1968 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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The 1968 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 20th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of ten Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 21 April, with German Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 15 September. As the sidecar race was cancelled at the Nations Grand Prix, it was announced that a replacement race would be held at Hockenheimring in October alongside the German national championship.[1]

Season summary[edit]

With the departure of Honda from the Grand Prix scene, MV Agusta proceeded to dominate the larger classes with Giacomo Agostini winning every race in the 500 and 350 classes.[2] The 250 crown went to Phil Read amidst a controversy between Yamaha teammates. Read was supposed to take the 125 title while leaving the 250 crown for Bill Ivy. After Read captured the 125 title, he ignored team orders and went after the 250 title as well.[2] Ivy and Read finished the championship tying on points and race results, and in this unlikely scenario, the FIM decided to give Read the title based on aggregate race times.[3] As a result, Yamaha would discharge Read and he would never regain a place on the factory team.[2] Hans-Georg Anscheidt would capture his third consecutive 50cc championship for Suzuki.

1968 Grand Prix season calendar[edit]

Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report
1 21 April Germany German Grand Prix Nürburgring Sudschleife West Germany Hans-Georg Anscheidt United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Bill Ivy Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Germany Fath / Kalauch Report
2 5 May Spain Spanish Grand Prix Montjuïc circuit West Germany Hans-Georg Anscheidt Spain Salvador Cañellas United Kingdom Phil Read Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
3 14 June Isle of Man Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Australia Barry Smith United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Bill Ivy Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Germany Schauzu/Horst Schneider Report
4 29 June Netherlands Dutch TT TT Circuit Assen Netherlands Paul Lodewijkx United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Bill Ivy Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Germany Attenberger / Schillinger Report
5 7 July Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps West Germany Hans-Georg Anscheidt United Kingdom Phil Read Italy Giacomo Agostini Germany Auerbacher / Hahn Report
6 14 July East Germany East German Grand Prix Sachsenring United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Bill Ivy Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
7 21 July Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Masaryk Circuit United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Phil Read Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
8 4 August Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Circuit United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Phil Read Italy Giacomo Agostini Germany Fath / Kalauch Report
9 17 August Northern Ireland Ulster Grand Prix Dundrod Circuit United Kingdom Bill Ivy United Kingdom Bill Ivy Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
10 15 September Italy Nations Grand Prix Monza United Kingdom Bill Ivy United Kingdom Phil Read Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Cancelled Report
11 [N 1] 13 October Germany Hockenheim Grand Prix Hockenheimring Germany Fath / Kalauch
Footnotes
  1. ^ The sidecar race at the 1968 Nations Grand Prix was cancelled and so a replacement race was held alongside the German national championship at the Hockenheimring in October.[1]

Standings[edit]

Scoring system[edit]

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the best of three were counted on 50cc championships, best of five in 125cc championships, best of six in 250cc and 500cc championships, while in the Sidecars and 350cc, the best of four races were counted.

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

500cc final standings[edit]

Pos Rider Machine GER
Germany
ESP
Spain
MAN
Isle of Man
HOL
Netherlands
BEL
Belgium
DDR
East Germany
CZE
Czech Republic
FIN
Finland
ULS
Northern Ireland
NAC
Italy
Pts
1 Italy Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 48 (80)
2 Australia Jack Findlay Matchless / Cardani Ret 2 Ret 2 2 3 2 2 5 Ret 34 (36)
3 Switzerland Gyula Marsovszky Matchless / Seeley-Matchless 4 5 Ret Ret Ret 11 3 6 Ret Ret 10
4 Italy Alberto Pagani Linto Ret Ret 2 Ret 4 9
5 United Kingdom Robin Fitton Norton 4 2 9
6 United Kingdom Peter Williams Arter-Matchless 3 Ret 4 7 7 5 20 9 9
7 United Kingdom Derek Woodman Seeley Ret 9 Ret 3 Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret 8
8 United Kingdom John Cooper Seeley / Norton Ret 3 6 4 Ret Ret 8
9 United Kingdom Dan Shorey Norton 2 Ret Ret 10 6 Ret Ret 7
10 Italy Angelo Bergamonti Paton Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret 3 7
11 Australia Kel Carruthers Norton / Westlake Ret 6 5 5 Ret Ret 8 6 6 7
12 United Kingdom Brian Ball Seeley-Matchless / Matchless 2 18 6
13 Italy Renzo Pasolini Benelli 2 6
14 Australia John Dodds Norton Ret 3 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret 5 8 6
15 United Kingdom Billie Nelson Paton / Norton Ret 7 Ret Ret 5 4 7 Ret Ret 5
16 United Kingdom John Hartle Metisse / MV Agusta Ret Ret 9 11 9 Ret 3 4
17 United Kingdom Barry Randle Norton 3 4
18 United Kingdom Percy Tait Triumph Ret 4 3
19 United Kingdom Bill Smith Matchless / Paton 4 Ret Ret 3
20 Soviet Union Nikolai Sevostianov Vostok 4 3
21 Czech Republic Bohumil Stasa ČZ 5 Ret 13 Ret 2
22 Italy Silvano Bertarelli Paton 5 2
= United Kingdom Bernie Lund Matchless 5 2
24 United Kingdom Rodney Gould Norton / Triumph 6 Ret 8 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret 7 1
25 United Kingdom Ron Chandler Matchless / Seeley-Matchless 7 6 9 Ret Ret 10 1
26 United Kingdom Rex Butcher Norton / Matchless / Seeley Ret 6 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 1
27 United Kingdom Godfrey Nash Norton Ret 6 Ret Ret 1
28 United Kingdom Derek Lee Gazelle / Matchless Ret 7 9 0
29 Germany Walter Scheimann Norton 12 7 12 12 11 0
30 Wales Malcolm Uphill Manning-Norton Ret 7 Ret 0
31 United Kingdom John Blanchard Metisse 7 0
32 South Africa Errol Cowan Matchless / Norton / Metisse 8 Ret 12 10 0
33 New Zealand Keith Turner Matchless 15 10 Ret 8 Ret Ret 0
34 Sweden Bo Granath Matchless / Seeley Ret 14 14 8 Ret Ret 0
35 United Kingdom Steve Jolly Higley-Matchless Ret Ret 8 0
36 Rhodesia Gordon Keith Monark 8 0
37 Germany Paul Eickelberg Norton 10 9 13 19 14 0
38 Finland Pentti Lehtelä Matchless 13 14 9 0
39 Germany Heinrich Rosenbusch Norton 9 0
= Czech Republic Frantisek Srna Jawa 9 0
41 Netherlands Theo Louwes Norton 10 12 0
42 Finland Hannu Kuparinen Matchless 10 0
= Northern Ireland William McCosh Matchless 10 0
44 Hungary György Kurucz Matchless / Metisse 18 15 15 11 0
45 Germany Armand Nerger Honda 11 0
= Netherlands Bert Oosterhuis Norton 11 0
= Finland Matti Salonen Yamaha 11 0
= Australia Ron Wilson Norton 11 0
= United Kingdom John Williams Matchless 11 0
50 Austria Werner Bergold Matchless 12 0
= Italy Paolo Campanelli Matchless 12 0
= United Kingdom Tony Godfrey Norton 12 0
= Austria Wolfgang Stropek Norton 12 0
54 Germany Karl Hoppe Matchless Ret 13 Ret Ret Ret 0
55 Germany Dieter Dögmann BMW 13 0
= Italy Gianfranco Domeniconi Norton 13 0
= United Kingdom George Fogarty Matchless 13 0
= Finland Osmo Hansen Matchless 13 0
= Sweden Jack Lindh Seeley 13 0
60 Austria Edy Lenz Matchless 14 0
= United Kingdom Charlie Sanby Norton 14 0
= United Kingdom Barry Scully Norton 14 0
63 United Kingdom Peter Humber Humber-Crescent Ret 15 0
64 United Kingdom Peter Darvill Norton 15 0
65 United Kingdom Alan Lawton Norton 16 16 0
66 Germany Ferdinand Kaczor BMW 16 0
67 Germany Hartmut Allner Matchless 17 0
= Northern Ireland Bob McCurry Matchless 17 0
= Netherlands Jan Strijbis Norton 17 0
70 United Kingdom Jim Evans Norton 18 0
71 Germany Ralf Engelhardt Norton 19 Ret 0
72 Wales Selwyn Griffiths Matchless 19 0
73 United Kingdom Norman Price Norton 20 0
74 Northern Ireland Harris Healey Norton 21 0
= United Kingdom Ian Munro Matchless 21 0
76 United Kingdom Peter Gibson Matchless 22 0
77 United Kingdom George Barnacle Triumph 23 0
78 United Kingdom Brian Adams Norton 24 0
79 United Kingdom Adrian Cooper Norton 25 0
80 United Kingdom Bob Heath BSA 26 0
81 Switzerland Gilbert Argo Matchless 27 0
82 United Kingdom Walter Dawson Norton 28 0
83 United Kingdom Jim Curry Aermacchi / Metisse 29 Ret 0
84 United Kingdom Jim Ashton Matchless 30 0
85 United Kingdom John Burgess Norton 31 Ret 0
86 United Kingdom Graham Robinson Read Titan 32 0
87 United Kingdom Brian Hunter Matchless 33 0
88 United Kingdom Chris Neve Matchless 34 0
89 United Kingdom Dennis Trollope Norton 35 0
90 United Kingdom Reay Mackay Vincent HRD 36 0
91 Northern Ireland Roy Reid Norton 37 0
- United States Marty Lunde Norton Ret Ret Ret 0
- Czech Republic František Šťastný Jawa Ret Ret Ret 0
- United Kingdom Vincent Duckett Matchless Ret Ret 0
- United Kingdom Denis Gallagher Matchless Ret Ret 0
- Italy Silvio Grassetti Bianchi Ret Ret 0
- United Kingdom Maurice Hawthorne Norton Ret Ret 0
- Switzerland Ernst Weiss Seeley Ret Ret 0
- Sweden Billy Andersson Matchless Ret 0
- France Jean Aureal Aermacchi Ret 0
- United Kingdom Alan Barnett Kirby-Metisse Ret 0
- Germany Rupert Bauer BMW Ret 0
- United Kingdom Bob Biscardine Velocette Ret 0
- Czech Republic Karel Bojer ČZ Ret 0
- New Zealand Ray Breingan Norton Ret 0
- Sweden Bo Brolin Matchless Ret 0
- United Kingdom Mick Burns BSA-Metisse Ret 0
- Germany Hans-Otto Butenuth BMW Ret 0
- Germany Heiner Butz Bianchi Ret 0
- Spain Salvador Cañellas Bultaco Ret 0
- United Kingdom Doug Cash Norton Ret 0
- Canada Bert Clark Rickman-Metisse Ret 0
- United Kingdom Roger Corbett Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Conway Chivers Norton Ret 0
- Switzerland Herbert Denzler Matchless Ret 0
- United Kingdom Tom Dickie Petty-Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Hugh Evans BSA Ret 0
- Germany Rolf Fenker Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Derek Filler Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Bill Fulton Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Roger Fursman Norton Ret 0
- Germany Manfred Gäckle Matchless Ret 0
- United Kingdom Albert Haddock Triton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Mike Hailwood Benelli Ret 0
- Germany Peter Hampe Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Mick Hatherill Matchless-Metisse Ret 0
- United Kingdom Keith Heckles Norton Ret 0
- Canada Oliver Howe Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Griff Jenkins Matchless Ret 0
- United Kingdom John Jones Triumph Ret 0
- Northern Ireland Brian Kemp Triumph Ret 0
- Germany Willi Kern Norton Ret 0
- Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic Endel Kiisa Vostok Ret 0
- Czech Republic Stanislav Klatil Jawa Ret 0
- United Kingdom Ray Knight Hughes-Triumph Ret 0
- Germany Udo Konchanski BMW Ret 0
- Finland Toivo Lehtinen Norton Ret 0
- Finland Taneli Lepo Matchless Ret 0
- Italy Vasco Loro Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Pat Mahoney Oakley-Matchless Ret 0
- Italy Emanuele Maugliani Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Dennis May Petty-Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Tony McGurk Matchless Ret 0
- Germany Hans-Jürgen Melcher Honda Ret 0
- United Kingdom David Menzies Norton Ret 0
- Italy Gilberto Milani Linto Ret 0
- New Zealand Ginger Molloy Bultaco Ret 0
- Northern Ireland Stephen Murray Matchless Ret 0
- South Africa Gart Neveling Norton Ret 0
- Finland Ilari Pekkinen Norton Ret 0
- Italy Giovanni Perrone Matchless Ret 0
- United Kingdom Harry Reynolds Matchless-Metisse Ret 0
- United Kingdom Tony Rutter Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Brian Sapsford Lyster-Norton Ret 0
- Australia Jack Saunders Matchless Ret 0
- United Kingdom Peter Sheppard Norton Ret 0
- Italy Bruno Spaggiari Ducati Ret 0
- United Kingdom Steve Spencer Norton Ret 0
- Australia Malcolm Stanton Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom John Taylor Kirby-Matchless Ret 0
- Germany Rolf Thiemig Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Colin Thompson Norton Ret 0
- Italy Franco Trabalzini Norton Ret 0
- Northern Ireland Harry Turner Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Tom Walker Triumph Ret 0
- United Kingdom Brian Walmsley Norton Ret 0
- Malta John Wetherall Norton Ret 0
- United Kingdom Lewis Young Matchless Ret 0
- Italy Benedetto Zambotti Bianchi Ret 0
Pos Rider Bike GER
Germany
ESP
Spain
MAN
United Kingdom
HOL
Netherlands
BEL
Belgium
DDR
East Germany
CZE
Czech Republic
FIN
Finland
ULS
Ulster
NAC
Italy
Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

350cc Standings[edit]

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy MV Agusta 32 7
2 Italy Renzo Pasolini Italy Benelli 18 0
3 Australia Kel Carruthers Australia Aermacchi 17 0
4 East Germany Heinz Rosner East Germany MZ 12 0
= New Zealand Ginger Molloy New Zealand Bultaco 12 0
6 United Kingdom Derek Woodman United Kingdom Aermacchi 9 0
7 Czechoslovakia Frantisek Stastny Czechoslovakia Jawa 8 0
8 Czechoslovakia Bohumil Stasa Czechoslovakia ČZ 7 0
9 United Kingdom Bill Smith United Kingdom Honda 4 0
= Italy Gilberto Milani Italy Aermacchi 4 0
= United Kingdom Brian Steenson United Kingdom Aermacchi 4 0
= Italy Silvio Grassetti Italy Benelli 4 0
13 United Kingdom Billie Nelson United Kingdom Norton 3 0
14 United Kingdom Dan Shorey United Kingdom Norton 2 0
= United Kingdom John Cooper United Kingdom Seeley 2 0
= West Germany Karl Hoppe West Germany Aermacchi 2 0
= Italy Bruno Spaggiari Italy Ducati 2 0
18 Australia Jack Findlay Australia Aermacchi 1 0
= United Kingdom Dave Simmonds United Kingdom Kawasaki 1 0

250cc Standings[edit]

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Yamaha 46 5
2 United Kingdom Bill Ivy United Kingdom Yamaha 46 5
3 East Germany Heinz Rosner East Germany MZ 32 0
4 United Kingdom Rodney Gould United Kingdom Yamaha 21 0
5 New Zealand Ginger Molloy New Zealand Bultaco 19 0
6 Italy Renzo Pasolini Italy Benelli 10 0
7 Spain Santiago Herrero Spain Ossa 8 0
8 Sweden Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha 6 0
9 United Kingdom Malcolm Uphill United Kingdom Suzuki 5 0
= Hungary László Szabó Hungary MZ 5 0
= Australia Jack Findlay Australia Bultaco 5 0
12 Spain Carlos Giró-Vila Spain Ossa 3 0
= Rhodesia Gordon Keith Rhodesia Yamaha 3 0
14 Spain Carlos Rocamora Spain Bultaco 2 0
= Italy Gilberto Milani Italy Aermacchi 2 0
16 West Germany Paul Eickelberg West Germany Aermacchi 1 0
= United Kingdom Bill Smith United Kingdom Yamaha 1 0
= Switzerland Gyula Marsovsky Switzerland Bultaco 1 0
= United Kingdom Rex Butcher United Kingdom Suzuki 1 0

125cc Standings[edit]

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 United Kingdom Phil Read United Kingdom Yamaha 40 6
2 United Kingdom Bill Ivy United Kingdom Yamaha 34 2
3 New Zealand Ginger Molloy New Zealand Bultaco 15 0
4 East Germany Heinz Rosner East Germany MZ 12 0
5 Spain Salvador Cañellas Spain Bultaco 11 1
6 Hungary László Szabó Hungary MZ 11 0
= West Germany Dieter Braun West Germany MZ-Neckermann 11 0
8 West Germany Hans-Georg Anscheidt West Germany Suzuki 10 0
9 East Germany Günter Bartusch East Germany MZ 8 0
10 Australia Kel Carruthers Australia Honda 6 0
11 United Kingdom Tommy Robb United Kingdom Bultaco 5 0
12 West Germany Siegfried Möhringer West Germany MZ-Neckermann 4 0
= Netherlands Jan Huberts Netherlands MZ 4 0
14 West Germany Walter Scheimann West Germany Honda 3 0
= East Germany Friedhelm Kohlar East Germany MZ 3 0
= United Kingdom Dave Simmonds United Kingdom Kawasaki 3 0
17 Sweden Kent Andersson Sweden MZ 2 0
= Rhodesia Gordon Keith Rhodesia Montesa 2 0
= East Germany Hartmut Bischoff East Germany MZ 2 0
= West Germany Lothar John West Germany MZ 2 0
= East Germany Jürgen Lenk East Germany MZ 2 0
= East Germany Thomas Heuschkel East Germany MZ 2 0
23 Spain Pedro Alvarez Spain Bultaco 1 0
= United Kingdom Steve Murray United Kingdom Honda 1 0
= Italy Giuseppe Visenzi Italy Montesa 1 0
= Hungary János Reisz Hungary MZ 1 0

50cc Standings[edit]

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 West Germany Hans-Georg Anscheidt West Germany Suzuki 30 3
2 Netherlands Paul Lodewijkx Netherlands Jamathi 17 1
3 Australia Barry Smith Australia Derbi 15 1
4 Spain Angel Nieto Spain Derbi 10 0
5 West Germany Rudolf Kunz West Germany Kreidler 6 0
= United Kingdom Chris Walpole United Kingdom Honda 6 0
= West Germany Rudolf Schmälzle West Germany Kreidler 6 0
8 United Kingdom Leslie Griffiths United Kingdom Honda 4 0
= Netherlands Aalt Toersen Netherlands Kreidler 4 0
10 West Germany Ludwig Faßbender West Germany Kreidler 3 0
= United Kingdom Brian Lock United Kingdom Honda 3 0
= Netherlands Jan de Vries Netherlands Kreidler 3 0
13 Netherlands Cees van Dongen Netherlands Kreidler 2 0
= Spain Carlos Giró-Vila Spain Derbi 2 0
= United Kingdom Jim Pink United Kingdom Honda 2 0
= Netherlands Jos Schurgers Netherlands Kreidler 2 0
= Netherlands Martin Mijwaart Netherlands Jamathi 2 0
18 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Janco Florjan-Stefe Yugoslavia Tomos 1 0
= Spain Francisco Cufi Spain Derbi 1 0
= United Kingdom Robin Udall United Kingdom Honda 1 0

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Walker, Mick (1999). Mick Walker's German Racing Motorcycles. Redline Books. p. 81. ISBN 0953131122.
  2. ^ a b c Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  3. ^ Gustl, Kamikaze (2021-01-24). "Bill Ivy story - part 4". MotoRacers. Retrieved 2024-01-03.