1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Summary

The 1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the fourth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eight Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 18 May, with Swiss Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 5 October.

Umberto Masetti won his second and final 500cc World Championship title in 1952.
Geoff Duke (pictured in 1951) successfully defended his 350cc World Championship title.
Enrico Lorenzetti won his only world championship in the 250cc class.

1952 Grand Prix season calendar edit

Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report
1 18 May   Swiss Grand Prix Bremgarten   Fergus Anderson   Geoff Duke   Jack Brett   Milani / Pizzocri Report
2 13 June   Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain   Cecil Sandford   Fergus Anderson   Geoff Duke   Reg Armstrong Report
3 28 June   Dutch TT Assen   Cecil Sandford   Enrico Lorenzetti   Geoff Duke   Umberto Masetti Report
4 6 July   Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps   Geoff Duke   Umberto Masetti   Oliver / Price Report
5 20 July   German Grand Prix Solitude   Werner Haas   Rudi Felgenheier   Reg Armstrong   Reg Armstrong   Smith / Clements Report
6 16 August   Ulster Grand Prix Clady   Cecil Sandford   Maurice Cann   Ken Kavanagh   Cromie McCandless Report
7 14 September   Nations Grand Prix Monza   Emilio Mendogni   Enrico Lorenzetti   Ray Amm   Leslie Graham   Merlo / Magri Report
8 5 October   Spanish Grand Prix Montjuïc   Emilio Mendogni   Leslie Graham     Oliver / Dobelli Report

Standings edit

Scoring system edit

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the four best races counted in the Sidecars, 125cc and 250cc, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, the five best results counted.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

500cc final standings edit

Pos Rider Machine SUI
 
MAN
 
HOL
 
BEL
 
GER
 
ULS
 
NAC
 
ESP
 
Pts
1   Umberto Masetti Gilera Ret 1 1 Ret Ret 2 2 28
2   Leslie Graham MV Agusta Ret 2 7 Ret 4 Ret 1 1 25
3   Reg Armstrong Norton Ret 1 4 Ret 1 Ret 6 5 22
4   Rod Coleman AJS 5 4 5 5 Ret 2 Ret 15
5   Jack Brett AJS / Norton 1 Ret 9 4 Ret 4 7 14
6   Ken Kavanagh Norton 32 3 2 Ret 3 14
7   Geoff Duke Norton Ret Ret 2 2 12
8   Nello Pagani Gilera 4 6 6 3 4 12
9   Cromie McCandless Norton / Gilera 6 1 9
10   Ray Amm Norton 6 3 Ret 3 Ret 9 9
11   Carlo Bandirola MV Agusta 3 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 7
12   Bill Doran AJS 2 6
13   Bill Lomas AJS / MV Agusta 5 Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret 6
14   Sid Lawton Norton / AJS 8 12 Ret 3 Ret 6 5
15   Auguste Goffin Norton 7 5 Ret Ret 2
16   Peter Carter Norton 10 5 2
17   Giuseppe Colnago Gilera 17 5 Ret 2
18   Hans Baltisberger BMW 6 Ret 1
19   John Surtees Norton 6 1
20   Libero Liberati Gilera 7 8 8 16 0
21   Siegfried Wünsche BMW / DKW 11 7 0
22   Tony McAlpine Norton 13 Ret 7 Ret 0
23   Roy Evans Norton 14 7 0
24   George Brown Norton 7 Ret 0
25   Robin Sherry Norton / AJS Ret 8 Ret 9 0
26   Ken Mudford Norton 8 10 0
27   Karl Rührschneck Norton 8 Ret 0
28   Fernando Aranda Gilera 8 0
=   William Campbell Norton 8 0
30   Lous van Riswijk Matchless / Norton 11 9 0
31   Siegfried Fuss Norton 9 0
=   John Guirke Norton 9 0
=   Alain Lawton Norton 9 0
=   Willy Lips Norton 9 0
=   Albert Moule Norton 9 0
36   Rudi Knees Norton 10 11 0
37   John Grace Norton 16 10 0
38   Jack Bailey Norton Ret 10 0
=   Friedel Schön Horex 10 Ret 0
40   Francis Basso Norton 10 0
=   Martino Giani MV Agusta 10 0
42   Humphrey Ranson Norton 17 Ret 11 0
43   Enrico Galante Norton 11 0
=   Malcolm Templeton AJS 11 0
=   Vic Willoughby Norton 11 0
=   Hans Wirz Triumph 11 0
47   Bill Beevers Norton 12 Ret 0
48   Francesco Guglielminetti MV Agusta 12 0
=   Herbert Ranson Norton 12 0
=   Geoff Read Norton 12 0
=   Edouard Texidor Norton 12 0
=   Harry Turner Norton 12 0
53   Javier de Ortueta Norton 13 Ret 0
54   Piet Bakker BMW 13 0
=   Massimo Forster Gilera 13 0
=   Ewald Kluge DKW 13 0
=   Douglas Sides Velocette 13 0
58   Carletto Bellotti Moto Guzzi 14 0
=   Harry Lindsay Triumph 14 0
=   Reg MacDonald AJS 14 0
=   Drikus Veer Triumph 14 0
62   Rally Dean Norton Ret Ret 15 0
63   Siegfried Vogel Norton 15 0
=   Don Williams Norton 15 0
65   Robert Ferguson AJS 16 0
66   John Dickson Velocette 18 0
=   Charlie Salt BSA 18 0
68   Robin Fitton Norton 19 0
=   Cyril Stevens Norton 19 0
70   Fonsie McGovern Norton 20 0
=   Frank Norris Norton 20 0
72   Arthur Wheeler Norton 21 Ret Ret 0
73   J. O. Kerrigan Triumph 21 0
74   Ken Swallow Norton 22 0
75   Syl Anderton Norton 23 0
76   Les Dear Norton 24 0
77   Sven Sørensen Norton 25 0
78   Howard Grindley Norton 26 0
79   Jack Varlow Norton 27 0
80   Harry Stephen Norton 28 0
81   Leo Starr AJS 29 0
82   Dennis Lashmar Norton 30 0
83   David Stevenson AJS 31 0
84   Leslie Harris Norton Ret 33 0
85   Leslie Barrett Norton 34 0
86   John Fisher AJS 35 0
87   Joe Glazebrook Norton 36 0
88   Jack Harding Norton 37 0
89   Eric Hardy AJS 38 0
90   Ivor Wagar Triumph 39 0
91   Bob McDonald AJS 40 0
92   Charlie Gray AJS 41 0
  Phil Heath Vincent / Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret
  Bob Matthews Norton / Matchless Ret Ret Ret 0
  Alfredo Milani Gilera Ret Ret Ret 0
  Ernie Ring Matchless Ret Ret Ret 0
  Charles Bruguiere Norton Ret Ret 0
  Georges Burgaff Norton Ret Ret 0
  Werner Gerber Horex Ret Ret 0
  Dean Hollier Norton Ret Ret 0
  Sidney Mason Norton Ret Ret 0
  Bill Petch Norton Ret DNS 0
  Emilio Soprani Gilera Ret DNS 0
  Jost Albisser Rudge Ret 0
  Syd Barnett Norton Ret 0
  Edgar Barth Norton Ret 0
  Felice Benasedo Moto Guzzi Ret 0
  David Bennett Norton Ret 0
  Wilf Billington Norton Ret 0
  George Brockerton Bitza Ret 0
  Louis Carter Norton Ret 0
  Jacques Collot Norton Ret 0
  Firmin Dauwe Norton Ret 0
  Lodovico Facchinelli Gilera Ret 0
  Archie Fenn Norton Ret 0
  Peter Fernando Norton Ret 0
  Cees Fokke-Bosch Norton Ret 0
  Tito Forconi MV Agusta Ret 0
  Sid Franklen AJS Ret 0
  Roy Godwin Norton Ret 0
  Ernst Gross BMW Ret 0
  Bill Hall Norton Ret 0
  Ernst Hoske Horex Ret 0
  Robert King Norton Ret 0
  John Maloney Vincent Ret 0
  Alex Mayer Norton Ret 0
  Tommy McEwan Norton Ret 0
  Gerhard Mette BMW Ret 0
  Stan Miller Norton Ret 0
  Eric Oliver Norton Ret 0
  Ashley Parry Norton Ret 0
  Roland Pike BSA Ret 0
  Arthur Pollitt Norton Ret 0
  Mark Prudence Norton Ret 0
  Bob Rowbottom AJS Ret 0
  Cecil Sandford BSA Ret 0
  Simon Sandys-Winsch Velocette Ret 0
  Lodewijk Simons Norton Ret 0
  Henk Steman Norton Ret 0
  Norman Stewart Norton Ret 0
  Les Tedder AJS Ret 0
  Roy Walker BSA Ret 0
  Dick Ward Velocette Ret 0
  Leonard Williams Velocette Ret 0
  Tommy Wood Norton Ret 0
  Gerhard Pohlers BMW DNS 0
Pos Rider Bike SUI
 
MAN
 
HOL
 
BEL
 
GER
 
ULS
 
NAC
 
ESP
 
Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

350cc Standings edit

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1   Geoff Duke United Kingdom Norton 32 4
2   Reg Armstrong Ireland Norton 24 1
3   Ray Amm Southern Rhodesia Norton 21 1
4   Rod Coleman New Zealand AJS 20 0
5   Ken Kavanagh Australia Norton 16 1
6   Jack Brett United Kingdom AJS 12 0
7   Bill Lomas United Kingdom AJS 9 0
8   Sid Lawton United Kingdom AJS 7 0
9   Robin Sherry United Kingdom AJS 4 0
10   Ernie Ring Austria AJS 3 0
11   Ewald Kluge Germany DKW 2 0
=   Auguste Goffin Belgium Norton 2 0
13   Leslie Graham United Kingdom Velocette 1 0
=   Mike O'Rourke Ireland AJS 1 0
=   George Brown United Kingdom AJS 1 0
=   Roland Schnell Germany Horex 1 0

250cc Standings edit

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1   Enrico Lorenzetti Italy Moto Guzzi 28 2
2   Fergus Anderson United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 24 2
3   Leslie Graham United Kingdom Velocette 11 0
4   Maurice Cann United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 10 1
5   Rudi Felgenheier Germany DKW 8 1
6   Bruno Ruffo Italy Moto Guzzi 7 0
7   Werner Haas Germany NSU 6 0
=   Heinrich Thorn-Prikker Germany Moto Guzzi 6 0
=   Alano Montanari Italy Moto Guzzi 6 0
10   Herman Gablenz Germany Horex 4 0
=   Sid Lawton United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 4 0
=   Arthur Wheeler United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 4 0
13   Ewald Kluge Germany DKW 3 0
=   Ronald Mead United Kingdom Velocette 3 0
=   Gotthilf Gehring Germany Moto Guzzi 3 0
16   Roberto Colombo Italy NSU 2 0
=   Bill Webster United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
=   Nino Grieco Italy Parilla 2 0
=   Benny Rood United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
20   Bruno Francisci Italy Moto Guzzi 1 0
=   Ray Petty United Kingdom Norton 1 0
=   Sieb Postma Netherlands Moto Guzzi 1 0

125cc Standings edit

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1   Cecil Sandford United Kingdom MV Agusta 28 3
2   Carlo Ubbiali Italy Mondial 24 0
3   Emilio Mendogni Italy Morini 16 2
4   Leslie Graham United Kingdom MV Agusta 10 0
5   Luigi Zinzani Italy Morini 9 0
6   Werner Haas Germany NSU 8 1
7   Angelo Copeta Italy MV Agusta 7 0
8   Bill Lomas United Kingdom MV Agusta 6 0
9   Guido Sala Italy MV Agusta 5 0
10   Len Parry United Kingdom Mondial 4 0
=   Charlie Salt United Kingdom MV Agusta 4 0
12   Romolo Ferri Italy Morini 3 0
=   Cromie McCandless United Kingdom Mondial 3 0
=   Hubert Luttenberger Germany NSU 3 0
15   Hermann Paul Müller Germany Mondial 2 0
16   Frank Burman United Kingdom EMC-Puch 1 0
=   Lo Simons Netherlands Mondial 1 0

References edit

  • Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
  • "The Official MotoGP website". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2010-07-06.