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1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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Kenny Roberts (pictured in Assen) became the 1978 500cc world champion

The 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 30th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Season summary

[edit]

There was an air of excitement at the start of the 1978 Grand Prix season.[1] The popularity of defending champion Barry Sheene had boosted the appeal of motorcycle racing into the realm of the mass marketing media.[1] The arrival of Kenny Roberts from America added to the anticipation.[1] A young Spaniard, Ricardo Tormo took five of seven rounds to claim the 50 cc title for Bultaco. Italy's Eugenio Lazzarini won the 125 cc crown aboard an MBA. South Africa's Kork Ballington pulled off an impressive double, winning the 250 cc and 350 cc titles for Kawasaki, matching the double championships of Walter Villa in 1976 and Mike Hailwood in 1967.[1]

In the 500 cc class, Suzuki returned with its defending world champion, Barry Sheene, along with teammate Pat Hennen, Wil Hartog and Teuvo Lansivuori.[1] Yamaha's official factory team entered former 350 cc world champions Johnny Cecotto and Takazumi Katayama.[1] Lacking a competitive bike with which to compete against Harley Davidson in the AMA Grand National Championship, Yamaha's American subsidiary decided to send its former AMA champion Roberts to compete in the 250 cc, 500 cc and Formula 750 F.I.M. road racing world championships.[2] Roberts also secured the financial backing of the Goodyear tire company, as well as exclusive use of their tires for the season.[2]

Sheene opened the season with a win in the Venezuelan Grand Prix.[1][3] Roberts won the 250 cc Grand Prix in Venezuela but then suffered a mechanical failure in the 500 cc race.[1][4] American Pat Hennen won the second round at the Spanish Grand Prix with Roberts finishing in second place and Sheene some distance back in fifth place.[5] Roberts then won his first-ever 500 cc Grand Prix with a win at the Austrian Grand Prix, quickly followed by two more victories in France and Italy to take the championship points lead.[6][7][8] Hennen's promising career was cut short when he suffered head injuries while competing in the Isle of Man TT at the midpoint of the season. He trailed Roberts by only a couple of points in the point standings, with Sheene some distance behind.[9]

Johnny Cecotto (4) leads Barry Sheene (7) and Kenny Roberts (1) during the 1978 500cc Dutch TT race

Cecotto won the Dutch TT with Roberts finishing ahead of a resurgent Sheene in third place.[10] Hartog would claim the Belgian Grand Prix for Suzuki with Roberts and Sheene once again finishing in second and third places respectively.[11] At the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, Roberts crashed during practice for the 250 cc race, sustaining a concussion and a thumb injury.[12] Shaken up by the accident, he could do no better than seventh place in the 500 cc race, while Sheene won the race to close the points gap on championship points leader Roberts.[12][13] Hartog won his second Grand Prix of the season with a victory at the Finnish Grand Prix, while the two championship leaders, Roberts and Sheene failed to finish the race.[14]

The two championship contenders arrived in England for the British Grand Prix with only three points separating them.[12] The race ended in controversy when torrential rains during the race, along with pit stops for tire changes by both Roberts and Sheene, created confusion among official scorers.[15] Eventually, Roberts was declared the winner with Sheene being awarded third place behind privateer Steve Manship, who did not stop for a tire change.[16][17][18]

The title fight between Roberts and Sheene went down to the final race of the season, the German Grand Prix held at the daunting, 14.2-mile-long (22.9 km) Nürburgring racetrack. Suzuki privateer, Virginio Ferrari, won the first Grand Prix of his career, while Roberts finished in third place, ahead of Sheene in fourth place to claim the first world championship for an American rider in Grand Prix road racing history.[19][20] Cecotto claimed third place in the final championship standings.[20]

1978 Grand Prix season calendar

[edit]
Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report
1 March 19 Venezuela Venezuelan Grand Prix San Carlos Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi United States Kenny Roberts Japan Takazumi Katayama United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
2 April 16 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Australia Gregg Hansford United States Pat Hennen Report
3 April 30 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Italy Eugenio Lazzarini South Africa Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report
4 May 7 France French Grand Prix Nogaro Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Australia Gregg Hansford Australia Gregg Hansford United States Kenny Roberts Report
5 May 14 Italy Nations Grand Prix Mugello Spain Ricardo Tormo Italy Eugenio Lazzarini South Africa Kork Ballington South Africa Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report
6 June 24 Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Italy Eugenio Lazzarini United States Kenny Roberts South Africa Kork Ballington Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Report
7 July 2 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Spain Ricardo Tormo Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Italy Paolo Pileri Netherlands Wil Hartog Report
8 July 23 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Karlskoga Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Australia Gregg Hansford Australia Gregg Hansford United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
9 July 30 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Spain Angel Nieto South Africa Kork Ballington South Africa Kork Ballington Netherlands Wil Hartog Report
10 August 6 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Silverstone Spain Angel Nieto Germany Anton Mang South Africa Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report
11 August 20 West Germany German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife Spain Ricardo Tormo Spain Angel Nieto South Africa Kork Ballington Japan Takazumi Katayama Italy Virginio Ferrari Report
12 August 27 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Spain Ricardo Tormo South Africa Kork Ballington South Africa Kork Ballington Report
13 September 17 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Spain Ricardo Tormo Spain Angel Nieto Australia Gregg Hansford Australia Gregg Hansford Report
Sources:[1][20][21]

Scoring system

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Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. All races counted towards the final standings.[1]

(key)

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th 
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

500cc final standings

[edit]
Place Rider Team Machine VEN
Venezuela 		ESP
Spain 		AUT
Austria 		FRA
France 		NAT
Italy 		NED
Netherlands 		BEL
Belgium 		SWE
Sweden 		FIN
Finland 		GBR
United Kingdom 		GER
West Germany 		Points
1 United States Kenny Roberts Yamaha USA YZR500 Ret 2 1 1 1 2 2 7 Ret 1 3 110
2 United Kingdom Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 1 5 3 3 5 3 3 1 Ret 3 4 100
3 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Venemotos-Yamaha YZR500 Ret 4 2 Ret Ret 1 Ret 6 3 7 2 66
4 Netherlands Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing RG500 9 7 5 6 5 1 2 1 Ret Ret 65
5 Japan Takazumi Katayama Sarome & Motul Team YZR500 Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret 4 6 3 2 9 5 53
6 United States Pat Hennen Heron-Suzuki RG500 2 1 Ret 2 2 51
7 United States Steve Baker Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 3 6 Ret DNS 4 9 Ret 4 6 Ret 7 42
8 Finland Teuvo Länsivuori RG500 7 5 Ret 7 5 8 4 5 9 39
9 Italy Marco Lucchinelli RG500 Ret 4 Ret 3 Ret 7 Ret Ret 4 Ret 30
10 France Michel Rougerie RG500 14 6 Ret 6 4 Ret Ret 11 6 23
11 Italy Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 Ret Ret Ret 17 Ret Ret Ret 5 Ret 10 1 22
12 United Kingdom Steve Parrish RG500 4 10 Ret 7 Ret 10 Ret 15 5 15 13 20
13 Netherlands Boet van Dulmen RG500 11 8 21 9 8 Ret 11 7 Ret 8 15
14 United Kingdom Steve Manship RG500 2 12
15 France Christian Estrosi RG500 8 4 Ret 11
16 Italy Graziano Rossi Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 6 12 16 14 9 Ret Ret 7
United Kingdom John Newbold Ray Hamblin Motorcycles RG500 Ret Ret 18 7 Ret 8 7
18 Venezuela Roberto Pietri Venemotos Yamaha YZR500 5 6
Italy Gianni Rolando Team Librenti RG500 DNQ 10 Ret 6 Ret 6
20 West Germany Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing YZR500 6 16 21 20 14 17 16 5
Switzerland Philippe Coulon Marlboro Nava Total RG500 Ret 11 20 8 11 Ret 9 16 20 5
22 Italy Leandro Becheroni RG500 7 DNS 4
United Kingdom Alex George Hermetite Racing International RG500 18 11 14 14 8 10 Ret 13 15 4
West Germany Jürgen Steiner Caramba Racing Team Bohme RG500 14 Ret 8 10 4
25 Belgium Jean Philippe Orban Team La Licorne RG500 12 Ret 8 3
26 Italy Carlo Perugini RG500 9 Ret 2
United Kingdom Tom Herron RG500 Ret 9 2
Italy Gianfranco Bonera Team Kiwi Yamoto RG500 9 22 13 Ret 12 2
Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler RSS Racing Team RG500 16 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret 14 10 Ret Ret 2
27 New Zealand Dennis Ireland RG500 10 Ret Ret Ret 1
Australia Kenny Blake YZR500 10 1
Sources:[1][20][21]

350cc standings

[edit]
Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 South Africa Kork Ballington 5 South Africa Kawasaki 134 6
2 Japan Takazumi Katayama 1 Japan Yamaha 77 2
3 Australia Gregg Hansford Australia Kawasaki 76 3
4 South Africa Jon Ekerold 3 South Africa Yamaha 64 0
5 United Kingdom Tom Herron 2 United Kingdom Yamaha 50 0
6 France Michel Rougerie 4 France Yamaha 47 0
7 Italy Franco Bonera Italy Yamaha 37 0
8 France Patrick Fernandez 8 France Yamaha 36 0
9 Australia Victor Soussan 12 Australia Yamaha 34 0
10 France Olivier Chevallier 6 France Yamaha 27 0
11 Finland Penti Korhonen Finland Yamaha 20
12 Italy Franco Uncini Italy Yamaha 19
13 Italy Paolo Pileri Italy 18
14 United Kingdom Mick Grant United Kingdom Kawasaki 16
15 France Christian Sarron France Yamaha 15
16 West Germany Anton Mang West Germany Kawasaki 14
17 France Patrick Pons France Yamaha 9
18 Italy Marco Lucchinelli Italy Yamaha 5
19 France Guy Bertin France Yamaha 5
20 France Eric Saul France Yamaha 4
21 Italy Vanes Francini Italy Yamaha 3
22 France Raymond Roche France Yamaha 3
23 Venezuela Alejandro Aleman Venezuela Yamaha 2
24 Sweden Leif Gustafsson Sweden Yamaha 2
25 Netherlands Peter Van Der Wal Netherlands Yamaha 2
26 Italy Gianni Pelletier Italy Yamaha 2
27 Italy A.Piccioni Italy Yamaha 1
28 Finland Eero Hyvärinen Finland Yamaha 1
29 France Hervi Moineau France Yamaha 1
30 Switzerland Roland Freymond Switzerland Yamaha 1
31 Italy Mario Lega Italy 1
Sources:[1][22]

250cc standings

[edit]
Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 South Africa Kork Ballington 6 South Africa Kawasaki 124 4
2 Australia Gregg Hansford Australia Kawasaki 118 4
3 France Patrick Fernandez 10 France Yamaha 55 0
4 United States Kenny Roberts 80 United States Yamaha 54 2
5 West Germany Anton Mang Germany Kawasaki 52 1
6 United Kingdom Tom Herron 5 United Kingdom Yamaha 48 0
7 Italy Mario Lega Italy Morbidelli 44 0
8 Italy Franco Uncini Italy Yamaha 42 0
9 South Africa Jon Ekerold 9 South Africa Yamaha 40 0
10 Italy Paolo Pileri 31 Italy Morbidelli 35 1
11 France Raymond Roche France 26
12 France Olivier Chevallier France 25
13 France Jean-François Baldé France 19
14 United Kingdom Mick Grant United Kingdom 17
15 Australia Victor Soussan Australia 14
16 Italy Walter Villa Italy 13
17 Venezuela Carlos Lavado Venezuela 12
18 United Kingdom Chas Mortimer United Kingdom 12
19 Finland Penti Korhonen Finland 10
20 United Kingdom Clive Padgett United Kingdom 5
21 Switzerland Hans Müller Switzerland 5
22 Switzerland Roland Freymond Switzerland 4
23 United States Ted Henter United States 3
24 Finland Pekka Nurmi Finland 2
25 Australia Ray Quincey Australia 2
26 Venezuela Alejandro Aleman Venezuela 2
27 Australia John Dodds Australia 2
28 Sweden Leif Gustafsson Sweden 1
29 Japan Sadao Asami Japan 1
30 Finland Eero Hyvärinen Finland 1
31 France Marc Fontan France 1
32 France Hervi Moineau France 1
33 France Guy Bertin France 1
34 France Thierry Espié France 1
Sources:[1][23]

125cc standings

[edit]
Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini 2 Italy MBA 114 4
2 Spain Angel Nieto 3 Spain Minarelli 88 4
3 Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi 1 Italy Minarelli 70 4
4 Austria Harald Bartol 7 Austria Morbidelli 68 0
5 France Thierry Espié 27 France Motobécane 62 0
6 Italy Maurizio Massimiani 11 Italy Morbidelli 56 0
7 Switzerland Hans Müller 8 Switzerland Morbidelli 48 0
8 Sweden Per-Edward Carlsson Sweden Morbidelli 46 0
9 France Jean-Louis Guignabodet France Morbidelli 42 0
10 United Kingdom Clive Horton United Kingdom MBA 25 0
11 Patrick Plisson jpn 20
12 Matti Kinnunen Kor 18
13 Stefan Dörflinger jpn 17
14 Pierluigi Conforti fra 16
15 August Auinger fra 14
16 Christian Leon Fra 10
17 Thierry Noblesse ita 9
18 Alejandro Aleman ita 8
19 Felice Agostini ita 7
20 Ricardo Russo Gbr 6
21 Cees van Dongen gbr 6
22 Claudio Granata gbr 5
23 Gert Bender isl 5
24 Walter Koschine Isl 5
25 Hiroshi isl 4
26 Luciano Schiavone irl 4
27 Hiroshi irl 3
28 Rolf Blatter irl 3
29 Henk van Kessel Spa 2
30 Alois Meyer spa 1
31 Benny Janssen spa 1
32 Ricardo Tormo Aus 1
33 Enrico Cereda Aus 1
34 Hiroshi aus 1
Sources:[1][24]

50cc standings

[edit]
Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Spain Ricardo Tormo 3 Spain Bultaco 99 5
2 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini 2 Italy Kreidler 64 2
3 France Patrick Plisson 5 France ABF 48 0
4 West Germany Wolfgang Müller 20 West Germany Kreidler 28 0
5 Switzerland Rolf Blatter 17 Switzerland Kreidler 25 0
6 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger 6 Switzerland Kreidler 24 0
7 Italy Claudio Lusuardi 18 Italy Bultaco 20 0
8 Netherlands Peter Looijensteijn 27 Netherlands Kreidler 14 0
9 West Germany Ingo Emmerich 23 West Germany Kreidler 14 0
10 Italy Aldo Pero 15 Italy Kreidler 13 0
11 Spain Angel Nieto 12
12 Netherlands Henk van Kessel 11
13 Italy Enrico Cereda 11
14 Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck 10
15 Netherlands Cees van Dongen 10
16 Willi Scheidhauer 10
17 Hagen Klein 9
18 Theo Timmer 9
19 C.Dumont 6
20 Daniel Corvi 5
21 Gerrit Strikker 4
22 Luigi Rinaudo 4
23 Ramon Gali 3
24 A.Jeva 3
25 S.Monreale 2
26 Zbynek Havdra 2
27 J.Mira 1
28 Jacques Hutteau 1
Sources:[1][25]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  2. ^ a b Moses, Sam (March 1979). "The daring young man whips the heroes with ease". American Motorcyclist. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  3. ^ "1978 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  4. ^ "1978 250cc Venezuelan Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  5. ^ "1978 500cc Spanish Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  6. ^ "1978 500cc Austrian Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  7. ^ "1978 500cc French Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  8. ^ "1978 500cc Nations Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Pat Hennen at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  10. ^ "1978 500cc Dutch TT Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  11. ^ "1978 500cc Belgian Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b c "Roberts makes the right dream come true". The Modesto Bee. Bee News Services. 23 August 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 15 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "1978 500cc Swedish Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  14. ^ "1978 500cc Finnish Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  15. ^ Assoc, American Motorcyclist (November 1978). "Roberts: A Champ With Class". American Motorcyclist. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  16. ^ "Roberts Declared Official Winner". The Modesto Bee. Bee News Services. 8 August 1978. p. 6. Retrieved 20 December 2010.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Time to Fix 'Flag-to-Flag' Pit Stops Before Luck Runs Out". moto-racing.speedtv.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  18. ^ "1978 500cc British Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  19. ^ "1978 500cc German Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  20. ^ a b c d "1978 500cc World Championship race results". motogp.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  21. ^ a b "1978 500cc World Championship race results". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  22. ^ "1978 350cc World Championship race results". motogp.com. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  23. ^ "1978 250cc World Championship race results". motogp.com. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  24. ^ "1978 125cc World Championship race results". motogp.com. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  25. ^ "1978 50cc World Championship race results". motogp.com. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
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