# 1978 FIM Motocross World Championship

The 1978 FIM Motocross World Championship was the 22nd F.I.M. Motocross Racing World Championship season.

## Summary

Heikki Mikkola successfully defended his 500cc world championship for Yamaha, finishing ahead of Honda's Brad Lackey. Mikkola dominated the season with 14 moto victories in 24 outings. Roger De Coster had a serious accident during pre-season training and ended up having his spleen removed but, recovered to finish the season in third place.
Gennady Moiseyev was also successful in defending his 250cc title despite a strong challenge from Kawasaki's Torleif Hansen. In the 125cc championship, Akira Watanabe ended the three-year reign of his Suzuki teammate, Gaston Rahier. Watanabe's championship marks the first and only motocross world championship for a Japanese competitor. Gerard Rond won four Grand Prix overall victories for Yamaha and finished in third place, one point behind Rahier.

## Grands Prix
### 500cc

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Overall Winner | Report |
| 1 | April 9 | Swiss Grand Prix | Payerne | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 2 | April 16 | Austrian Grand Prix | Sittendorf | Brad Lackey | Roger De Coster | Brad Lackey | Report |
| 3 | April 30 | French Grand Prix | Gaillefontaine | Brad Lackey | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 4 | May 7 | Danish Grand Prix | Næstved | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 5 | May 21 | Finnish Grand Prix | Ruskeasanta | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 6 | May 28 | Swedish Grand Prix | Västerås | Herbert Schmitz | Heikki Mikkola | Roger De Coster | Report |
| 7 | June 4 | United States Grand Prix | Carlsbad | Herbert Schmitz | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 8 | June 11 | Italian Grand Prix | Gallarate | Brad Lackey | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 9 | July 2 | British Grand Prix | Farleigh Castle | Heikki Mikkola | Brad Lackey | Brad Lackey | Report |
| 10 | August 6 | Belgian Grand Prix | Namur | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 11 | August 13 | Luxembourg Grand Prix | Ettelbruck | Roger De Coster | Heikki Mikkola | Heikki Mikkola | Report |
| 12 | August 27 | Dutch Grand Prix | Sint Anthonis | Gerrit Wolsink | Gerrit Wolsink | Gerrit Wolsink | Report |

### 250cc

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Winner | Team | Report |
| 1 | April 9 | Spanish Grand Prix | Sabadell | Harry Everts | Bultaco | Report |
| 2 | May 7 | Italian Grand Prix | Serramazzoni | Fritz Schneider | KTM | Report |
| 3 | May 21 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Holice | Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | Report |
| 4 | May 28 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Tržič | Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | Report |
| 5 | June 4 | Austrian Grand Prix | Schwanenstadt | Jaroslav Falta | ČZ | Report |
| 6 | June 11 | West German Grand Prix | Beuern | Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | Report |
| 7 | June 18 | British Grand Prix | Kilmartin | Gennady Moiseyev | KTM | Report |
| 8 | July 2 | French Grand Prix | Ahun | Vladimir Kavinov | KTM | Report |
| 9 | July 30 | United States Grand Prix | Unadilla | Marty Tripes | Honda | Report |
| 10 | August 13 | Swedish Grand Prix | Barkarby | Neil Hudson | Maico | Report |
| 11 | August 20 | Finnish Grand Prix | Hyvinkää | Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | Report |
| 12 | August 27 | Russian Grand Prix | Leningrad | Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | Report |

### 125cc

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Location | Winner | Team | Report |
| 1 | April 9 | Austrian Grand Prix | Launsdorf | Gaston Rahier | Suzuki | Report |
| 2 | April 16 | Italian Grand Prix | San Severino | Gaston Rahier | Suzuki | Report |
| 3 | April 23 | Belgian Grand Prix | Lanklaar-Dilsen | Gerard Rond | Yamaha | Report |
| 4 | April 30 | Dutch Grand Prix | Apeldoorn | Gerard Rond | Yamaha | Report |
| 5 | May 7 | French Grand Prix | Vesoul | Gaston Rahier | Suzuki | Report |
| 6 | May 21 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Orehova vas | Gerard Rond | Yamaha | Report |
| 7 | May 28 | West German Grand Prix | Laubus-Eschbach | Akira Watanabe | Suzuki | Report |
| 8 | June 4 | Swiss Grand Prix | Meyrin | Gerard Rond | Yamaha | Report |
| 9 | June 11 | Polish Grand Prix | Szczecin | Akira Watanabe | Suzuki | Report |
| 10 | July 27 | United States Grand Prix | Lexington | Broc Glover | Yamaha | Report |
| 11 | August 13 | Spanish Grand Prix | Montgai | Akira Watanabe | Suzuki | Report |
| 12 | August 27 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Stříbro | Gaston Rahier | Suzuki | Report |

## Final standings

500cc :
| Pos | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Heikki Mikkola | Yamaha | 299 |
| 2 | Brad Lackey | Honda | 214 |
| 3 | Roger De Coster | Suzuki | 172 |
| 4 | Herbert Schmitz | Maico | 127 |
| 5 | Gerrit Wolsink | Suzuki | 124 |
| 6 | André Malherbe | KTM | 109 |
| 7 | Graham Noyce | Honda | 92 |
| 8 | Jaak van Velthoven | KTM | 78 |
| 9 | Jean-Jacques Bruno | KTM | 41 |
| 10 | Yvan van den Broeck | Maico | 40 |
| 11 | André Vromans | Suzuki | 38 |
| 12 | Håkan Andersson | Husqvarna | 36 |
| 13 | Bengt Åberg | Yamaha | 33 |
| 14 | Fritz Köbele | Maico | 21 |
| 15 | Mike Bell | Yamaha | 14 |
| 15 | Frans Sigmans | Maico | 14 |
| 17 | Adolf Weil | Maico | 14 |
| 18 | Frank Svendsen | Husqvarna | 10 |
| 19 | Peter Herlings | Maico | 9 |
| 19 | Arne Lindfors | Yamaha | 9 |
| 21 | Mat Ghielen | Maico | 8 |
| 22 | Rick Burgett | Yamaha | 8 |
| 23 | Bob Wright | CCM | 8 |
| 24 | Lars Axelsson | Maico | 5 |
| 24 | Terry Clark | Maico | 5 |
| 24 | Danny LaPorte | Suzuki | 5 |
| 24 | Afro Rustignoli | Maico | 5 |
| 28 | Rex Staten | Yamaha | 4 |
| 28 | Franco Perfini | Montesa | 4 |
| 30 | Gary Semics | Can-Am | 4 |
| 30 | Torbjörn Winzell | Maico | 4 |
| 30 | Robert Wilkinson | Maico | 4 |
| 33 | Åke Jonsson | Kramer-Rotax | 4 |
| 34 | Ad Verstegen | Yamaha | 3 |
| 34 | Italo Forni | Montesa | 3 |
| 34 | Raymond Heeren | Maico | 3 |
| 37 | Tommy Croft | Honda | 3 |
| 37 | Francois Wellens | Yamaha | 3 |
| 39 | Søren Mortensen | Kramer-Rotax | 2 |
| 39 | Franco Picco | Montesa | 2 |
| 39 | Johan Scheele | Maico | 2 |
| 42 | Toon Karsmakers | Husqvarna | 1 |
250cc :
| Pos | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Gennady Moiseyev | KTM | 183 |
| 2 | Torleif Hansen | Kawasaki | 153 |
| 3 | Hans Maisch | Maico | 152 |
| 4 | Vladimir Kavinov | KTM | 151 |
| 5 | Neil Hudson | Maico | 130 |
| 6 | Harry Everts | Bultaco | 126 |
| 7 | Håkan Carlqvist | Husqvarna | 88 |
| 8 | Torao Suzuki | Montesa | 63 |
| 9 | Jaroslav Falta | ČZ | 61 |
| 10 | Jean-Claude Laquaye | Bultaco | 43 |
| 11 | Raymond Boven | Montesa | 42 |
| 12 | Fritz Schneider | KTM | 38 |
| 13 | Chuck Sun | Husqvarna | 35 |
| 14 | Valéry Korneev | KTM | 33 |
| 15 | Jean-Paul Mingels | Montesa | 32 |
| 16 | Rolf Dieffenbach | Kawasaki | 26 |
| 16 | Daniel Péan | Maico | 26 |
| 18 | Jimmy Ellis | Honda | 25 |
| 19 | Marty Tripes | Honda | 24 |
| 20 | Erkki Sundström | Husqvarna | 24 |
| 21 | Bob Hannah | Yamaha | 21 |
| 22 | Willy Bauer | Sachs | 21 |
| 23 | Rob Hooper | Maico | 21 |
| 24 | Patrick Boniface | KTM | 11 |
| 25 | Kent Howerton | Suzuki | 8 |
| 26 | Fernando Munoz | Montesa | 6 |
| 27 | Matti Tarkkonenn | Honda | 6 |
| 28 | Guy Huynen | Sachs | 5 |
| 28 | Kees van der Ven | Maico | 5 |
| 30 | Jan Kristoffersen | Husqvarna | 5 |
| 31 | Arne Lodal | Husqvarna | 5 |
| 32 | Dario Nani | Gilera | 3 |
| 32 | Zdenek Velky | ČZ | 3 |
| 34 | Alberto Ribo | Montesa | 2 |
| 34 | John Savitski | Yamaha | 2 |
| 36 | Tony DiStefano | Suzuki | 1 |
| 36 | Tony Elias | Bultaco | 1 |
| 36 | Magnus Nyberg | KTM | 1 |
| 36 | Dimitar Rangelov | Husqvarna | 1 |
| 36 | Jaroslav Vojtech | ČZ | 1 |
125cc :
| Pos | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Akira Watanabe | Suzuki | 267 |
| 2 | Gaston Rahier | Suzuki | 249 |
| 3 | Gerard Rond | Yamaha | 248 |
| 4 | Siegfried Lerner | KTM | 90 |
| 5 | Matti Autio | Suzuki | 81 |
| 6 | Ivan Alborghetti | Aprilia | 78 |
| 7 | Göte Liljegren | Aprilia | 78 |
| 8 | André Massant | Honda | 76 |
| 9 | Jiry Churavy | ČZ | 70 |
| 10 | Corrado Maddii | Beta | 53 |
| 11 | Yuri Khudiakov | ČZ | 41 |
| 12 | Michele Rinaldi | TGM | 31 |
| 13 | Broc Glover | Yamaha | 30 |
| 14 | Roger Harvey | Suzuki | 19 |
| 15 | Pauli Piippola | Husqvarna | 17 |
| 16 | Marty Moates | Suzuki | 14 |
| 17 | Peter Groeneveld | Suzuki | 14 |
| 18 | Gaylon Mosier | Kawasaki | 12 |
| 19 | Robert Greisch | Yamaha | 12 |
| 20 | Warren Reid | Honda | 10 |
| 21 | Miroslav Jirka | ČZ | 9 |
| 21 | Henk Van Mierlo | Kawasaki | 9 |
| 23 | Steve Wise | Honda | 8 |
| 24 | Mark Gregson | Suzuki | 8 |
| 25 | Anatoly Ovchinikov | ČZ | 8 |
| 26 | Mike Guerra | Yamaha | 7 |
| 27 | Dinand Ziljlstra | Kawasaki | 5 |
| 27 | Dan Turner | Yamaha | 5 |
| 29 | Geoff Mayes | Kawasaki | 5 |
| 30 | Marc Velkeneers | Yamaha | 4 |
| 31 | François Minne | Aprilia | 4 |
| 32 | Michel Leclerq | KTM | 3 |
| 32 | Miroslav Novacek | ČZ | 3 |
| 32 | Ron Turner | Yamaha | 3 |
| 35 | Bernd Betzelbacher | Maico | 2 |
| 35 | Victor Popenko | ČZ | 2 |
| 35 | Emil Schwarz | Suzuki | 2 |
| 35 | David Taylor | Suzuki | 2 |
| 39 | Jonny Bjurström | Suzuki | 1 |
| 39 | Michel Fischer | Portal | 1 |
| 39 | Alain Fura | Yamaha | 1 |
| 39 | Antonin Gorus | ČZ | 1 |
| 39 | Ole Svendson | KTM | 1 |