1959 Motocross World Championship

The 1959 Motocross World Championship was the 3rd edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc motorcycles.[1]

1959 Motocross World Championship
Action from the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix, held in Lichtenvoorde on 26 July 1959.
OrganizerFIM
Duration12 April/26 August
Number of races11
Number of manufacturers8
Champions
500ccSweden Sten Lundin
250cc[a]Sweden Rolf Tibblin
Motocross World Championship seasons

Summary

After five editions of the European Championship, from 1952 to 1956, the championship from 1957 took the name of the World Championship, at least for the 500cc class. The 250cc class, introduced this season, will also dispute five running-in seasons, from 1957 to 1961, a period in which it will take on the name of the European Cup, to become World Championship as well starting from the 1962 season.[1]

From April 12 to August 23, the 500cc class held 9 grands prix which awarded points to the first six classified competitors, respectively: 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1. The score in the final classification of each competitor was calculated on the best four results.[2]

Grands Prix

500cc

RoundDateGrand PrixLocationWinnerTeamReport
1April 12 Austrian Grand PrixSittendorf Sten LundinMonarkReport
2April 26 Swiss Grand PrixGeneva Bill NilssonCrescent-AJSReport
3May 10 Danish Grand PrixRjenberg Les Archer Jr.NortonReport
4May 17 French Grand PrixMayenne Les Archer Jr.NortonReport
5June 14 Italian Grand PrixImola Sten LundinMonarkReport
6June 21 West German Grand PrixBielstein Sten LundinMonarkReport
7July 5 British Grand PrixShrewsbury Jeff SmithBSAReport
8July 26 Dutch Grand PrixNorg Broer DirkxBSAReport
9August 2 Belgian Grand PrixDes Houlpaix - Jupille Bill NilssonCrescent-AJSReport
10August 9 Luxembourg Grand PrixEttelbruck Sten LundinMonarkReport
11August 23 Swedish Grand PrixSaxtorp Bill NilssonCrescent-AJSReport
Sources:[3][4]

250cc

RoundDateGrand PrixLocationWinnerTeamReport
1April 12 Austrian Grand PrixSittendorf Miloslav SoucekESOReport
2May 11 Swiss Grand PrixGeneva Brian StonebridgeGreevesReport
3April 26 Belgian Grand PrixYpres Jaromír ČížekJawaReport
4May 17 East German Grand PrixTeterow Jaromír ČížekJawaReport
5May 24 Czechoslovakian Grand PrixDivoká Šárka Jaromír ČížekJawaReport
6May 31 Polish Grand PrixKatowice-Zabrze Jaromír ČížekJawaReport
7June 7 West German Grand PrixLudweiler Rolf TibblinHusqvarnaReport
8June 21 Italian Grand PrixPinerolo Brian StonebridgeGreevesReport
9June 28 French Grand PrixCassel Rolf TibblinHusqvarnaReport
10July 12 Dutch Grand PrixLichtenvoorde Rolf TibblinHusqvarnaReport
11July 19 British Grand PrixBeenhan Park Rolf TibblinHusqvarnaReport
12August 9 Luxembourg Grand PrixEttelbruck Rolf TibblinHusqvarnaReport
13August 16 Swedish Grand PrixVetlanda Rolf TibblinHusqvarnaReport
Sources:[5][6]

Final standings

500cc

Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers.[1]

Position 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th 
Points864321
PosRiderMachineAUT
CH
DEN
FRA
ITA
GER
UK
NED
BEL
LUX
SWE
Pts
1 Sten LundinMonark12311421444
2 Bill NilssonCrescent-AJS 7R41241136
3 Dave CurtisMatchless4522234334
4 Broer DirkxBSA263341627
5 Les Archer Jr.Norton311423
6 Jeff SmithBSA46516221
7 Don RickmanTriumph-Métisse33312
8 Lars GustavssonMonark663212
9 René BaetenAJS 7R special2659
10 Derek RickmanTriumph-Métisse26
11 Hubert ScailletMatchless365
12 Nic JansenSaroléa545
13 Rolf TibblinHusqvarna554
John DraperBSA554
15 Boris RasbroBSA43
16 Ove LundellMonark52
Jaw RombautsBSA52
Raymond SigvardssonMatchless52
19 Gunnar JohanssonCrescent-AJS 7R61
Ejvind HansenBSA61
Jean HazianisBSA61
Source:[4]

250cc

PosRiderMachineAUT
CH
BEL
GDR
CZE
POL
RFA
ITA
FRA
NED
UK
LUX
SWE
Pts
1 Rolf TibblinHusqvarna411111151
2 Brian StonebridgeGreeves114126240
3 Jaromír ČížekJawa3111234
4 Jaroslav KmochJawa224533329
5 Stig RickardssonHusqvarna2425223
6 Frantisek RonJawa6562543322
7 Lennart DahlénHusqvarna5335643422
8 Miloslav SoucekESO13613
9 Torsten HallmanHusqvarna429
10 Dave BickersGreeves4359
11 Willy OesterleMaico2668
Fritz BetzelbacherMaico66358
13 Jeff SmithBSA26
Fernand NeriAermacchi26
15 Jean CrossetJawa545
16 Per Olaf PerssonHusqvarna34
17 Rolf MüllerMaico43
18 Emilio OstoreroMival653
Otto WalzMaico43
Klaus KamperMaico43
21 Eungenius FrelichJawa52
Sivert ErikssonHusqvarna52
John DraperBSA52
24 Eungenius KrokowskiJawa61
Rudi BoomGreeves61
Ove LundellHusqvarna61
Source:[6]

Notes

References