 3 3 - - - - - - - - 10 13 - - 36 36 - - 19 18 - - - - 4
15 West Germany Wolfgang Müller Maico - - 9 - - - - - - - - - - - 5 6 - - 12 13 - - - - 8 8 4
Soviet Union Vladimir Pogrebniak ČZ 7 4 NC - 2 - - - 11 17 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
17 East Germany Heinz Hoppe ČZ 10 9 NC - - - 4 - 13 13 5 6 - - - - - - - 15 18 12 10 12 - - 3
18 United Kingdom Dave Bickers ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - 3
19 Netherlands Pierre Karsmakers ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 7 6 13 14 - - - - 3
20 West Germany Adolf Weil Maico 12 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - 2
West Germany Erwin Schmider Maico - - 7 6 - - - - - - - - - - 15 12 - - - - - - - - - - 2
22 United Kingdom Keith Hickman BSA - - - - - - - - 5 14 8 4 8 9 - - 40 - - - - - 5 - - - 2
Netherlands Gerrit Wolsink Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 4 25 16 - - - - 2
Soviet Union Gunnar Draugs ČZ 6 23 NC - - - 6 6 12 9 11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
25 Sweden Jan Johansson Lindstrom - 10 - - 6 - 8 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
Belgium Gaston Rahier ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 5 - 9 - - 1
- Soviet Union Yuri Matveev ČZ - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0
Netherlands Frans Sigmans Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - 0
Sources:[1][7]

250cc

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(Results in italics indicate overall winner)

Pos Rider Machine ESP
Spain 		BEL
Belgium 		CZE
Czech Republic 		FRA
France 		NED
Netherlands 		GER
West Germany 		LUX
Luxembourg 		POL
Poland 		USSR
Soviet Union 		YUG
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 		FIN
Finland 		SWE
Sweden 		UK
United Kingdom 		AUT
Austria 		Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 Belgium Joël Robert ČZ 1 4 4 - 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 - - - 8 2 2 1 - 1 1 1 1 54
2 Sweden Torsten Hallman Husqvarna 2 1 - - - - 2 - 8 3 3 1 1 2 7 1 2 1 1 1 3 - 4 2 2 2 2 - 52
3 Belgium Sylvain Geboers ČZ 5 5 2 2 5 4 5 3 3 6 14 - 10 7 2 4 - - 3 3 - - - - - - 3 4 31
4 Czech Republic Karel Konecny ČZ - - - - 6 9 6 4 32 11 5 5 11 9 3 3 1 2 2 2 7 4 - - 5 3 6 3 29
5 United Kingdom Dave Bickers ČZ 6 3 6 8 7 - 4 7 24 - 8 12 2 3 - - 4 3 5 7 - - 7 6 3 4 7 5 21
6 Sweden Håkan Andersson Husqvarna - 2 3 1 1 1 3 1 4 26 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18
7 Sweden Olle Pettersson Suzuki - 13 1 3 8 6 11 6 6 2 4 6 6 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18
8 Finland Kalevi Vehkonen Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 - - - - 8 - 8
9 Soviet Union Victor Arbekov ČZ - - 9 4 3 3 8 5 11 27 6 4 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8
10 Finland Heikki Mikkola Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 - 6 1 - - 9 - 7
11 Sweden Stig Pettersson Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 5 5 11 - 11 - 7
12 Belgium Marcel Wiertz Bultaco 3 - 8 9 14 13 - - 18 12 13 11 12 14 - - - - - - - - - - 10 - 5 2 6
13 West Germany Adolf Weil Maico 7 8 - - - - - - 15 18 2 3 9 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
14 United Kingdom Malcolm Davis AJS 10 12 5 7 - - 10 9 - - - - 4 6 - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - 6
15 Soviet Union Gennady Moiseyev ČZ - - 21 11 9 12 12 19 5 5 12 10 14 13 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5
Soviet Union Leonid Shinkarenko ČZ - - 10 15 - 17 9 11 2 - - - 5 - 4 6 5 4 4 5 - - - - - - - - 5
17 Sweden Bengt Arne Bonn Husqvarna 17 11 - - - - - - - - 11 16 19 16 - 5 - - - - 4 3 - 3 - - - - 4
18 Finland Jyrki Storm Husqvarna - - - 6 28 7 16 13 7 4 19 17 18 15 - - - - - - - - - 4 9 6 - - 4
19 Czech Republic Jiří Stodůlka ČZ - - 13 18 4 5 31 12 22 9 15 7 13 8 - - - - 6 6 - - - - 7 7 10 - 4
20 Soviet Union Evgeny Petushkov ČZ - - 11 10 15 14 13 10 17 - 9 8 8 10 - - - - - 4 - - - - - - - - 3
Soviet Union Vilis Brunis ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 5 - - - - - - - - - - 3
22 United Kingdom Don Rickman Bultaco 4 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
United Kingdom Bryan Wade Greeves - - - - - - 7 8 9 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 - 4 5 - - 2
Sweden Torleif Hansen Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 - - - - - - - - - 12 - 4 6 2
25 Sweden Uno Palm Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 - - - - - - - - - - 1
Sweden Yngve Holmqvist Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 - - - - 1
United Kingdom Vic Allan Greeves - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 8 - - 1
- Belgium Gaston Rahier ČZ 13 10 7 12 - - - 14 - - - - 16 11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0
Belgium Roger De Coster ČZ - - - 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0
Sources:[5][8]

Notes

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References

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