1974 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

1974 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
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The 1974 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 26th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Season summary

MV Agusta and Phil Read claimed a second successive 500cc crown. It would be the Italian firm's last world championship and their seventeenth 500cc title in a row.[1] Giacomo Agostini switched to the two-stroke Yamahas but was troubled by injuries and mechanical troubles.[1] Suzuki started to get competitive with Barry Sheene and Jack Findlay on four cylinder two-strokes.[1] MV Agusta pulled out of the 350cc class giving Agostini a free run, taking his fourteenth world title.[1] Walter Villa took over from the deceased Renzo Pasolini and won the 250cc crown giving Harley-Davidson the title after they bought the Aermacchi factory, reworked and renamed the bikes.[1] Kent Andersson won his second 125cc championship title in the 125cc class. Kreidler continued to dominate the 50cc class with Dutchman Henk Van Kessel winning the crown.[1]

Safety continued to be an issue with most riders boycotting the rainy German round at the improved Nürburgring Nordschleife as the track had not been fitted with straw bales, to accommodate automobile racing on the same day.[1] Thus, rather unknown German riders took all wins. It served as a focal point in the increasingly bitter debate about safety.[1]

1974 Grand Prix season calendar

Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report
1 April 21 France French Grand Prix Charade Netherlands Henk van Kessel Sweden Kent Andersson Italy Giacomo Agostini United Kingdom Phil Read Report
2 April 28 West Germany German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife West Germany Ingo Emmerich West Germany Fritz Reitmaier West Germany Helmut Kassner West Germany Helmut Kassner West Germany Edmund Czihak Report
3 May 5 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Sweden Kent Andersson Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
4 May 19 Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Netherlands Henk van Kessel Spain Angel Nieto Italy Walter Villa Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Franco Bonera Report
5 June 6 United Kingdom Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain United Kingdom Charlie Williams United Kingdom Tony Rutter United Kingdom Phil Carpenter Report
6 June 29 Netherlands Dutch TT Assen West Germany Herbert Rittberger Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Italy Walter Villa Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
7 July 7 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa West Germany Gerhard Thurow Spain Angel Nieto Sweden Kent Andersson United Kingdom Phil Read Report
8 July 21 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Netherlands Henk van Kessel Sweden Kent Andersson Japan Takazumi Katayama Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Report
9 July 28 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck Italy Walter Villa Australia John Dodds United Kingdom Phil Read Report
10 August 25 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Netherlands Henk van Kessel Sweden Kent Andersson Italy Walter Villa United Kingdom Phil Read Report
11 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Netherlands Henk van Kessel Sweden Kent Andersson United Kingdom Chas Mortimer Italy Giacomo Agostini Report
12 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich Netherlands Henk van Kessel Spain Benjamin Grau Australia John Dodds Spain Víctor Palomo Report

Final standings

1974 500 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 United Kingdom Phil Read 1 United Kingdom MV Agusta 82 4
2 Italy Franco Bonera Italy MV Agusta 69 1
3 Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Yamaha 67 1
4 Italy Giacomo Agostini 3 Italy Yamaha 47 2
5 Australia Jack Findlay 5 Australia Suzuki 34 0
6 United Kingdom Barry Sheene United Kingdom Suzuki 30 0
7 West Germany Dieter Braun West Germany Yamaha 22 0
8 Finland Pentti Korhonen Finland Yamaha 22 0
9 United Kingdom Billie Nelson United Kingdom Yamaha 21 0
10 United Kingdom Charlie Williams United Kingdom Yamaha 18 0
11 John Williams 18
12 Helmut Kassner 17
13 Karl Auer 17
14 Phil Carpenter 15
15 Edmund Czihak 15
16 Michel Rougerie 14
17 Werner Giger 13
18 Tony Rutter 10
19 Walter Kaletsch 10
20 Christian Leon 9
21 Udo Kochanski 8
22 Billie Guthrie 8
23 Patrick Pons 8
24 Paul Cott 6
25 Roberto Gallina 6
26 Victor Palomo 6
27 Alex George 5
28 Chas Mortimer 4
29 Paul Eickelberg 4
30 Pete McKinley 3
31 Selwyn Griffiths 2
32 Philippe Coulon 2
33 R.Jimenez 2
34 Tom Herron 2
35 Jean Paul Boinet 1
36 Geoff Barry 1
37 Philippe Gerard 1

1974 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Giacomo Agostini 1 Italy Yamaha 75 5
2 West Germany Dieter Braun 8 West Germany Yamaha 62 0
3 France Patrick Pons France Yamaha 47 0
4 Australia John Dodds 4 Australia Yamaha 31 1
5 United Kingdom Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha 29 0
6 Finland Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Yamaha 27 1
7 Finland Pentti Korhonen 10 Finland Yamaha 25 0
7 France Michel Rougerie France Harley-Davidson 25 0
9 Spain Víctor Palomo Spain Yamaha 24 1
10 United Kingdom Billie Nelson 5 United Kingdom Yamaha 21 0
11 Eddie Grant 18
12 Bruno Kneubühler 17
13 Tony Rutter 16
14 Helmut Kassner 15
15 Olivier Chevallier 15
16 Walter Villa 15
17 W.Stephan 12
18 Mario Lega 12
19 Christian Bourgeois 11
20 Paul Cott 10
21 Franz Weidacher 10
22 Tom Herron 10
23 Kjell Solberg 9
24 Karl Auer 9
25 Alex George 8
26 Walter Kaletsch 8
27 Werner Giger 8
28 F.V. Henderson 8
29 John Williams 7
30 Tapio Virtanen 6
31 Alfred Heck 6
32 Hans Mühlebach 5
33 Giovanni Proni 5
34 Billie Guthrie 5
35 Winfried Fries 5
36 G.Elementi 4
37 Tony Rogers 4
38 Udo Kochanski 4
39 R.Jimenez 4
40 John Newbold 4
41 Wolfgang Rubel 3
42 Ulrich Graf 3
43 Roger Nichols 3
44 G.Debrok 3
45 Phil Gurner 2
46 Nico Van Der Zanden 2
47 Adu Celso 2
48 Hans Dittberner 2
49 Armando Toracca 1
50 Noel Clegg 1

1974 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Walter Villa Italy Aermacchi Harley-Davidson 77 4
2 West Germany Dieter Braun 1 West Germany Yamaha 58 0
3 France Patrick Pons 6 France Yamaha 50 0
4 Japan Takazumi Katayama Japan Yamaha 43 1
5 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler 9 Switzerland Yamaha 43 0
6 United Kingdom Chas Mortimer 6 United Kingdom Yamaha 41 1
7 Australia John Dodds 3 Australia Yamaha 38 1
8 Sweden Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha 34 1
9 France Michel Rougerie 5 France Harley-Davidson 21 0
10 United Kingdom Mick Grant United Kingdom Yamaha 18 0
10 Finland Pentti Korhonen 4 Finland Yamaha 18 0
12 Charlie Williams 15
13 Helmut Kassner 15
14 Tom Herron 14
15 Hans Mühlebach 13
16 Horst Lahfeld 12
17 Rolf Minhoff 11
18 Victor Palomo 11
19 Harry Hoffman 10
20 Kenny Roberts 10
21 Tony Rutter 10
22 Fritz Reitmaier 8
23 Giovanni Proni 8
24 Matti Salonen 7
25 Olivier Chevallier 7
26 Janos Reisz 6
27 Tapio Virtanen 6
28 Pete McKinley 5
29 Alfred Heck 5
30 Armando Toracca 5
31 Jean Louis Guignabodet 4
32 Ian Richards 4
33 Reinhard Scholtis 4
34 Tierry Tchernine 4
35 H.Kittler 3
36 Gerry Mateer 3
37 Paolo Pileri 3
38 Alex George 2
39 G.Forderer 2
40 A.Van Den Broecke 2
41 Brian Warburton 2
42 John Williams 2
43 Leif Gustafsson 2
44 Jean Paul Boinet 1
45 Barry Randle 1
46 Kjell Solberg 1

1974 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Sweden Kent Andersson 1 Sweden Yamaha 87 5
2 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland Yamaha 63 1
3 Spain Angel Nieto 7 Spain Derbi 60 2
4 Italy Otello Buscherini 6 Italy Malanca 60 0
5 Netherlands Henk van Kessel Netherlands Bridgestone 30 0
6 France Thierry Tchernine France Yamaha 25 0
7 Austria Harald Bartol Austria Suzuki 23 0
8 Sweden Leif Gustafsson 4 Sweden Maico 23 0
9 Spain Benjamin Grau Spain Derbi 21 1
10 West Germany Gert Bender West Germany Bender 20 0

1974 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Netherlands Henk van Kessel 5 Netherlands Van Veen Kreidler 90 6
2 West Germany Herbert Rittberger West Germany Kreidler 65 1
3 Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck Belgium Kreidler 59 1
4 West Germany Gerhard Thurow 4 West Germany Kreidler 57 1
5 West Germany Rudolf Kunz 9 West Germany Kreidler 52 0
6 West Germany Ulrich Graf 7 West Germany Kreidler 44 0
7 Netherlands Jan Bruins Netherlands Jamathi 27 0
8 Italy Otello Buscherini 8 Italy Malanca 26 0
9 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger Switzerland Kreidler 25 0
10 Netherlands Jan Huberts 8 Netherlands Van Veen Kreidler 25 0

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7
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