John Dodds

John Dodds (13 November 1943 – 31 January 2024) was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed on the Grand Prix circuit from 1966 to 1978. His best finish was a third place behind Dieter Braun and Teuvo Länsivuori in the 1973 250cc world championship. Dodds died in Brisbane on 31 January 2024, at the age of 80.

Motorcycle racing career Dodds won his first world championship Grand Prix at the 1970 125cc West German Grand Prix held in rainy conditions at the challenging, long Nürburgring racetrack, riding a single-cylinder Aermacchi motorcycle.

During the 1971 season, Dodds helped fellow racer Kim Newcombe develop a motorcycle using a two-stroke outboard motor designed by Dieter König. Newcombe and the König were the first to challenge the dominance of the MV Agustas after the departure of Honda from Grand Prix competition at the end of the 1967 season.

Dodds competed in the inaugural Formula 750 European championship in 1973, finishing second at the challenging Clermont-Ferrand circuit, then won the final round at the Montjuïc circuit to finish the season ranked second in the championship behind Barry Sheene. In 1974, he won the preseason invitational 500cc Mettet Grand Prix and then, claimed the 1974 Formula 750 season world championship on a Yamaha TZ 350.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results Sources:

Points system from 1950 to 1968: Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 8 6 4 3 2 1 Points system from 1969 onwards: Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins1966 250cc Cotton ESP- GER- FRA- NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- FIN- ULS- IOMRET NAT- JPN- 0 - 0 500cc Norton GERRET NED- BEL13 DDR6 CZE10 FIN- ULSRET IOMRET NATRET 1 20th 0 1967 500cc Norton GERRET IOM- NED10 BEL8 DDR4 CZE6 FIN9 ULS- NATRET CAN- 4 13th 0 1968 500cc Norton GERRET ESP3 IOMRET NEDRET BEL10 DDRRET CZERET FIN5 ULS- NAT8 6 14th 01969 125cc Aermacchi ESP- GER- FRA- IOM- NED6 BEL11 DDR- CZE- FIN- NAT9 YUG- 7 25th 0 500cc Librenti ESP- GER4 FRARET IOM- NED- BELRET DDR- CZE- FINRET ULS- NAT3 YUGRET 18 11th 01970 125cc Aermacchi GER1 FRARET YUG- IOM- NEDRET BEL7 DDR- CZE- FINRET NAT- ESP6 24 8th 1 500cc Librenti GERRET FRA- YUG- IOM- NEDRET BELRET DDR2 FINRET ULSDNQ NAT- ESPRET 12 15th 01971 250cc Yamaha AUTRET GER3 IOM- NED7 BEL2 DDR- CZE- SWE7 FIN2 ULS- NAT2 ESP6 59 4th 0 500cc König AUTRET GER10 IOM- NEDRET BELRET DDRRET SWE- FIN- ULSRET NATRET ESP- 1 49th 01972 250cc Yamaha GER5 FRARET AUT3 NAT6 IOM- YUG4 NED- BEL5 DDR- CZE7 SWE8 FINRET ESP- 42 6th 0 350cc Yamaha GER- FRARET AUT- NAT- IOM- YUG- NED- DDR- CZE9 SWE- FIN6 ESP- 8 22nd 01973 250cc Yamaha FRA10 AUT5 GERRET IOM- YUG7 NED3 BEL2 CZE6 SWERET FIN3 ESP1 58 3rd 1 350cc Yamaha FRARET AUTRET GERRET NAT4 IOM- YUG3 NED4 BEL- CZE6 SWE4 FIN3 ESP- 49 4th 01974 250cc Yamaha GER- NATDNS IOMRET NED5 BEL4 SWERET FIN6 CZE7 YUG- ESP1 38 7th 1 350cc Yamaha FRA10 GER- AUTRET NAT- IOM- NEDRET BEL- SWE8 FIN1 YUG2 ESPRET 31 4th 11975 250cc Yamaha FRA- ESP- GER- NAT- IOM- NED- BEL- SWE- FIN6 CZE7 YUG- 9 19th 0 350cc Yamaha FRA- ESP- AUT- GER- NAT- IOM- NED- FIN10 CZE- YUG- 1 47th 01976 250cc Yamaha FRA11 NATRET YUG- IOM- NED3 BEL4 SWERET FIN7 CZE9 GER17 ESP14 24 11th 0 350cc Yamaha FRA10 AUT3 NAT3 YUGRET IOM- NED5 FIN9 CZE6 GERRET ESPRET 34 5th 01977 250cc Yamaha VEN- GER18 NAT18 ESPDNQ FRA10 YUG4 NEDDNQ BEL- SWE- FIN18 CZE13 GBR- 9 22nd 0 350cc Yamaha VEN- GERRET NAT- ESPRET FRA6 YUG5 NED- SWE- FINRET CZE- GBR12 11 20th 0 1978 250cc Yamaha VEN- ESP- FRARET NAT- NEDRET BELRET SWERET FIN9 GBR- GER20 CZE- YUG- 2 24th 0