1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
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This article recaps the 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Contents |
[edit] 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. In the 50cc class, Eugenio Lazzarini won every race in which he finished to take the championship. Angel Nieto dominated on a Minarelli to take his seventh world championship. Kork Ballington would repeat as double world champion in the 250cc and 350cc classes for Kawasaki.
Defending champion Roberts was injured in a pre-season test but came back to win round two in impressive fashion. 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. The 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-tenths of a second. The season was also marked by Honda's return to Grand Prix racing with the exotic, oval-cylindered NR 500.
The top riders boycotted the Belgian Grand Prix over safety issues showing their increasing disatisfaction with the way the FIM conducted races. Near the end of the year, the top riders banded together to announce they would create a competing championship called the World Series. 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. The FIM announced an increase in prize money for the following year. This would mark the beginning of an era of increased professionalism in the sport.
[edit] 1979 500cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos |  Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 2 |  Austrian Grand Prix |
Salzburgring |  Kenny Roberts |
Yamaha | Report |
| 3 |  West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring |  Will Hartog |
Suzuki | Report |
| 4 |  Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Kenny Roberts |
Yamaha | Report |
| 5 |  Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Kenny Roberts |
Yamaha | Report |
| 6 |  Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Kenny Roberts |
Yamaha | Report |
| 7 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Virginio Ferrari |
Suzuki | Report |
| 8 |  Belgian Grand Prix* |
Spa |  Dennis Ireland |
Suzuki | Report |
| 9 |  Swedish Grand Prix |
Karlskoga | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 10 |  Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Boet Van Dulmen |
Suzuki | Report |
| 11 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Kenny Roberts |
Yamaha | Report |
| 12 |  French Grand Prix |
Le Mans | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
[edit] 1979 500cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny Roberts |
1 | United States | Yamaha | 113 | 5 |
| 2 | Virginio Ferrari |
11 | Italy | Suzuki | 89 | 1 |
| 3 | Barry Sheene |
7 | United Kingdom | Suzuki | 87 | 3 |
| 4 | Wil Hartog |
4 | Netherlands | Suzuki | 66 | 1 |
| 5 | Franco Uncini |
Italy | Suzuki | 51 | 0 | |
| 6 | Boet Van Dulmen |
13 | Netherlands | Suzuki | 50 | 1 |
| 7 | Jack Middelburg |
Netherlands | Suzuki | 42 | 0 | |
| 8 | Randy Mamola |
United States | Suzuki | 29 | 0 | |
| 9 |  Philippe Coulon |
21 | Switzerland | Suzuki | 29 | 0 |
| 10 | Tom Herron |
United Kingdom | Yamaha | 28 | 0 |
[edit] 1979 350cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos | Carlos Lavado |
Yamaha | Report |
| 2 | Austrian Grand Prix |
Salzburgring |  Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 3 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Jon Ekerold |
Yamaha | Report |
| 4 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola |  Greg Hansford |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 6 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 7 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Greg Hansford |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 8 | Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Greg Hansford |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 9 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 10 |  Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
Brno | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 11 | French Grand Prix |
Le Mans | Patrick Fernandez |
Yamaha | Report |
[edit] 1979 350cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kork Ballington |
1 | South Africa | Kawasaki | 99 | 5 |
| 2 | Oriol Fernandez |
Spain | Yamaha | 90 | 0 | |
| 3 | Gregg Hansford |
3 | Australia | Kawasaki | 77 | 3 |
| 4 | Anton Mang |
16 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 64 | 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 |
[edit] 1979 250cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos | Walter Villa |
Yamaha | Report |
| 2 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 3 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 4 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 5 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Graziano Rossi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 6 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Graziano Rossi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 7 | Belgian Grand Prix* |
Spa | Edi Stoellinger |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 8 | Swedish Grand Prix |
Karlskoga | Graziano Rossi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 9 | Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 10 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 11 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
Brno | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 12 | French Grand Prix |
Le Mans | Kork Ballington |
Kawasaki | Report |
[edit] 1979 250cc Roadracing World Championship final 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 |
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 |
[edit] 1979 125cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 2 | Austrian Grand Prix |
Salzburgring | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 3 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 4 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 6 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 7 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 8 | Belgian Grand Prix* |
Spa | Barry Smith |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 9 | Swedish Grand Prix |
Karlskoga | Pierpaolo Bianchi |
Minarelli | Report |
| 10 | Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Ricardo Tormo |
Bultaco | Report |
| 11 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Angel Nieto |
Minarelli | Report |
| 12 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
Brno | Guy Bertin |
Motobecane | Report |
| 13 | French Grand Prix |
Le Mans | Guy Bertin |
Motobecane | Report |
[edit] 1979 125cc Roadracing World Championship final 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 | Motobecane | 48 | 0 |
| 5 | Gert Bender |
West Germany | GB Bender | 47 | 0 | |
| 6 | Guy Bertin |
France | Motobecane | 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 | Pierpaolo Bianchi |
3 | Italy | Minarelli | 35 | 1 |
[edit] 1979 50cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Gerhard Weibel |
Kreidler | Report |
| 2 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
| 3 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
| 4 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
| 5 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
| 6 | Belgian Grand Prix* |
Spa | Henk Van Kessel |
Kreidler | Report |
| 7 | French Grand Prix |
Le Mans | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
[edit] 1979 50cc Roadracing World Championship final 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 Weibel |
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 | Kreidler | 23 | 1 |
| 8 | Jacques Hutteau |
France | Kreidler | 27 | 0 | |
| 9 | Ingo Emmerich |
West Germany | Kreidler | 8 | 0 | |
| 10 | Stefan Dörflinger |
Switzerland | Kreidler | 6 | 0 |
- *Top riders went on strike at the Belgian Grand Prix over track safety
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