1978 German motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1978 German motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 20 August 1978 at the Nürburgring circuit.

West Germany  1978 German Grand Prix
Race details
Race 11 of 13 races in the
1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date20 August 1978
Official nameGrosser Preis von Deutschland[1][2][3]
LocationNürburgring
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 22.835 km (14.189 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Venezuela Johnny Cecotto
Time 8:31.700
Fastest lap
Rider Italy Virginio Ferrari
Time 8:29.500
Podium
First Italy Virginio Ferrari
Second Venezuela Johnny Cecotto
Third United States Kenny Roberts
350 cc
Pole position
Rider Australia Gregg Hansford
Time 8:44.700
Fastest lap
Rider Japan Takazumi Katayama
Time 8:39.700
Podium
First Japan Takazumi Katayama
Second South Africa Kork Ballington
Third France Michel Rougerie
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Australia Gregg Hansford
Time 8:53.300
Fastest lap
Rider South Africa Kork Ballington
Time 8:49.500
Podium
First South Africa Kork Ballington
Second Australia Gregg Hansford
Third United Kingdom Tom Herron
125 cc
Pole position
Rider France Thierry Espié
Time 9:23.800
Fastest lap
Rider Spain Ángel Nieto
Time 9:17.000
Podium
First Spain Ángel Nieto
Second France Thierry Espié
Third Switzerland Hans Müller
50 cc
Pole position
Rider Spain Ricardo Tormo
Time 10:24.000
Fastest lap
Rider Spain Ricardo Tormo
Time 10:15.800
Podium
First Spain Ricardo Tormo
Second Spain Ángel Nieto
Third Italy Eugenio Lazzarini
Sidecar (B2A)
Pole position
Rider Switzerland Rolf Biland
Time 9:15.800
Fastest lap
Rider France Alain Michel
Time 9:06.800
Podium
First West Germany Werner Schwärzel
Second France Alain Michel
Third United Kingdom Dick Greasley

500cc classification edit

Pos. No. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 12   Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki 51'21.700 15
2 4   Johnny Cecotto Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha +0.700 12
3 3   Kenny Roberts Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha +33.900 10
4 7   Barry Sheene Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki +36.000 8
5 17   Takazumi Katayama Sarome & Motul Team Yamaha +36.300 6
6 13   Michel Rougerie Suzuki +56.000 5
7 2   Steve Baker Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki +57.500 4
8 29   Boet van Dulmen Suzuki +1'08.100 3
9 9   Tepi Länsivuori Suzuki +1'10.000 2
10 59   Jürgen Steiner Caramba Racing Team Bohme Suzuki +2'10.400 1
11 26   Jack Middelburg Suzuki +2'11.200
12 1   Franco Bonera Suzuki +2'15.800
13 5   Steve Parrish Suzuki +2'16.100
14 15   Max Wiener Suzuki +2'25.700
15 63   Alex George Suzuki +3'40.700
16 28   Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing Suzuki +3'44.100
17 ??   Hans-Otto Butenuth Yamaha +5'04.900
18 ??   Jack Findlay Suzuki +5'18.400
19 37   Dick Alblas Suzuki +5'19.700
20 ??   Tako Hase Yamaha +5'42.900
21 ??   Franz Shermer Suzuki +5'58.500
22 ??   Carlos Delgado de San Antonio Suzuki +6'00.100
23 ??   René Gutknecht Suzuki +6'00.300
24 ??   Michael Schmid Suzuki +6'28.700
25 ??   Philippe Coulon Marlboro Nava Total Suzuki +6'56.400
26 ??   Hans-Günter Schöne Yamaha +8'58.600
27 ??   Lars Johansson Yamaha +8'59.800
28 ??   Walter Kaletsch Yamaha +9'50.900
29 ??   Gustav Canehl Yamaha +1 lap
Ret ??   Marco Lucchinelli Cagiva Corse Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Bruno Kneubühler RSS Racing Team Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Franz Rau Kazenmaier Autovermietung Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Herbert Schieferecke Yamaha Retired
Ret ??   Iingo Riemer Yamaha Retired
Ret ??   Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Jan Verwey Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Jean-Claude Hogrel Buton Buton Retired
Ret ??   Graziano Rossi Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Hans Braumandl Suzuki Retired
Ret 38   Peter Sjoström Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Michel Frutschi Yamaha Retired
Ret ??   Børge Nielsen Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Leslie van Breda Suzuki Retired
Ret 22   Gianni Rolando Team Librenti Suzuki Retired
Ret ??   Gustav Reiner Yamaha Retired
Ret ??   Horst Scherer Yamaha Retired
Ret ??   Horst Scherer Yamaha Retired
Ret ??   Horst Lahfeld König Retired
DNS ??   Bernd Dawicki König Did not start
Sources: [4][5][6]

350 cc classification edit

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 1   Takazumi Katayama Yamaha 6 52:27.4 6 15
2 5   Kork Ballington Kawasaki 6 +0.2 2 12
3 4   Michel Rougerie Yamaha 6 +40.8 7 10
4 3   Jon Ekerold Yamaha 6 +42.1 8 8
5 2   Tom Herron Yamaha 6 +43.4 4 6
6 63   Anton Mang Kawasaki 6 +1:09.9 5 5
7 6   Olivier Chevallier Yamaha 6 +1:37.0 4
8 23   Franco Bonera Yamaha 6 +1:38.1 3
9 10   Patrick Pons Yamaha 6 +2:04.3 2
10 53   Hervé Moineau Yamaha 6 +2:10.2 1
11 82   Gustav Rainer Yamaha 6 +2:29.7
12 18   Reino Eskelinen Yamaha 6 +2:41.6
13 66   Josef Hage Yamaha 6 +3:07.8
14 22   Maurizio Massimiani Yamaha 6 +3:38.8
15 24   Vanes Francini Yamaha 6 +3:56.1
  Gregg Hansford Kawasaki 1
  Christian Sarron Yamaha 3
  Pentti Korhonen Yamaha 9
  Leif Gustafsson Yamaha 10
60 starters in total, 25 finishers
[4]

250 cc classification edit

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 6   Kork Ballington Kawasaki 5 44:41.4 2 15
2 54   Gregg Hansford Kawasaki 5 +39.9 1 12
3 5   Tom Herron Yamaha 5 +52.5 9 10
4 50   Jean-François Baldé Kawasaki 5 +52.7 3 8
5 59   Anton Mang Kawasaki 5 +52.8 6
6 8   Jon Ekerold Yamaha 5 +1:07.7 7 5
7 37   Chas Mortimer Yamaha 5 +1:22.4 4
8 64   Raymond Roche Yamaha 5 +1:23.6 6 3
9 10   Patrick Fernandez Yamaha 5 +1:24.1 10 2
10 51   Thierry Espié Yamaha 5 +1:24.3 1
11 12   Olivier Chevallier Yamaha 5 +1:27.9
12 3   Walter Villa Minarelli 5 +1:44.0
13 33   Leif Gustafsson Yamaha 5 +1:48.6
14 13   Vic Soussan Yamaha 5 +1:48.9 4
15 28   Richard Hubin Yamaha 5 +1:49.5
  Kenny Roberts Yamaha 5
  Christian Estrosi Yamaha 8
50 starters in total, 36 finishers
[4]

125 cc classification edit

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 3   Ángel Nieto Minarelli 4 37:26.0 2 15
2 1   Thierry Espié Motobécane 4 +7.8 1 12
3 9   Hans Müller Morbidelli 4 +1:07.5 3 10
4 12   Maurizio Massimiani Morbidelli 4 +1:18.9 9 8
5 7   Harald Bartol Morbidelli 4 +1:19.0 10 6
6 6   Gert Bender Bender 4 +1:22.5 4 5
7 8   Stefan Dörflinger Morbidelli 4 +1:22.8 6 4
8 2   Eugenio Lazzarini MBA 4 +1:23.8 5 3
9 19   Walter Koschine Bender 4 +1:24.0 7 2
10 56   Stefan Janssen Morbidelli 4 +1:26.9 8 1
11 32   Henk van Kessel Condor 4 +2:10.1
12 16   Matti Kinnunen Morbidelli 4 +2:10.4
13 20   Rolf Blatter Morbidelli 4 +2:10.9
14 31   Bennie Wilbers Morbidelli 4 +2:11.3
15 35   Richard Schmiederer Morbidelli 4 +2:43.4
43 starters in total, 30 finishers
[4]

50 cc classification edit

Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 3   Ricardo Tormo Bultaco 3 31:00.3 1 15
2 1   Ángel Nieto Bultaco 3 +14.1 2 12
3 2   Eugenio Lazzarini Kreidler 3 +53.0 3 10
4 6   Stefan Dörflinger Kreidler 3 +1:30.2 4 8
5 37   Rolf Blatter Kreidler 3 +1:58.7 8 6
6 39   Wolfgang Müller Kreidler 3 +2:00.3 5 5
7 13   Theo Timmer Kreidler 3 +2:05.3 10 4
8 60   Ingo Emmerich Kreidler 3 +2:06.2 9 3
9 45   Reiner Scheidhauer Kreidler 3 +2:07.2 7 2
10 28   Henk van Kessel Sparta 3 +2:26.3 1
11 63   Claudio Lusuardi MBH 3 +2:28.7
12 21   Enrico Cereda Kreidler 3 +2:30.8
13 12   Hagen Klein Kreidler 3 +2:48.4
14 31   Pierre Dumont Kreidler 3 +2:48.6
15 57   Richard Schmiederer Kreidler 3 +2:51.1
  Peter Looyestein Kreidler 6
48 starters in total, 34 finishers
[4]

Sidecar classification edit

Pos No. Rider Passenger Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 3   Werner Schwärzel   Andreas Huber Fath 5 46:37.6 3 15
2 5   Alain Michel   Stu Collins Seymaz-Yamaha 5 +1:26.2 2 12
3 8   Dick Greasley   Gordon Russell Busch-Yamaha 5 +1:26.8 5 10
4 10   Bruno Holzer   Karl Meierhans LCR-Yamaha 5 +1:26.9 8
5 14   Jean-François Monnin   Paul Gerard Seymaz-Yamaha 5 +2:20.3 6 6
6 37   Hermann Huber   Bernd Schappacher König 5 +2:53.7 9 5
7 17   Amedeo Zini   Andrea Fornaro Busch-König 5 +3:33.3 4
8 29   Bill Hodgkins   John Parkins Windle-Yamaha 5 +3:36.0 3
9 47   Otto Haller   Rainer Gundel MKM-Yamaha 5 +3:59.1 2
10 24   Thomas Müller   K. Waltisperg TTM-Yamaha 5 +4:13.4 10 1
  Rolf Biland   Kenny Williams Beo-Yamaha 1
  Jock Taylor   James Neil Windle-Yamaha 4
  Hermann Schmid   Kenny Arthur Schmid-Yamaha 7
  Siegfried Schauzu   Lorenzo Puzo Busch-Yamaha 8
39 starters in total, 25 finishers
[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1978". Archive.fo. 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  2. ^ "1978 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". Progcovers.com. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Nürburgring - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". Progcovers.com. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Coleman, Barry (ed.). Motocourse 1978-1979. Hazleton Securities Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-905138-06-6.
  5. ^ "1978 German MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database". Motor Sport Magazine. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  6. ^ "WEST GERMANY GRAND PRIX · 500cc Race Classification 1978". Motogp.com. Retrieved 10 December 2018.


Previous race:
1978 British Grand Prix
FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1978 season
Next race:
1978 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix
Previous race:
1977 German Grand Prix
German Grand Prix Next race:
1979 German Grand Prix