1978 Venezuelan motorcycle Grand Prix

1978 Venezuelan Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 13 races in the; 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	19 March 1978
Official name	II Grand Prix de Venezuela
Location	Autodromo Internacional de San Carlos
Course	Permanent racing facility; 4.135 km (2.569 mi);
500 cc
Rider
Pole position
Rider	Johnny Cecotto
Time	1:35.300
Fastest lap
Rider	Barry Sheene
Time	1:35.400
Podium
First	Barry Sheene
Second	Pat Hennen
Third	Steve Baker
350 cc
Rider
Pole position
Rider	Franco Uncini
Time	1:38.200
Fastest lap
Rider	Franco Uncini
Time	1:36.600
Podium
First	Takazumi Katayama
Second	Patrick Fernandez
Third	Paolo Pileri
250 cc
Rider
Pole position
Rider	Franco Uncini
Time	1:39.400
Fastest lap
Rider	Kenny Roberts
Time	1:38.500
Podium
First	Kenny Roberts
Second	Carlos Lavado
Third	Patrick Fernandez
125 cc
Rider
Pole position
Rider	Pierpaolo Bianchi
Time	1:44.900
Fastest lap
Rider	Pierpaolo Bianchi
Time	1:44.800
Podium
First	Pierpaolo Bianchi
Second	Eugenio Lazzarini
Third	Víctor León-Pacheco

The 1978 Venezuelan motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 19 March 1978 at the San Carlos Circuit.

500cc classification

Pos.	Rider	Team	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Barry Sheene	Texaco Heron Team Suzuki	Suzuki	48'21.300	15
2	Pat Hennen		Suzuki	+21.700	12
3	Steve Baker	Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat	Suzuki	+57.300	10
4	Steve Parrish		Suzuki	+1 lap	8
5	Roberto Pietri		Yamaha	+2 laps	6
6	Gerhard Vogt	Bill Smith Racing	Yamaha	+3 laps	5
7	Leandro Becheroni		Suzuki	+6 laps	4
	Johnny Cecotto	Yamaha Motor Company	Yamaha	Tyre problems
	Kenny Roberts	Yamaha Motor Company	Yamaha	Retired
	Takazumi Katayama	Sarome & Motul Team	Yamaha	Accident
	Virginio Ferrari	Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat	Suzuki	Retired
Sources: ^[2]^[3]^[4]

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Grid	Points
1	Takazumi Katayama	Yamaha	29	48:05.5	5	15
2	Patrick Fernandez	Yamaha	29	+29.7	3	12
3	Paolo Pileri	Morbidelli	29	+41.9	17	10
4	Kork Ballington	Kawasaki	29	+43.4	7	8
5	Patrick Pons	Yamaha	29	+50.2	4	6
6	Christian Sarron	Yamaha	29	+58.4	11	5
7	Eric Saul	Yamaha	29	+1:06.4	15	4
8	Franco Bonera	Yamaha	29	+1:14.7	9	3
9	Eduardo Alemán	Yamaha	29	+1:28.0	20	2
10	Antonio Piccioni	Yamaha	29	+1:33.1	10	1
11	Franco Solaroli	Yamaha	28	+1 lap	16
12	Barry Woodland	Yamaha	28	+1 lap
13	C. Cortes	Harley-Davidson	28	+1 lap
14	Kent Rockwell	Yamaha	27	+2 laps
	Franco Uncini	Yamaha			1
	Gregg Hansford	Kawasaki			2
	Olivier Chevallier	Yamaha			6
	Vinicio Salmi	Yamaha			8
	Jose Cecotto	Yamaha			12
	Tom Herron	Yamaha			13
	Mick Grant	Kawasaki			14
	Felice Agostini	Yamaha			18
	"Dallefusine"	Yamaha			19
30 starters in total
^[4]

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Grid	Points
1	Kenny Roberts	Yamaha	28	47:15.6	2	15
2	Carlos Lavado	Yamaha	28	+14.8	3	12
3	Patrick Fernandez	Yamaha	28	+37.3	5	10
4	Olivier Chevallier	Yamaha	28	+43.1	8	8
5	Kork Ballington	Kawasaki	28	+43.1	6	6
6	Mario Lega	Morbidelli	28	+54.9	9	5
7	Anton Mang	Kawasaki	28	+1:04.2	11	4
8	Ted Henter	Yamaha	28	+1:35.5	12	3
9	Eduardo Alemán	Yamaha	27	+1 lap	15	2
10	Vic Soussan	Yamaha	27	+1 lap	17	1
11	Tom Herron	Yamaha	27	+1 lap	19
12	Edoardo Elias	Yamaha	27	+1 lap	20
13	Ángel Nieto	Yamaha	27	+1 lap
14	Fernando González	Yamaha	27	+1 lap	18
15	Vinicio Salmi	Yamaha	27	+1 lap
16	Kent Rockwell	Yamaha	26	+2 laps	13
17	Carlos Morante	Yamaha	26	+2 laps
18	P. Betancourt	Yamaha	26	+2 laps
19	F. Perez	Yamaha	26	+2 laps
20	"Prusso"	Yamaha	26	+2 laps
21	G. Martinez	Yamaha	26	+2 laps
	Franco Uncini	Yamaha			1
	Gregg Hansford	Kawasaki			4
	Paolo Pileri	Morbidelli			7
	Mick Grant	Kawasaki			10
	Eric Saul	Yamaha			14
	Barry Woodland	Yamaha			16
26 starters in total
^[4]

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Grid	Points
1	Pierpaolo Bianchi	Minarelli	26	46:05.5	1	15
2	Eugenio Lazzarini	MBA	26	+54.0	3	12
3	V. T. Leon	Morbidelli	26	+1:20.6	7	10
4	Alejandro Alemán	Yamaha	26	+1:21.8	11	8
5	Riccardo Russo	Morbidelli	24	+2 laps	14	6
6	Claudio Granata	Morbidelli	24	+2 laps	15	5
7	Luigi Schiavione	Morbidelli	21	+5 laps	16	4
	Ángel Nieto	Bultaco			2
	Ivan Palazzese	Morbidelli			4
	Maurizio Massimiani	Morbidelli			5
	Claudio Lusuardi	Morbidelli			6
	"Troisi"	Morbidelli			8
	Thierry Espié	Motobécane			9
	Guido Mancini	Morbidelli			10
	Germano Zanetti	Morbidelli			12
	R. Olavarria	Morbidelli			13
	Felice Agostini	Morbidelli			17
	"Moreira"	Yamaha			18
	Keith Gonyou	Yamaha			19
	"Bernard"	Yamaha			20
23 starters in total
^[4]

Previous race: 1977 British Grand Prix	FIM Grand Prix World Championship 1978 season	Next race: 1978 Spanish Grand Prix
Previous race: 1977 Venezuelan Grand Prix	Venezuelan Grand Prix	Next race: 1979 Venezuelan Grand Prix