Rolf Tibblin


Rolf Tibblin is a Swedish former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1957 to 1967, most prominently as a member of the Husqvarna factory racing team where he was a two-time 500cc Motocross World Champion. His motorcycle racing career spanned the transition from the heavy, four-stroke motorcycles of the 1950s, to the lightweight two-stroke motorcycles of the 1960s. He was one of the first motocross competitors to stress the importance of a rigorous physical fitness training regimen.
Tibblin was part of a contingent of Swedish motorcyclists including; Bill Nilsson, Sten Lundin and Torsten Hallman who dominated the sport of motocross in the early 1960s. He was a member of Swedish teams that won two consecutive Motocross des Nations events and was the top individual points scorer at the 1962 event. Tibblin was also an accomplished enduro racer, finishing as the top individual points scorer at the 1960 International Six Days Trial. After his World Championship career, he competed in desert racing, winning the prestigious Baja 1000 off-road race in 1972. Tibblin was inducted into the A.M.A. Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Motorcycle racing career

Tibblin was born in the Sollentuna Municipality on the north side of Stockholm, Sweden on May 7, 1937. As a youth, he participated in the sports of ice hockey and football. He showed enough promise in football that he trained with the Turebergs Athletic Club, however he didn't enjoy the club's slave driving mentality in regards to training. Convinced that physical training should be enjoyable, his interests turned to motorcycle racing and he joined the local Upplands Väsby Motorcycle Club. Tibblin regarded the physical training as an absolute must in order to become a successful rider.
In 1954 at the age of 17, Tibblin began competing in motocross and enduro competitions. Although he lacked natural riding talent, he persevered and by 1956 he won a local Swedish championship riding a BSA motorcycle. In 1957, Tibblin scored an impressive fourth place at the 500cc Swedish Motocross Grand Prix aboard his BSA and ended the season ranked 12th in the 500cc Motocross World Championship.
His impressive performance got the attention of the Husqvarna factory who offered him support for the 1958 season. Tibblin entered the 250cc European Motocross Championship where he scored his first victory in international competition by winning the 250cc West German Grand Prix and finished the season ranked second in the final point standings to Jaromír Čížek.
In the 1959 250cc European Motocross Championship, Tibblin won the first heat race at the season-opening 250cc Austrian Grand Prix, but suffered an eye injury after crashing in the second heat race which forced him to miss the next three rounds. He returned to compete in the East German Grand Prix, but was forced to abandon the race as his eye injury made it difficult for him to focus. Tibblin then scored two third place finishes at the 250cc Polish Grand Prix before he went on a winning streak, winning six of the final seven rounds to claim his first major championship. He clinched the European Championship at the 250cc Luxembourg Grand Prix by lapping the entire field with the exception of second placed Brian Stonebridge (Greeves

Motocross career overview

Tibblin won 54 individual heat races and 29 Grand Prix victories during his world championship racing career. He won two 500cc motocross world titles (1963, 1964

Later life

Seeking new challenges, Tibblin moved his family to the United States in 1971 where he operated the "Husqvarna International Training Center"; a motocross school in Carlsbad, California during the mid-1970s as the sport enjoyed a boom in popularity. He also began to compete in desert racing, teaming with Gunnar Nilsson to win the prestigious Baja 1000 off-road race on a Husqvarna in 1972. He also won the 1972 Mint 400 desert race with Bob Grossi as his teammate. He repeated his Mint 400 victory in 1973 with Mitch Mayes as his teammate, and in 1976 with teammate Jack Johnson. In 1982, Tibblin won the Mint 400 Class-2 division for unlimited four wheel two-seat vehicles with co-driver Jim Temple.
He later moved to Sri Lanka, where he operated a luxury bed and breakfast with his wife. He also held membership with the Sri Lanka Association of Drivers and Riders, supporting motor sports in Sri Lanka.

Motocross Grand Prix Results

Points system from 1952 to 1968:
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Points864321

Denotes European motocross championship only.