The 1963 Motocross World Championship was the 7th edition of the Motocross World Championship organized by the FIM and reserved for 500cc and 250cc motorcycles.
Summary Rolf Tibblin overtook the early championship points leader, Jeff Smith, to claim his second consecutive 500cc motocross world championship, with his countryman Sten Lundin taking second place. Tibblin took five Grand Prix victories riding for the Husqvarna factory racing team.
A significant moment in motocross history occurred when ČZ factory rider Vlastimil Válek rode a 263cc two-stroke motorcycle to win the first moto of the 500cc Czechoslovak Grand Prix. The victory marked a turning point in motocross history, as it was the first win by a two-stroke powered motorcycle in the premier division of the Motocross World Championships. The FIM responded to protests from four-stroke manufacturers by increasing the minimum allowable displacement for two-stroke engines to 350cc.
Tibblin's Husqvarna teammate Torsten Hallman also claimed his second consecutive 250cc motocross world championship in dominating fashion by winning 8 of the 14 Grand Prix races. The ČZ factory continued to refine and improve their motorcycles, with riders Vlastimil Válek, Igor Grigoriev, and Karel Pilař finishing second, third, and fourth in the 250cc class final points standings.
Grands Prix 500cc RoundDateGrand PrixLocationRace 1 WinnerRace 2 WinnerOverall WinnerReport 1 April 21 Austrian Grand Prix Sittendorf Rolf Tibblin Sten Lundin Sten Lundin Report 2 May 5 Swiss Grand Prix Wohlen Bill Nilsson Sten Lundin Sten Lundin Report 3 May 12 Danish Grand Prix Volk Mølle Jeff Smith Jeff Smith Jeff Smith Report 4 May 19 Dutch Grand Prix Markelo Jeff Smith Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Report 5 May 20 French Grand Prix Saint-Quentin Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Report 6 June 9 Italian Grand Prix Imola Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Report 7 June 23 Czechoslovak Grand Prix Divoká Šárka Vlastimil Válek Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Report 8 June 30 Russian Grand Prix Lviv Ove Lundell Ove Lundell Ove Lundell Report 9 July 7 British Grand Prix Hawkstone Park Jeff Smith Don Rickman Jeff Smith Report 10 August 3 Belgian Grand Prix Namur Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Rolf Tibblin Report 11 August 11 Luxembourg Grand Prix Ettelbruck Ove Lundell Per Olaf Persson Sten Lundin Report 12 September 8 East German Grand Prix Gumpelstadt Jeff Smith Jeff Smith Jeff Smith ReportSources:
250cc RoundDateGrand PrixLocationRace 1 WinnerRace 2 WinnerOverall WinnerReport 1 March 22 Spanish Grand Prix Ruta Dave Bickers Torsten Hallman Dave Bickers Report 2 March 31 Italian Grand Prix Gallarate Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 3 April 14 French Grand Prix Pernes-les-Fontaines Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 4 April 21 Swiss Grand Prix Payerne Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 5 May 12 West German Grand Prix Bielstein Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 6 May 26 Luxembourg Grand Prix Schifflange Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 7 June 9 Dutch Grand Prix Bergharen Vlastimil Válek Torsten Hallman Vlastimil Válek Report 8 June 16 British Grand Prix Shrubland Park Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 9 June 30 Swedish Grand Prix Vännäs Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 10 July 7 Finnish Grand Prix Vantaa Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Torsten Hallman Report 11 July 14 Russian Grand Prix Moscow Vlastimil Válek Torsten Hallman Vlastimil Válek Report 12 July 21 Polish Grand Prix Kielce Vlastimil Válek Karel Pilař Vlastimil Válek Report 13 July 27 Czechoslovak Grand Prix Holice Vlastimil Válek Vlastimil Válek Vlastimil Válek Report 14 August 4 East German Grand Prix Apolda Paul Friedrichs Vlastimil Válek Karel Pilař ReportSources:
Final standings
Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers. For the final 500cc championship standings, half of the competitors' results + 1 are retained. Thus with 12 500cc Grand Prix, the 7 best results are retained. For the final 250cc championship standings, the 7 best results are retained.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Points 8 6 4 3 2 1
500cc (Results in italics indicate overall winner) Pos Rider Machine AUT CH DEN NED FRA ITA TCH USSR UK BEL LUX GDR Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 1 Rolf Tibblin Husqvarna 1 4 2 7 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 2 2 - 1 1 4 - - - 52 2 Sten Lundin Lito 3 1 3 1 3 4 4 3 5 6 2 2 3 3 - - - - 2 2 3 2 2 3 48 3 Jeff Smith BSA 8 6 4 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 NC NC 9 4 5 4 1 2 3 3 6 4 1 1 44 4 Per Olaf Persson Husqvarna 6 5 6 4 8 6 7 4 10 10 4 4 - - 2 - - - 8 6 9 1 3 2 20 5 Arthur Lampkin BSA 12 9 - - 4 5 8 10 12 34 5 3 5 9 4 5 3 3 7 - 8 5 - - 18 6 Bill Nilsson BSA 2 2 1 3 10 3 3 - 4 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17 7 Ove Lundell Monark 7 - - - - - 6 5 - - 3 14 6 - 1 1 - - 4 4 1 - - - 13 8 John Burton BSA 11 3 - - - - - - 14 21 7 5 13 6 - - 17 - 11 15 5 3 - - 9 9 Vlastimil Válek ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 2 - - - - - - - - - - 6 10 Ervín Krajčovič ESO - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 5 6 3 - - - - - - 6 6 5 11 Derek Rickman Triumph-Métisse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 4 - - - - - - 4 12 André Chuchard Triumph - - - - - - - - 2 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 13 Mogens Rasmussen Matchless - - - - - - 8 - - - - - - - - - 7 5 - - - - - - 3 14 Karel Pilař ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 7 - - - - - - - - - - 3 15 Josef Hřebeček ESO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 4 3 16 Nic Jansen Matchless-Métisse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 7 7 - - 3 17 Heinz Krech ESO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 2 18 Chris Horsfield Matchless - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 7 - - - - - - 2 19 Antonin Klavinsh ESO 4 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 8 2 20 Hubert Scaillet Triumph-Métisse - - 5 5 - - - - 8 3 NC NC - - - - - - 6 - 2 - - - 2 21 Broer Dirkx Lito 10 23 - - - - 5 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - 17 - - - 1 22 Igor Kazakov ESO - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 - - - - - - 17 17 5 23 Emilio Ostorero Husqvarna - - 8 6 - - - - 11 29 6 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 24 Walter Baeten Jawa - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 6 - - - - - - 1 - Fritz Betzelbacher Maico - - - - - - - - 6 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 Don Rickman Triumph-Métisse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - 0 Vic Eastwood Matchless - - - - - - 9 - 13 33 NC 6 - - - - 5 - - - - - - - 0Source:
250cc (Results in italics indicate overall winner) Pos Rider Machine ESP ITA FRA CH GER LUX NED UK SWE FIN USSR POL TCH GDR Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 1 Torsten Hallman Husqvarna 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 - - 2 2 - - 56 2 Vlastimil Válek ČZ - - - - 3 2 2 - 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 3 - - 2 2 1 3 1 2 1 1 - 1 50 3 Igor Grigoriev ČZ - - - - - - 3 2 - - 9 6 5 3 - - - - 4 5 2 4 2 3 7 5 2 3 32 4 Karel Pilař ČZ - - - - 8 7 - - 4 5 3 7 3 7 8 4 - - 5 - 5 2 11 1 4 6 3 2 24 5 Jan Johansson Lindstrom 6 5 3 4 31 32 - - - - 6 - 2 4 5 7 5 3 - - 7 5 - - 3 4 - - 21 6 Cenneth Loof Greeves - - 5 - 4 10 - - - - 4 4 8 - 4 5 4 2 - - - - - - - - - - 13 7 Dave Bickers Greeves 1 2 - - - - - - 3 6 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 8 Alan Clough Greeves 21 4 2 2 2 4 4 - 10 - - - - - - - 8 10 - - - - - - - - - - 10 9 Olle Pettersson Husqvarna - - - - 6 6 - - 6 4 - - - - - - 3 5 - - - - - - - - - - 6 10 Arne Kring Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 4 - - - - - - - - - - 6 11 Pentti Kalteva Husqvarna - - - - 16 26 13 5 - - - - 9 - - - - - 3 - - - 3 4 9 - - - 5 12 Fritz Selling Greeves - - 7 6 10 5 10 4 12 13 13 - 4 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 15 5 13 John Banks Dot 10 13 - - 9 28 8 3 - - - 13 - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 14 Christoph Specht Maico 3 6 - - 32 8 - - 13 - - - - - - 10 - - - - - - - - - 7 - - 4 Paul Friedrichs ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 - - - 3 - - - - - 1 5 4 Fritz Betzelbacher Maico - - 4 3 - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 Don Rickman Bultaco-Métisse 19 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 Zdeněk Polánka ČZ - - - - - - - - 5 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 9 4 4 4 Fred Willamowski MZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 14 - - 6 6 - - - - 5 7 4 20 Victor Arbekov ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 4 7 - - - - - - 3 John Griffith Dot 4 - - 5 5 3 5 - - - - 3 - - 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 Vladimir Gorulko ČZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 5 - - - - 3 Raimo Rein Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 8 6 4 - - - - - - - - 3 Petr Dobrý Jawa - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 3 - - 3 25 Chris Horsfield James - - - - - - 6 9 11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 Emilio Ostorero Husqvarna - - 6 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 Ulrich Gerster Greeves - - - - - - - - - - 20 9 - - - - - - - - - - 5 7 - - - - 2 Joël Robert Greeves 9 8 9 10 - - - - 17 7 - - - - - 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 Sivert Eriksson Greeves - - - - - - 14 6 9 12 8 5 - - - 6 9 15 - - - - - - - - - - 2 30 Oriol Puig Bulto Bultaco 8 9 - - 17 13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 Jussi Norrena Husqvarna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 Lars Olsson Greeves - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 - - - - - - - - - - 1 Ernst Wolff MZ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 8 7 6 1 - Aarno Erola Montesa - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - 0Sources:
Notes
References