1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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1977 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Previous: 1976 Next: 1978

The 1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 29th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Contents

Season summary

Suzuki saw off a strong challenge from Yamaha to take their second consecutive 500cc crown. Angel Nieto made it three 50cc titles in a row on a Bultaco while Morbidelli would win an impressive double world championship in the 125cc and 250cc divisions. Pier Paolo Bianchi successfully defended his 125cc title while fellow countryman Mario Lega captured the 250cc championship for the tiny Italian concern. The 350cc crown went to Takazumi Katayama on a factory Yamaha, making him the first-ever Japanese world champion. Barry Sheene made it two premier titles in a row, winning from two Americans, Steve Baker and Pat Hennen.[1]

The season was marred by a terrible crash at the 350cc Austrian Grand Prix that claimed the life of Swiss rider, Hans Stadelmann and seriously injuring Johnny Cecotto, Patrick Fernandez, Dieter Braun and Franco Uncini.[1][2] The accident led to a rider's strike in the 500 class, although organizers pressed on with Jack Findlay winning from a reduced field of competitors.[3] Despite finishing second and winning the Formula 750 title, Baker would be released by Yamaha at the end of the year. Giacomo Agostini would retire after the season, ending his seventeen year career with a record 122 Grand Prix victories and 15 World Championships.[1]

Grands Prix

Round Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report
1 Venezuela Venezuelan Grand Prix San Carlos Spain Angel Nieto Italy Walter Villa Venezuela Johnny Cecotto United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
2 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Australia Jack Findlay Report
3 West Germany German Grand Prix Hockenheim West Germany Herbert Rittberger Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi France Christian Sarron Japan Takazumi Katayama United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
4 Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Italy Franco Uncini South Africa Alan North United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
5 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Spain Angel Nieto Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Japan Takazumi Katayama France Michel Rougerie Report
6 France French Grand Prix Paul Ricard Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi South Africa Jon Ekerold Japan Takazumi Katayama United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
7 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Spain Angel Nieto Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Italy Mario Lega Japan Takazumi Katayama Report
8 Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Spain Angel Nieto Spain Angel Nieto United Kingdom Mick Grant South Africa Kork Ballington Netherlands Wil Hartog Report
9 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Italy Walter Villa United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
10 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Spain Ricardo Tormo Spain Angel Nieto United Kingdom Mick Grant Japan Takazumi Katayama United Kingdom Barry Sheene Report
11 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Italy Walter Villa Japan Takazumi Katayama Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Report
12 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Italy Franco Uncini Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Report
13 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Silverstone Italy Pierluigi Conforti South Africa Kork Ballington South Africa Kork Ballington United States Pat Hennen Report

Final standings

500cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 United Kingdom Barry Sheene 1 United Kingdom Suzuki 107 6
2 United States Steve Baker 32 United States Yamaha 80 0
3 United States Pat Hennen 40 United States Suzuki 67 1
4 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Venezuela Yamaha 50 2
5 United Kingdom Steve Parrish United Kingdom Suzuki 39 0
6 Italy Giacomo Agostini 7 Italy Yamaha 37 0
7 Italy Franco Bonera Italy Suzuki 37 0
8 Switzerland Philippe Coulon 6 Switzerland Suzuki 36 0
9 Finland Teuvo Lansivuori 2 Finland Suzuki 35 0
10 Netherlands Wil Hartog Netherlands Suzuki 30 1

350cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Japan Takazumi Katayama 7 Japan Yamaha 95 5
2 United Kingdom Tom Herron 4 United Kingdom Yamaha 56 0
3 South Africa Jon Ekerold South Africa Yamaha 54 0
4 France Michel Rougerie France Yamaha 50 1
5 South Africa Kork Ballington South Africa Yamaha 46 2
6 France Olivier Chevallier 9 France Yamaha 39 0
7 France Christian Sarron France Yamaha 38 0
8 France Patrick Fernandez France Yamaha 34 0
9 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto 2 Venezuela Yamaha 30 2
10 South Africa Alan North South Africa Yamaha 30 1

250cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Mario Lega Italy Morbidelli 85 1
2 Italy Franco Uncini Italy Harley-Davidson 72 2
3 Italy Walter Villa 1 Italy Harley-Davidson 67 3
4 Japan Takazumi Katayama Japan Yamaha 58 1
5 United Kingdom Tom Herron 4 United Kingdom Yamaha 54 0
6 South Africa Kork Ballington South Africa Yamaha 49 1
7 South Africa Alan North 6 South Africa Yamaha 43 0
8 United Kingdom Mick Grant United Kingdom Kawasaki 42 2
9 South Africa Jon Ekerold South Africa Yamaha 42 1
10 France Patrick Fernandez France Yamaha 28 0

125cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi 1 Italy Morbidelli 131 7
2 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini 7 Italy Morbidelli 105 1
3 Spain Angel Nieto 2 Spain Bultaco 80 3
4 France Jean-Louis Guignabodet 6 France Morbidelli 62 0
5 West Germany Anton Mang 5 West Germany Morbidelli 55 0
6 West Germany Gert Bender West Germany Bender 38 0
7 Austria Harald Bartol Austria Morbidelli 32 0
8 Switzerland Hans Müller Switzerland Morbidelli 32 0
9 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger Switzerland Morbidelli 32 0
10 Italy Pierluigi Conforti Italy Morbidelli 30 1

50cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Spain Angel Nieto 1 Spain Bultaco 87 3
2 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini 4 Italy Kreidler 72 2
3 Spain Ricardo Tormo Spain Bultaco 69 1
4 West Germany Herbert Rittberger 2 West Germany Kreidler 53 1
5 France Patrick Plisson France ABF 26 0
6 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger 7 Switzerland Kreidler 26 0
7 France Jean-Louis Guignabodet France Morbidelli 14 0
8 Austria Hans Hummel 9 Austria Kreidler 11 0
9 Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck 6 Belgium Kreidler 10 0
10 Spain Ramon Gali Spain Derbi 10 0

References

  1. ^ a b c Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7 
  2. ^ "Cyclist Killed In Prix Race". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press: p. 2. 2 May 1977. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2MUVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6xEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4828,101306&dq=johnny+cecotto&hl=en. Retrieved 4 December 2011. 
  3. ^ Hans Stadelmann at Motorsport Memorial

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