FLASHBACK FRIDAY: AKE JONSSON’S SPARK PLUG

Ake Jonsson on his Maico. Photo by Justyn Norek

Going into the final round of the 1971 500 World Championship at St. Anthonis, Holland, Roger DeCoster and Ake Jonsson were locked in a close duel for the crown. Jonsson had won the 500 Luxembourg GP the week before and went to Holland with a one-point lead. Unfortunately, while leading the race, his Maico’s spark plug came loose. DeCoster passed Ake to win the 1971 500 World Championship. Ake put the plug back in by hand and finished 10th.

Ake Jonsson was the great motocross racer, but he never came as close to winning a World Champion than in 1971. Roger DeCoster  won 5 of the 12 GPs in 1971, Ake Jonsson won 3, Paul Friedrichs 2, Adolf Weil 1 and Bengt Aberg 1.

Jonsson is best known in America for two things; (1) In 1972 Ake Jonsson then won nine consecutive races on his way to the AMA Trans-AMA series title. (2) When Ake switched from Maico to Yamaha for the 1973 season he brought his Maico forks with him—and forced Yamaha to let him run them. They weren’t happy about it.  Ake was on three winning Motocross des Nations teams in 1970, 1971 and 1974, and three winning Trophee des Nations teams in 1964, 1966 and 1967. He was also the Swedish National Champion seven times.