1955 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Summary

The 1955 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the seventh 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 1 May, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix in Italy on 4 September.

Geoff Duke (pictured in 1951) won his last 500cc World Championship title in 1955.

1955 Grand Prix season calendar edit

Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report
1 1 May   Spanish Grand Prix Montjuïc circuit   Luigi Taveri   Reg Armstrong   Faust / Remmert Report
2 15 May   French Grand Prix Reims   Carlo Ubbiali   Duilio Agostini   Geoff Duke Report
3 10 June   Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain   Carlo Ubbiali   Bill Lomas   Bill Lomas   Geoff Duke   Schneider / Strauß Report
4 26 June   German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife   Carlo Ubbiali   Hermann Paul Müller   Bill Lomas   Geoff Duke   Faust / Remmert Report
5 3 July   Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps   Bill Lomas   Giuseppe Colnago   Noll / Cron Report
6 16 July   Dutch TT TT Circuit Assen   Carlo Ubbiali   Luigi Taveri   Ken Kavanagh   Geoff Duke   Faust / Remmert Report
7 13 August   Ulster Grand Prix Dundrod Circuit   John Surtees   Bill Lomas   Bill Lomas Report
8 4 September   Nations Grand Prix Monza   Carlo Ubbiali   Carlo Ubbiali   Dickie Dale   Umberto Masetti   Noll / Cron 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 were counted.

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

500cc final standings edit

Pos Rider Machine ESP
 
FRA
 
MAN
 
GER
 
BEL
 
HOL
 
ULS
 
NAC
 
Pts
1   Geoff Duke Gilera Ret 1 1 1 Ret 1 3 36
2   Reg Armstrong Gilera 1 3 2 Ret Ret 2 2 30
3   Umberto Masetti MV Agusta 3 4 3 1 19
4   Giuseppe Colnago Gilera 7 5 1 Ret 4 13
5   Carlo Bandirola MV Agusta 2 11 3 Ret Ret 10
6   Bill Lomas Moto Guzzi 7 1 8
7   Pierre Monneret Gilera 10 2 Ret 6
8   John Hartle Norton 13 2 6
9   Libero Liberati Gilera 2 Ret 6
10   Walter Zeller BMW 2 6
11   Bob McIntyre Norton 5 4 5
12   Dickie Dale Moto Guzzi Ret 3 4
=   Ken Kavanagh Moto Guzzi Ret 3 4
14   Léon Martin Gilera 3 4
15   Tito Forconi MV Agusta 6 4 Ret Ret 4
16   Duilio Agostini Moto Guzzi Ret 4 3
=   Jack Brett Norton 4 Ret 3
18   Orlando Valdinoci Gilera 4 3
=   Drikus Veer Gilera 4 3
20   Bob Brown Matchless 16 11 5 2
21   Alfredo Milani Gilera Ret 14 5 2
22   Peter Murphy Matchless Ret Ret Ret 5 2
23   Auguste Goffin Norton Ret Ret 5 2
24   Jacques Collot Norton 5 Ret 2
=   Nello Pagani MV Agusta 5 Ret 2
26   Jack Ahearn Norton Ret 6 7 Ret Ret 1
27   Eddie Grant Matchless / Norton 14 16 6 1
28   John Clark Matchless Ret 6 1
=   Ernst Riedelbauch BMW Ret 6 1
=   John Storr Norton Ret 6 1
31   Firmin Dauwe Norton 6 1
=   Derek Ennett Matchless 6 1
33   Hans-Günther Jäger Norton 7 8 0
=   Eric Jones Norton 8 7 0
35   Florian Camathias Norton 7 Ret 0
=   Gerold Klinger BMW Ret 7 0
37   Piet Bakker Norton 7 0
38   Len Aislabie Norton 20 Ret 8 Ret 0
39   Sven Andersson Norton Ret 8 Ret 0
40   William Hall Norton Ret 8 0
41   Marcel Beauvais Norton 8 0
=   Alfredo Flores Norton 8 0
=   Priem Rozenberg BMW 8 0
44   Bob Matthews Norton 11 9 Ret 11 0
45   Bill Collett Matchless 23 Ret 9 0
46   Derek Powell Matchless 9 Ret 0
=   Percy Tait Norton Ret 9 0
48   Jean-Pierre Bayle Norton 9 0
=   Enrico Galante Norton 9 0
=   Kuno Johansson Matchless 9 0
51   Phil Heath Norton 14 13 10 Ret 0
52   Peter Davey Norton 10 Ret 0
=   Ernst Hiller Matchless 10 Ret 0
=   Maurice Low Triumph / BSA Ret 10 0
55   Artemio Cirelli Gilera 10 0
=   Edouard Texidor Norton 10 0
56   Robin Fitton Norton Ret 11 Ret 0
=   Piet Knijnenburg Matchless 11 0
=   Ray Travers Norton 11 0
59   Malcolm Templeton Matchless 30 12 0
60   John Hempleman Norton Ret 12 Ret 0
61   Mike O'Rourke Norton 12 0
=   Hans-Joachim Scheel Norton 12 0
63   Ken Tostevin Matchless Ret 13 0
64   Heinz Schreiber Norton 13 0
=   Casper Swart Norton 13 0
66   Angus Martin Norton 40 14 0
67   Peter Davey Norton 14 0
68   Arthur Wheeler Matchless 17 15 Ret 0
69   Harry Pearce Matchless 15 0
=   Karl-Heinz Scheifel Norton 15 0
=   Gerrit Ten Kate Norton 15 0
=   Harry Turner Norton 15 0
73   Ralph Rensen Norton 33 16 0
74   Frederick Cook Matchless 18 17 Ret Ret 0
75   Ernie Oliver Norton 17 0
76   Dick Knox Norton 18 0
77   Robert King Norton Ret 19 0
78   John Denton Norton 19 0
79   Ken Swallow Matchless 43 20 0
80   George Costain Norton 21 0
=   Jimmy Hayes AJS 21 0
82   Roy Evans Matchless 22 0
=   Ivor Lloyd Norton 22 0
84   Geoff Read Norton 24 0
85   Dave Chadwick Norton 25 Ret 0
86   Frank Perris Matchless 26 Ret 0
87   Eric Pantilin Norton 27 0
88   Albert Moule BSA 28 0
89   John Surtees Norton 29 Ret Ret 0
90   Bob Rowbottom Norton 31 0
91   George Catlin Norton 32 0
92   Philip Palmer BSA 34 0
93   Ken Tully Norton 35 0
94   Terry Shepherd Norton 36 0
95   Jack Bailey Norton 37 0
96   Bill Beevers Norton 38 0
97   Bill Roberton Norton 39 0
98   Joe Glazebrook Norton 41 0
99   Ray Fay BSA 42 0
100   Ralph Wijesinghe BSA 44 0
101   Walter Hancock BSA 45 0
102   Willie Wilshere Norton 46 0
103   Frank Norris Norton 47 0
  Tony McAlpine BMW Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
  Keith Campbell Norton Ret Ret Ret 0
  Chris Stormont BSA Ret Ret Ret 0
  Francis Flahaut Norton Ret Ret 0
  Ulf Gate Matchless Ret Ret 0
  Hans Haldemann Norton Ret Ret 0
  Dick Thomson Matchless Ret Ret 0
  Fergus Anderson Moto Guzzi Ret 0
  Fernando Aranda Norton Ret 0
  Bruno Böhrer Horex Ret 0
  Paolo Campanelli Gilera Ret 0
  Roly Capner BSA Ret 0
  Louis Carr Norton Ret 0
  Louis Carter Norton Ret 0
  Phil Carter Matchless Ret 0
  Eric Cheers Matchless Ret 0
  Franco Chinelli Gilera Ret 0
  Javier de Ortueta Norton Ret 0
  Rally Dean Norton Ret 0
  Stanley Dibben Norton Ret 0
  Anton Elbersen Norton Ret 0
  Lodovico Facchinelli Gilera Ret 0
  Luigi Folconi Moto Guzzi Ret 0
  Bob Ferguson AJS Ret 0
  Jack Forrest BMW Ret 0
  Frank Fox Norton Ret 0
  Martino Giani Gilera Ret 0
  Francisco González Norton Ret 0
  John Grace Norton Ret 0
  Francesco Guglielminetti Norton Ret 0
  Wilf Herron Norton Ret 0
  Eric Houseley Matchless Ret 0
  Roy Ingram Norton Ret 0
  Arnold Jones Matchless Ret 0
  Harald Karlsson Norton Ret 0
  Rudolf Knees Norton Ret 0
  George Leigh Norton Ret 0
  Robert McCracken Triumph Ret 0
  George Northwood BSA Ret 0
  Pierre Nicholas Norton Ret 0
  Tony Ovens Norton Ret 0
  Harry Plews Norton Ret 0
  Maurice Quincey Norton Ret 0
  Gerald Robarts Norton Ret 0
  Michael Roche Norton Ret 0
  Charlie Salt BSA Ret 0
  George Salt Matchless Ret 0
  W. Stewart Norton Ret 0
  Martinus van Son Norton Ret 0
  John Williamson Norton Ret 0
  Jackie Wood Norton Ret 0
  Erich Wünsche Norton Ret 0
  Georg Braun Horex DNS 0
  Allen Burt Matchless DNS 0
  Ricardo Galvagni Norton DNS 0
  Sakari Järvimaa Matchless DNS 0
  Armando Poggi Norton DNS 0
  R. Siriwardena Norton DNS 0
  W.H. Spence Norton DNS 0
  Des Wright BSA DNS 0
Pos Rider Bike ESP
 
FRA
 
MAN
 
GER
 
BEL
 
HOL
 
ULS
 
NAC
 
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   Bill Lomas 72 United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 32 4
2   Dickie Dale United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 18 1
3   August Hobl Germany DKW 17 0
4   Ken Kavanagh Australia Moto Guzzi 14 1
5   Cecil Sandford United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 13 0
6   John Surtees United Kingdom Norton 11 0
7   Duilio Agostini Italy Moto Guzzi 8 1
8   Bob McIntyre United Kingdom Norton 8 0
9   John Hartle United Kingdom Norton 7 0
10   Roberto Colombo Italy Moto Guzzi 7 0
11   Keith Campbell Australia Norton 4 0
12   Enrico Lorenzetti Italy Moto Guzzi 3 0
=   Auguste Goffin Belgium Velocette 3 0
14   Peter Murphy New Zealand AJS 3 0
=   Karl Hofmann Germany DKW 3 0
16   Maurice Quincey Australia Norton 2 0
17   Hans Bartl Netherlands DKW 2 0
18   Jacques Collot France Norton 1 0

250cc Standings edit

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1   Hermann Paul Müller Germany NSU 16 1
2   Cecil Sandford United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 14 0
3   Bill Lomas United Kingdom MV Agusta 13 1
4   Luigi Taveri Switzerland MV Agusta 11 1
5   Umberto Masetti Italy MV Agusta 11 0
6   Sammy Miller United Kingdom NSU 10 0
7   John Surtees United Kingdom NSU 8 1
=   Carlo Ubbiali Italy MV Agusta 8 1
9   Hans Baltisberger Germany NSU 6 0
=   Wolfgang Brandt Germany NSU 6 0
11   Arthur Wheeler United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 6 0
12   Enrico Lorenzetti Italy Moto Guzzi 3 0
13   Dave Chadwick United Kingdom RD Special 2 0
14   Bill Webster United Kingdom Velocette 1 0
=   Helmut Hallmeier Germany NSU 1 0

125cc Standings edit

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1   Carlo Ubbiali Italy MV Agusta 32 5
2   Luigi Taveri Switzerland MV Agusta 26 1
3   Remo Venturi Italy MV Agusta 16 0
4   Giuseppe Lattanzi Italy Mondial 11 0
5   Angelo Copeta Italy MV Agusta 8 0
6   Romolo Ferri Italy Mondial 7 0
7   Bill Webster United Kingdom MV Agusta 5 0
8   Rudolf Grimas Austria Mondial 4 0
9   Bill Lomas United Kingdom MV Agusta 3 0
=   August Hobl Germany DKW 3 0
=   Karl Lottes Germany MV Agusta 3 0
=   Tarquinio Provini Italy Mondial 3 0
13   Bernhard Petruschke Germany IFA 2 0
=   Willi Scheidhauer Germany MV Agusta 2 0
=   Sigfried Wünsche Germany DKW 2 0
16   Marcelo Cama Spain Montesa 1 0
=   Paolo Campanelli Italy Mondial 1 0
=   Erhard Krumpholz Germany IFA 1 0
=   Ross Porter United Kingdom MV Agusta 1 0
=   Erich Wünsche Germany MV Agusta 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". Retrieved 2010-07-06.