1978 British motorcycle Grand Prix

United Kingdom  1978 British Grand Prix
Race details
Race 10 of 13 races in the
1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date6 August 1978
Official nameJohn Player British Grand Prix[1][2][3]
LocationSilverstone Circuit
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 4.711 km (2.927 mi)
500cc
Pole position
Rider France Michel Rougerie
Time 1:30.980
Fastest lap
Rider United States Kenny Roberts
Time 1:31.38
Podium
First United States Kenny Roberts
Second United Kingdom Steve Manship
Third United Kingdom Barry Sheene
350cc
Pole position
Rider South Africa Kork Ballington
Time 1:34.600
Fastest lap
Rider United Kingdom Tom Herron
Time 1:33.830
Podium
First South Africa Kork Ballington
Second United Kingdom Tom Herron
Third United Kingdom Mick Grant
250cc
Pole position
Rider South Africa Kork Ballington
Time 1:37.140
Fastest lap
Rider West Germany Anton Mang
Time 1:37.400
Podium
First West Germany Anton Mang
Second United Kingdom Tom Herron
Third France Raymond Roche
125cc
Pole position
Rider Italy Eugenio Lazzarini
Time 1:42.690
Fastest lap
Rider Italy Eugenio Lazzarini
Time 1:42.220
Podium
First Spain Ángel Nieto
Second United Kingdom Clive Horton
Third Italy Eugenio Lazzarini
Sidecar (B2A)
Pole position
Rider Switzerland Rolf Biland
Time 1:38.190
Fastest lap
Rider Switzerland Rolf Biland
Time 1:46.920
Podium
First France Alain Michel
Second Switzerland Rolf Biland
Third United Kingdom Jock Taylor

The 1978 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the tenth round of the 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 5–6 August 1978 at Silverstone Circuit.

500cc race report

Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene, the two championship contenders arrived in England for the British Grand Prix with only three points separating them.[4] The race ended in controversy when torrential rains during the race, along with pit stops for tire changes by both Roberts and Sheene, created confusion among official scorers.[5] Eventually, Roberts was declared the winner with Sheene being awarded third place behind privateer Steve Manship, who did not stop for a tire change.[6][7][8]

500cc classification

Pos. No. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 1 United States Kenny Roberts Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha 55'56.930 15
2 43 United Kingdom Steve Manship Suzuki +8.050 12
3 7 United Kingdom Barry Sheene Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki +1'06.760 10
4 11 Italy Marco Lucchinelli Cagiva Corse Suzuki +1'29.350 8
5 2 Finland Tepi Länsivuori Suzuki +1'56.980 6
6 22 Italy Gianni Rolando Team Librenti Suzuki +1 lap 5
7 4 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha +1 lap 4
8 5 United Kingdom John Newbold Ray Hamblin Motorcycles Suzuki +1 lap 3
9 8 Japan Takazumi Katayama Sarome & Motul Team Yamaha +1 lap 2
10 12 Italy Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki +1 lap 1
11 13 France Michel Rougerie Suzuki +1 lap
12 16 United Kingdom John Williams Team Appleby Glade Suzuki +1 lap
13 9 United Kingdom Alex George Suzuki +1 lap
14 42 Netherlands Jack Middelburg Suzuki +1 lap
15 6 United Kingdom Steve Parrish Suzuki +2 laps
16 3 Switzerland Philippe Coulon Marlboro Nava Total Suzuki +2 laps
17 28 West Germany Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing Suzuki +2 laps
18 38 Sweden Peter Sjoström Suzuki +3 laps
19 17 New Zealand John Woodley Sid Griffiths Racing Suzuki +3 laps
20 37 Netherlands Dick Alblas Suzuki +3 laps
Ret ?? Netherlands Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Italy Graziano Rossi Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki Accident
Ret ?? Italy Franco Bonera Team Kiwi Yamoto Cagiva Accident
Ret ?? Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler RSS Racing Team Suzuki Tyre problems
Ret ?? New Zealand Dennis Ireland Suzuki Tyre problems
Ret ?? New Zealand Roger Marshall George Beale Yamaha Tyre problems
Ret ?? Australia Jack Findlay Suzuki Tyre problems
Ret ?? South Africa Leslie van Breda Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Austria Max Wiener Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Netherlands Boet van Dulmen Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? United Kingdom Kevin Stowe Harold Coppock Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Austria Werner Nenning Mobel Nenning Racing Team Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? United States Steve Baker Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? West Germany Franz Rau Kazenmaier Autovermietung Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? United Kingdom Graham Wood Barton Spondon Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? United Kingdom Dave Potter Ted Broad Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? United Kingdom Ron Haslam Mal Carter Yamaha Retired
Ret ?? United Kingdom Marc Fontan Suzuki Retired
Sources:[8][9][10]

350 cc classification

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 5 South Africa Kork Ballington Kawasaki 28 44:43.57 1 15
2 2 United Kingdom Tom Herron Yamaha 28 +10.23 6 12
3 10 United Kingdom Mick Grant Kawasaki 28 +23.01 10 10
4 4 France Michel Rougerie Yamaha 28 +52.43 5 8
5 23 Italy Franco Bonera Yamaha 28 +59.09 6
6 25 Australia Vic Soussan Yamaha 28 +59.76 5
7 7 France Christian Sarron Yamaha 28 +59.85 8 4
8 6 France Olivier Chevallier Yamaha 28 +1:00.24 3 3
9 28 Sweden Leif Gustafsson Yamaha 28 +1:00.74 2
10 19 France Patrick Pons Yamaha 28 +1:30.23 1
11 51 Switzerland Roland Freymond Yamaha 28 +1:31.27
12 29 Italy Paolo Pileri Morbidelli 28 +1:31.48
13 50 United Kingdom Clive Padgett Yamaha 27 +1 lap
14 44 United Kingdom Ian Richards Yamaha 27 +1 lap
15 31 Japan Sadao Asami Yamaha 27 +1 lap
16 47 Netherlands Jack Middelburg Yamaha 27 +1 lap
17 40 Finland Reino Eskelinen Yamaha 27 +1 lap
18 41 Italy Walter Villa Harley-Davidson 27 +1 lap
Japan Takazumi Katayama Yamaha 2
Australia Gregg Hansford Kawasaki 4
Australia Ray Quincey Yamaha 7
France Raymond Roche Yamaha 9
41 starters in total
[9][11]

250 cc classification

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 15 West Germany Anton Mang Kawasaki 26 43:03.32 15
2 5 United Kingdom Tom Herron Yamaha 26 +0.19 4 12
3 29 France Raymond Roche Yamaha 26 +23.45 9 10
4 10 United Kingdom Mick Grant Kawasaki 26 +30.82 8 8
5 13 France Olivier Chevallier Yamaha 26 +30.97 7 6
6 26 Switzerland Hans Müller Yamaha 26 +31.48 5 5
7 18 France Jean-François Baldé Kawasaki 26 +31.64 10 4
8 9 France Patrick Fernandez Yamaha 26 +31.78 3
9 51 Switzerland Roland Freymond Yamaha 26 +59.31 2
10 43 France Marc Fontan Yamaha 26 +59.63 1
11 22 United Kingdom Clive Padgett Yamaha 26 +1:10.30
12 21 Australia Vic Soussan Yamaha 26 +1:11.84
13 53 France Hervé Moineau Yamaha 26 +1:13.67
14 54 Australia Greg Johnson Yamaha 26 +1:21.87
15 33 South Africa Dudley Cramond Yamaha 26 +1:31.36
16 32 Finland Reino Eskelinen Yamaha 26 +1:34.76
17 28 Japan Sadao Asami Yamaha 26 +1:35.41
18 30 Japan Ken Nemoto Yamaha 25 +1 lap
19 25 Austria Harald Bartol HBI 25 +1 lap
20 17 United Kingdom Bernard Murray Yamaha 25 +1 lap
South Africa Kork Ballington Kawasaki 1
United States Kenny Roberts Yamaha 2
Australia Gregg Hansford Kawasaki 3
Australia John Dodds Yamaha 6
38 starters in total, 21 finishers
[9][12]

125 cc classification

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 3 Spain Ángel Nieto Minarelli 24 44:51.08 4 15
2 10 United Kingdom Clive Horton Morbidelli 24 +17.02 8 12
3 2 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini MBA 24 +21.20 1 10
4 38 France Thierry Espié Motobécane 24 +29.90 2 8
5 8 Switzerland Hans Müller Morbidelli 24 +40.67 5 6
6 7 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger Morbidelli 24 +40.94 7 5
7 17 Sweden Per-Edward Carlson Morbidelli 24 +45.37 4
8 39 France Yves Dupont Morbidelli 24 +1:01.91 3
9 4 France Jean-Louis Guignabodet Morbidelli 24 +1:10.39 2
10 20 Italy Felice Agostini Morbidelli 24 +1:10.65 1
11 43 Switzerland Karl Fuchs Morbidelli 24 +1:44.40
12 30 Netherlands Cees van Dongen Morbidelli 23 +1 lap
13 34 France Daniel Meyer Morbidelli 23 +1 lap
14 47 Austria Ernst Fagerer Morbidelli 23 +1 lap
15 24 Monaco Patrick Herouard Morbidelli 23 +1 lap
16 29 Netherlands Jan Ubels Buton 22 +2 laps
17 36 Switzerland Alain Pellet Morbidelli 22 +2 laps
Italy Pierluigi Conforti Morbidelli 3
Austria Harald Bartol Morbidelli 6
Sweden Bengt Johansson Morbidelli 9
France Thierry Noblesse Morbidelli 10
34 starters in total
[9]

Sidecar classification

Pos No. Rider Passenger Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 5 France Alain Michel United Kingdom Stu Collins Seymaz-Yamaha 25 45:27.56 2 15
2 2 Switzerland Rolf Biland United Kingdom Kenny Williams Beo-Yamaha 25 +11.36 1 12
3 17 United Kingdom Jock Taylor United Kingdom James Neil Windle-Yamaha 25 +1:02.13 5 10
4 14 United Kingdom Bill Hodgkins United Kingdom John Parkins Windle-Yamaha 25 +1:10.44 8
5 1 United Kingdom George O'Dell United Kingdom Cliff Holland Seymaz-Yamaha 25 +1:23.39 4 6
6 22 United Kingdom Mick Boddice United Kingdom Chas Burns Woodhouse-Yamaha 25 +1:27.92 5
7 18 Switzerland Jean-François Monnin Switzerland Paul Gerard Seymaz-Yamaha 25 +1:41.19 4
8 7 United Kingdom Dick Greasley United Kingdom Gordon Russell Busch-Yamaha 24 +1 lap 6 3
9 11 West Germany Siegfried Schauzu West Germany Lorenzo Puzo Busch-Yamaha 24 +1 lap 2
10 6 Sweden Göte Brodin Sweden Per-Erik Wickström Yamaha 24 +1 lap 8 1
11 23 Netherlands Cees Smit Netherlands Jan Smit Seymaz-Yamaha 24 +1 lap
12 15 West Germany Hermann Huber West Germany Bernd Schappacher König 24 +1 lap
13 32 Switzerland Gérard Corbaz Switzerland Roland Gabriel Schmid-Yamaha 24 +1 lap
14 27 United Kingdom Derek Jones United Kingdom Brian Ayres Daytona-Yamaha 24 +1 lap
15 29 United Kingdom John Barker United Kingdom Nick Cutmore Yamaha 24 +1 lap
West Germany Rolf Steinhausen West Germany Wolfgang Kalauch Seymaz-Yamaha 3
Austria Wolfgang Stropek Austria Karl Altrichter Schmid-Yamaha 7
Switzerland Bruno Holzer Switzerland Karl Meierhans LCR-Yamaha 9
Switzerland Hermann Schmid United Kingdom Kenny Arthur Schmid-Yamaha 10
31 starters in total, 21 finishers
[9][13]

References

  1. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1978". archive.fo. 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015.
  2. ^ "1978 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  3. ^ "Silverstone Circuit - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  4. ^ "Roberts makes the right dream come true". The Modesto Bee. Bee News Services. 23 August 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 15 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Assoc, American Motorcyclist (November 1978). Roberts: A Champ With Class. Retrieved 15 December 2010. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Roberts Declared Official Winner". The Modesto Bee. Bee News Services. 8 August 1978. p. 6. Retrieved 20 December 2010.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Time to Fix 'Flag-to-Flag' Pit Stops Before Luck Runs Out". moto-racing.speedtv.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  8. ^ a b "1978 500cc British Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e Coleman, Barry, ed. (March 1979). Motocourse 1978-1979. Hazleton Securities Ltd. p. 121. ISBN 0-905138-06-6.
  10. ^ "1978 British MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database". Motor Sport Magazine. 1 February 2018.
  11. ^ "1978 350cc British Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  12. ^ "1978 250cc British Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  13. ^ "1978 125cc British Grand Prix Results". motogp.com. Retrieved 29 December 2013.


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1978 Finnish Grand Prix
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1978 season
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