1980 FIM Motocross World Championship

Motocross championship season December 2022 1980 FIM Motocross World Championship FIM 13 April/24 August 35 18 Champions 500cc BEL André Malherbe 250cc BEL Georges Jobé 125cc BEL Harry Everts FIM Motocross World Championship 1979 1981 The 1980 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 24th F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season. Summary 500 class André Malherbe (Honda) won the first 500cc World Championship of his career after a season-long battle with Brad Lackey (Kawasaki) that was not decided until the final race of the year.https://www.mxmag.net/2022/11/28/andre-malherbe-een-leven-vol-strijd/ André Malherbe: a life full of struggle mxmag.net 2025-09-25https://dirtbikerider.com/features/jack-burnicle-looks-back-at-andre-malherbes-remarkable-career/ Jack Burnicle looks back at Andre Malherbe's remarkable career 19 November 2020 dirtbikerider.com 2025-12-22 As well as battling with Lackey, Malherbe also faced a strong field of competitors in the 1980 season including the defending champion Graham Noyce (Honda), five-time World Champion Roger De Coster (Honda), and the 1979 250cc World Champion Håkan Carlqvist (Yamaha) as well as talented newcomer André Vromans (Yamaha). The season was dominated by Malherbe and Lackey as the two racers traded the top two positions in the points standing five times during a season-long battle for the 500cc World Championship. Defending champion Noyce won the Finnish Grand Prix but then suffered a broken leg and missed the remainder of the season recovering from his injury. Carlqvist remained in contention after winning his home Grand Prix in Sweden but then faded during the second half of the season. Entering the final race of the year in Luxembourg, Malherbe held a slim one-point lead over Lackey in the championship points standings. Lackey suffered two crashes in Luxembourg which allowed Malherbe to win the world championship with Lackey finishing in second place.https://issues.cycleworld.com/article/1982/6/1/malherbe-aims-for-no-3 Malherbe Aims For Number 3 Cycle World 22 December 2025 Mueller Tom June 1, 1982 Malherbe claimed the world title by winning 9 individual heat races and 4 Grand Prix overall victories. Vromans won two Grand Prix races and challenged his Yamaha teammate for third place before Carlqvist outscored him in the final two races. Privateer racer Marty Moates (Yamaha) scored an upset victory at the 500cc United States Grand Prix held at the Carlsbad Raceway.https://racerxonline.com/2012/12/08/marty-moates-once-in-a-lifetime Marty Moates: Once in a Lifetime racerxonline.com 2025-09-25 His unexpected victory against a field of top-rated competitors came at a time when European racers dominated the sport and marked the first time that an American had won his home Grand Prix since the event's inception in 1973. Five-time World Champion Roger De Coster announced his retirement after scoring an impressive victory at the season-ending 500cc Luxembourg Grand Prix.http://hof.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=94 Roger De Coster at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame motorcyclemuseum.org 2025-09-25 The retirements of Heikki Mikkola and De Coster who had dominated the 1970s, marked the beginning of a new era in the Motocross World Championships. 250 class The 1980 250cc World Championship lacked any one clearly dominant competitor as eleven different riders won heat races during the season. Despite only winning only three Grand Prix victories, Georges Jobé (Suzuki) won the championship through sheer consistency as he was able to score points at a rate that none of his competitors were able to match.https://motocrossactionmag.com/godspeed-georges-jobe-1961-2012/ Godspeed! Georges Jobé (1961-2012) motocrossactionmag.com 13 March 2014 22 December 2025 Runnerup Kees van der Ven (Maico) also had three Grand Prix victories but failed to score any points in 10 races. At 19 years, 6 months and 14 days, Jobé dethroned Joël Robert for the honorary title of youngest Motocross World Champion in history at the time. 125 class After dominating the 1979 season, Harry Everts faced stronger opposition in the 1980 125cc Motocross World Championship from a trio of young riders. Marc Velkeneers (Yamaha) won two of the first three rounds to take the championship points lead. Everts then suffered a broken wrist in France forcing him to miss three rounds while points leader Velkeneers suffered a broken leg in West Germany. Their absence allowed Michèle Rinaldi (TGM) and Eric Geboers (Suzuki) to narrow the points gap before Everts was able to return and win the Finnish and Spanish Grand Prix events to clinch the title at the last race of the season by 5 points over Rinaldi.https://motocrossactionmag.com/mxa-interview-harry-everts-started-the-dynasty/ MXA Interview: Harry Everts Started the Dynasty motocrossactionmag.com 22 December 2025 Everts' Suzuki teammate Akira Watanabe was expected to be one of his strongest rival for the title but he suffered an injury in the opening round and never returned. The dominant Suzuki factory racing team narrowly avoided defeat by the tiny Italian manufacturer TGM with Rinaldi finishing in second place just 5 points behind Everts. Grands Prix 500cc RoundDateGrand PrixLocationRace 1 WinnerRace 2 WinnerOverall WinnerReport 1 April 13 CH Swiss Grand Prix Payerne BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe Report 2 April 20 AUT Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf USA Brad Lackey USA Brad Lackey USA Brad Lackey Report 3 May 4 FRA French Grand Prix Gaillefontaine BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe Report 4 May 11 SWE Swedish Grand Prix Vissefjarda USA Brad Lackey SWE Håkan Carlqvist SWE Håkan Carlqvist Report 5 May 18 FIN Finnish Grand Prix Ruskeasanta UK Graham Noyce BEL André Malherbe UK Graham Noyce Report 6 June 8 ITA Italian Grand Prix Fermo BEL Roger De Coster BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe Report 7 June 15 Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix Valkenswaard BEL André Vromans BEL André Vromans BEL André Vromans Report 8 June 22 USA United States Grand Prix Carlsbad USA Marty Moates USA Marty Moates USA Marty Moates Report 9 July 13 CAN Canadian Grand Prix Saint-Gabriel USA Brad Lackey BEL André Malherbe SWE Håkan Carlqvist Report 10 July 20 RFA West German Grand Prix Gaildorf BEL André Vromans SWE Håkan Carlqvist BEL André Vromans Report 11 August 5 BEL Belgian Grand Prix Namur BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe BEL André Malherbe Report 12 August 12 LUX Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck BEL Roger De Coster BEL Roger De Coster BEL Roger De Coster ReportSources:https://www.memotocross.fr/maison/reservation/index.php#0440929e1b0ee3714 1980 500cc motocross world championship race results memotocross.fr 22 December 2025 250cc RoundDateGrand PrixLocationRace 1 WinnerRace 2 WinnerOverall WinnerReport 1 April 13 ESP Spanish Grand Prix Sabadell RFA Rolf Dieffenbach CZE Jaroslav Falta RFA Rolf Dieffenbach Report 2 May 11 CZE Czechoslovak Grand Prix Holice CZE Jaroslav Falta BUL Dimitar Rangelov BEL Raymond Boven Report 3 May 18 RFA West German Grand Prix Beuren UK Neil Hudson BEL Raymond Boven RFA Fritz Kobele Report 4 June 1 BEL Belgian Grand Prix Marche-en-Famenne BEL Georges Jobé BEL Georges Jobé BEL Georges Jobé Report 5 June 8 POL Polish Grand Prix Szczecin NED Kees van der Ven RFA Rolf Dieffenbach NED Kees van der Ven Report 6 June 15 USSR Russian Grand Prix Chișinău BUL Dimitar Rangelov USSR Vladimir Kavinov USSR Vladimir Kavinov Report 7 June 22 UK British Grand Prix Hawkstone Park NED Kees van der Ven BEL Georges Jobé BEL Georges Jobé Report 8 June 29 FRA French Grand Prix Brou FRA Jean-Claude Laquaye BUL Dimitar Rangelov BEL Georges Jobé Report 9 July 13 NED Dutch Grand Prix Hengelo NED Kees van der Ven NED Kees van der Ven NED Kees van der Ven Report 10 July 20 USA United States Grand Prix Unadilla USA Kent Howerton USA Kent Howerton USA Kent Howerton Report 11 August 17 FIN Finnish Grand Prix Hyvinkää NED Kees van der Ven FRA Jean-Claude Laquaye NED Kees van der Ven Report 12 August 24 SWE Swedish Grand Prix Bra BEL Jean-Paul Mingels RFA Rolf Dieffenbach BEL Jean-Paul Mingels ReportSources:https://www.memotocross.fr/maison/philosophie/index.php#0440929e1b0c8c601 1980 250cc motocross world championship race results memotocross.fr 22 December 2025 125cc RoundDateGrand PrixLocationRace 1 WinnerRace 2 WinnerOverall WinnerReport 1 March 30 NED Dutch Grand Prix Norg BEL Harry Everts BEL Marc Velkeneers BEL Harry Everts Report 2 April 13 AUT Austrian Grand Prix Launsdorf BEL Harry Everts BEL Marc Velkeneers BEL Harry Everts Report 3 April 20 BEL Belgian Grand Prix Hechtel BEL Harry Everts BEL Marc Velkeneers BEL Marc Velkeneers Report 4 April 27 FRA French Grand Prix Verdun BEL Marc Velkeneers BEL Eric Geboers BEL Eric Geboers Report 5 May 18 YUG Yugoslavian Grand Prix Tržič ITA Michele Rinaldi BEL Gaston Rahier BEL Gaston Rahier Report 6 June 8 RFA West German Grand Prix Sankt Wendel BEL Eric Geboers JPN Tetsumi Mitsuyasu BEL Eric Geboers Report 7 June 15 ITA Italian Grand Prix Montevarchi ITA Michele Rinaldi ITA Michele Rinaldi ITA Michele Rinaldi Report 8 June 22 CZE Czechoslovak Grand Prix Dalečín JPN Tetsumi Mitsuyasu BEL Eric Geboers BEL Eric Geboers Report 9 July 6 FIN Finnish Grand Prix Salo FIN Matti Autio BEL Harry Everts BEL Harry Everts Report 10 July 27 USA United States Grand Prix Lexington USA Johnny O'Mara USA Ron Sun USA Johnny O'Mara Report 11 August 17 ESP Spanish Grand Prix Montgai BEL Harry Everts BEL Harry Everts BEL Harry Everts ReportSources:https://www.memotocross.fr/maison/situation/index.php#0440929e1b0db2c0d 1980 125cc motocross world championship race results memotocross.fr 22 December 2025 Final standings Points are awarded based on the results of each individual heat race. The top 10 classified finishers in each heat race score points according to the following scale; Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th  Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 500cc (Results in italics indicate overall winner) Pos Rider Machine CHCH AUTAUT FRAFRA SWESWE FINFIN ITAITA NEDNED USAUSA CANCAN GERRFA BELBEL LUXLUX Points 1 BEL André Malherbe Honda 1 1 8 5 1 1 3 2 4 1 2 1 2 7 3 1 8 1 1 3 3 235 2 USA Brad Lackey Kawasaki 2 2 1 1 5 2 1 3 3 3 5 6 2 6 1 4 2 2 3 2 5 10 221 3 SWE Håkan Carlqvist Yamaha 3 3 2 2 4 2 1 10 8 4 2 2 2 4 1 4 3 4 2 188 4 BEL André Vromans Yamaha 4 5 3 10 7 4 5 6 5 3 2 1 1 4 6 3 1 3 2 166 5 BEL Roger De Coster Honda 5 6 4 5 2 1 3 4 9 3 4 2 8 1 1 135 6 NED Gérard Rond Suzuki 6 4 7 4 7 2 6 4 3 3 2 5 5 8 4 8 112 7 FRA Jean-Jacques Bruno Suzuki 5 6 2 3 5 6 9 5 4 5 9 68 8 UK Graham Noyce Honda 3 4 5 1 4 4 55 9 BEL Yvan van den Broeck Maico 7 4 8 8 9 7 10 7 10 5 6 4 49 10 BEL Jaak van Velthoven KTM 6 8 8 7 8 5 9 6 8 10 9 5 43 11 FIN Tapani Pikkarainen KTM 8 10 10 9 6 10 6 6 8 6 6 36 12 RFA Herbert Schmitz Maico 7 8 8 8 7 5 7 6 32 13 USA Marty Moates Yamaha 1 1 30 14 NED Gerrit Wolsink Maico 9 10 3 7 5 10 24 15 USA Danny LaPorte Suzuki 3 3 20 16 SWE Arne Lindfors Yamaha 6 6 10 9 7 17 SWE Conny Carlsson Husqvarna 9 8 8 9 8 7 17 18 IRL Laurence Spence Yamaha 9 10 9 7 6 9 16 19 RFA Ludwig Reinbold KTM 9 6 10 5 14 UK Geoff Mayes Maico 7 6 9 8 14 20 NED Peter Herlings Maico 9 9 7 10 8 12 22 USA Chuck Sun Honda 7 5 10 23 USA Marty Smith Suzuki 4 8 24 SWE Bertil Ovgard Husqvarna 10 10 9 9 10 7 25 USA Goat Breker Kawasaki 5 6 RFA Walter Gruhler Suzuki 7 10 10 6 27 BEL André Massant Maico 6 5 ITA Morizio Dolce Maico 7 10 5 USA Jim Gibson Honda 10 7 5 30 SWE Uno Palm Suzuki 7 4 DEN Arne Lodal Husqvarna 7 4 BEL Raymond Heeren Yamaha 7 4 33 USA Rex Staten Yamaha 8 3 USA Gary Semics Yamaha 8 3 35 CH Fritz Graf Yamaha 9 2 CH Herbert Salzmann Husqvarna 9 2 USA Gaylon Mosier Kawasaki 9 2 AUT Georg Reiter KTM 9 2 39 USA Jim Pomeroy Beta 10 1 SWE Pelle Grandqvist Husqvarna 10 1Sources:https://memotocross.fr/downloads/2cm-1980-500-res-complet.pdf 1980 500cc motocross world championship final results memotocross.fr 22 December 2025https://www.memotocross.fr/maison/equipe/index.php#0440929e1a0a45401 1980 500cc motocross world championship final standings memotocross.fr 22 December 2025 250cc (Results in italics indicate overall winner) Pos Rider Machine ESPESP CZECZE GERRFA BELBEL POLPOL USRUSSR UKUK FRAFRA NEDNED USAUSA FINFIN SWESWE Points 1 BEL Georges Jobé Suzuki 4 4 4 3 2 1 1 4 3 4 2 2 1 3 3 3 4 2 2 8 2 218 2 NED Kees van der Ven Maico 8 8 10 1 4 1 2 1 1 5 4 1 2 7 132 3 BUL Dimitar Rangelov Husqvarna 8 6 1 5 4 3 3 5 1 3 8 5 1 7 116 4 RFA Rolf Dieffenbach Honda 1 3 8 8 1 5 10 4 10 5 8 3 1 96 5 BEL Raymond Boven Husqvarna 2 2 1 4 4 8 7 6 6 7 6 7 3 95 6 BEL Jean-Claude Laquaye SWM 7 9 3 6 5 2 7 5 1 8 5 1 88 7 CZE Jaroslav Falta ČZ 1 1 4 6 7 2 10 8 5 10 3 80 8 FIN Erkki Sundstrom Husqvarna 6 7 8 7 6 8 2 9 4 2 9 9 4 70 9 BEL Jean-Paul Mingels Yamaha 7 4 7 9 2 9 5 1 3 63 10 FIN Matti Tarkkonen Yamaha 10 10 7 6 6 9 8 8 5 10 10 2 7 6 9 55 11 DEN Fritz Kobele Honda 2 2 2 3 10 7 51 12 USSR Vladimir Kavinov ČZ 5 5 5 2 1 45 NED Benny Wilken KTM 3 6 2 6 5 9 6 45 14 DEN Jan Kristofferson Yamaha 6 5 5 8 4 10 7 8 5 42 15 FRA Patrick Fura Husqvarna 3 9 3 10 3 4 41 16 USSR Gennady Moiseyev ČZ 6 2 9 3 4 37 SWE Magnus Nyberg KTM 6 6 10 10 6 4 2 37 18 UK Neil Hudson Maico 3 5 1 9 33 19 DEN Søren Mortensen Kramer-Rotax 8 10 5 9 4 9 10 10 4 32 20 USA Kent Howerton Suzuki 1 1 30 21 USA Darrell Schultz Suzuki 3 3 20 22 NED Henk Van Mierlo Suzuki 6 3 15 23 FRA Patrick Boniface KTM 9 2 14 SWE Rolf Wisksell Husqvarna 7 4 9 14 25 SWE Leif Nicklasson Husqvarna 10 7 9 8 8 13 26 USA Mike Guerra Husqvarna 4 7 12 SWE Sven Berggren Husqvarna 5 5 12 28 BEL Johny Wasilewski Honda 5 8 9 RFA Hans Maisch Maico 7 10 7 9 CZE Jiří Churavý ČZ 7 10 9 9 9 31 FIN Jukka Sintonen Suzuki 8 7 7 ITA Michele Magarotto Montesa 10 9 7 7 33 UK Billy Aldbridge Suzuki 6 5 UK Dave Watson Suzuki 6 5 USA JoJo Keller Honda 6 5 USA David Bailey Kawasaki 6 5 AUT Heinz Kinigadner KTM 9 8 5 38 FIN Taimi Simo Husqvarna 8 3 39 ESP Tony Arcarons Montesa 9 2 CZE Stanislas Jacenek ČZ 9 2 UK Rob Hooper Maico 9 2 42 AUT Willy Wallinger KTM 10 1 USA Jimmy Ellis Yamaha 10 1 SWE Ove Karlsson Suzuki 10 1Sources:https://memotocross.fr/downloads/2cm-1980-250-res-complet.pdf 1980 250cc motocross world championship final results memotocross.fr 22 December 2025https://www.memotocross.fr/maison/visite/index.php#0440929ca80bf1918 1980 250cc motocross world championship final standings memotocross.fr 22 December 2025 125cc (Results in italics indicate overall winner) Pos Rider Machine NEDNED AUTAUT BELBEL FRAFRA YUGYUG GERRFA ITAITA CZECZE FINFIN USAUSA ESPESP Points 1 BEL Harry Everts Suzuki 1 2 1 1 3 2 7 8 2 1 7 1 1 147 2 ITA Michele Rinaldi TGM 5 7 6 3 1 5 5 3 1 1 3 6 4 6 6 2 6 142 3 BEL Eric Geboers Suzuki 4 5 4 1 1 2 2 2 1 5 2 4 129 4 BEL Marc Velkeneers Yamaha 1 2 1 2 1 1 5 3 8 3 113 JPN Tetsumi Mitsuyasu Yamaha 4 9 3 6 2 1 3 1 2 5 5 2 113 6 JPN Torao Suzuki Aprilia 7 8 5 3 5 3 4 2 10 3 3 3 8 93 7 FIN Matti Autio Honda 3 5 9 7 4 4 9 5 5 1 5 7 77 8 ITA Dario Nani Gilera 7 5 2 6 6 5 4 4 4 5 8 6 55 9 BEL Gaston Rahier Gilera 4 6 2 7 10 2 1 9 4 67 NED Peter Groeneveld Honda 3 3 2 7 5 6 5 7 4 10 10 67 11 FRA Jacky Vimond Yamaha 6 6 7 4 9 10 9 8 30 12 ITA Mauro Miele Cagiva 10 4 9 6 3 26 13 USSR Yuri Khudiakov ČZ 10 3 10 10 10 6 9 10 7 26 ITA Corrado Maddii Aprilia 9 6 8 8 8 3 26 15 USA Johnny O'Mara Honda 1 3 25 NED Dinant Zijlstra Yamaha 2 5 9 7 10 25 17 BEL Jean-Marie Milissen TGM 6 9 10 4 4 24 18 CH Walter Kalberer KTM 4 2 20 19 ITA Franco Perfini Gilera 7 8 4 7 19 20 USA Ron Sun Honda 1 15 NZ Craig Coleman Suzuki 3 8 9 15 22 FIN Pauli Piipola Gilera 10 8 9 9 5 14 23 SWE Ove Svendson KTM 9 7 6 9 13 24 USA Mark Barnett Suzuki 2 12 USA Richard Coon Honda 2 12 26 USA Tom Benolkin Honda 3 10 27 ESP Antonio Elias Derbi 10 5 9 9 FIN Seppo Isomaki Suzuki 6 7 9 USSR Valery Korneev ČZ 6 7 9 ITA Renato Zocchi Cagiva 8 7 9 9 31 USA Dick Bentley Suzuki 4 8 USA Broc Glover Yamaha 4 8 RFA Paul Rottler KTM 6 8 8 USA Pat Moroney Yamaha 8 6 8 BEL Robert Greisch Puch 8 10 7 8 36 NED Hank Seppenwoolde Honda 8 7 7 37 USA Dave Taylor Cagiva 7 4 ITA Ivan Alborghetti KTM 10 8 4 NED Erik Van Essen KTM 9 9 4 40 AUT Georg Reiter KTM 8 3 RFA Emil Schwarz Honda 8 3 NED Gilbert De Roover Aprilia 8 3 CH Tony Kalberer KTM 8 3 AUT Helmut Frauwellner KTM 10 9 3 45 USA Pat Mihalik Honda 9 2 46 FIN Gote Liljegren Suzuki 10 1 USSR Andreiv Ledovsky ČZ 10 1 USA Jon Surwall Yamaha 10 1 USA Pedro Perales Suzuki 10 1Sources:https://memotocross.fr/downloads/2cm-1980-125-res-complet.pdf 1980 125cc motocross world championship final results" memotocross.fr 22 December 2025https://www.memotocross.fr/maison/chambres/index.php#0440929e021037101 1980 125cc motocross world championship final standings memotocross.fr 22 December 2025 References External links https://www.fim-moto.com/en/sports/view/fim-motocross-world-championship-4414 FIM Motocross World Championship season Category:Motocross World Championship seasons