Yrjö Vesterinen

Yrjö Vesterinen (born 7 December 1952) is a Finnish former International motorcycle trials World Champion. Vesterinen won the FIM World Trials Championship three times from 1976 through 1978. He was also eleven times Finnish National champion between 1970 and 1980, and British National champion in 1982.

Biography During 1970 Vesterinen won the Finnish National Trials championship and contested the FIM European Championships for the first time. He finished 4th in his home Finnish round and also scored a 10th place in Sweden, ending the season in 14th place.

Returning to the European championships in 1971, Vesterinen scored points at four rounds, his best being a third place podium finish in Finland behind Malcolm Rathmell and Mick Andrews, and a second in Sweden behind local rider Benny Sellman.

A switch to the Bultaco camp during the 1972 season saw Vesterinen retain his Finnish national title and take 6th in the European championship. Scoring a good fourth place in Finland and taking his first series win in Sweden.

Vesterinen slipped back to 7th in the standing for 1973, standing on the podium twice, with third place in Finland again behind Rathmell and Andrews, and third in Germany behind Martin Lampkin and Rob Edwards.

A best of second at the 1974 British round behind Rathmell but ahead of Andrews was to be the highlight of the season, with podiums in the US, Germany and Czechoslovakia helping him to 5th overall.

1975 was the first year of the re-titled FIM World Trials Championships. Vesterinen finished second to Martin Lampkin at the third round in Spain, and by round eight when he won the Canadian round realized he was in with a chance of winning the championship. He finished second to Malcolm Rathmell at the following US round then took a welcome victory at his home Finnish round, closing in on championship leader Lampkin. A pair of wins in Switzerland and Germany closed the gap even further, but a fourth place at the final round in Czechoslovakia, with Lampkin in second handed the title to Lampkin by one point.

Not wanting the same outcome for the 1976 season, Vesterinen started out the season with a win at the opening Irish round. During the season he finished 2nd to Rathmell in France, 2nd to Mick Andrews in Italy and second to Ulf Karlson in Sweden, along with wins in Germany and Finland to take the title ahead of the British pair of Rathmell and Lampkin.

Vesterinen retained his FIM World title in 1977, scoring in all twelve rounds and taking wins in Spain and Czechoslovakia among his six podium finishes, becoming the first multiple trials world champion.

1978 was a season long battle between Vesterinen and Lampkin, with Vesterinen taking the title by a mere two points after twelve rounds. He took four wins during the season to Lampkin's three.

Although Vesterinen once again scored well during all rounds of the 1979 world championship, his podiums and win in Belgium were not quite enough to hold off determined American Bernie Schreiber who took four wins throughout the season and managed to edge out Vesterinen for the title.

Riding a Montesa for the 1980 season, Vesterinen again battled reigning champion Schreiber the whole season, taking a win at the German round. But it was Swede Ulf Karlson who became World Champion at season's end with Schreiber second and Vesterinen third. The Finn did make history during the 1980 season by becoming the first foreign winner of the Scottish Six-Day trial.

Switching back to Bultaco Vesterinen was again third in 1981, taking a consolation win in Finland, and also retaining his national title.

Vesterinen still competes in the occasional vintage trials events such as the Pre-65 Scottish and the Red Rose Classic.

FIM European Trials Championship Career

Year Machine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank 1970 Montesa FIM European GER- FRA- GBR- BEL- IRL- SPA- FIN4 SWE10 POL- 9 14th 1971 Montesa FIM European GER7 GBR- BEL9 IRL- FRA- SPA- SWI- FIN3 SWE2 28 7th 1972 Bultaco FIM European BEL9 IRL- FRA- SPA- GBR- GER- ITA- FIN4 SWE1 SWI- 25 6th 1973 Bultaco FIM European IRL- BEL5 SPA- FRA- POL4 ITA- FIN3 SWE6 SWI- GER3 39 7th 1974 Bultaco FIM European USA3 IRL4 BEL5 SPA6 GBR2 FRA6 ITA7 POL5 GER3 FIN5 SWE7 CZE3 SWI9 62 5th

World Trials Championship Career

Year Machine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Points Rank 1975 Bultaco FIM World IRL5 BEL5 SPA2 GBR5 FRA4 POL4 ITA4 CAN1 USA2 FIN1 SWE4 SWI1 GER1 CZE4 100 2nd 1976 Bultaco FIM World IRL1 BEL6 SPA5 GBR- FRA2 GER1 ITA2 USA2 SWE2 FIN1 SWI2 CZE3 93 1st 1977 Bultaco FIM World IRL4 GBR6 BEL3 SPA1 FRA3 GER5 USA10 CAN2 SWE4 FIN2 CZE1 SWI6 107 1st 1978 Bultaco FIM World IRL1 GBR1 BEL3 FRA3 SPA6 GER8 USA2 ITA5 AUT1 FIN2 SWE1 CZE3 128 1st 1979 Bultaco FIM World IRL5 GBR2 BEL1 NED2 SPA4 FRA4 CAN4 USA6 ITA6 SWE4 FIN3 CZE4 105 2nd 1980 Montesa FIM World IRL3 GBR6 BEL3 SPA3 AUT6 FRA3 SWI- GER1 ITA4 FIN6 SWE4 CZE4 94 3rd 1981 Bultaco FIM World SPA8 BEL3 IRL6 GBR7 FRA8 ITA6 AUT3 USA3 FIN1 SWE10 CZE3 GER3 86 3rd 1982 Bultaco FIM World SPA- BEL8 GBR6 ITA8 FRA- GER- AUT- CAN7 USA8 FIN6 SWE- POL- 23 10th 1983 Bultaco FIM World SPA- BEL- GBR10 IRL8 USA- FRA- AUT- ITA- SWI- FIN10 SWE- GER- 5 17th

Honors FIM World Trials Champion 1976, 1977, 1978 Finnish National NATC Trials Champion 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 British National Trials Champion 1982

Related Reading NATC Trials Championship FIM Trial European Championship FIM Trial World Championship Trial des Nations