Paul Friedrichs

Paul Friedrichs
Friedrichs in 1964
Nationality	German
Born	(1940-03-21)21 March 1940 Buchholz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Died	30 August 2012(2012-08-30) (aged 72) Erfurt
Motocross career
Years active	1961 – 1972
Teams	CZ
Championships	500cc – 1966–1968
Wins	28

Paul Friedrichs (21 March 1940 – 30 August 2012) was an East German professional motocross and enduro racer.^[1] He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1961 to 1972, most prominently as a member of the ČZ factory motocross team where he won three consecutive titles from 1966 to 1968

Friedrichs was born in Buchholz and grew up in Mecklenburg where he joined the motor sports clubs MC tractor Franzburg, MC Dynamo Rostock / Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo. With the training offered by the clubs, he developed into one of the best motocross and enduro racers of his era.

In 1965, he finished in second place in the 500cc world championship, behind Jeff Smith, before claiming his first world title in 1966 as a member of the ČZ factory motocross team. His was the first 500cc championship won on a two-cycle powered motocross bike and the first by a rider from the eastern 'bloc' of a divided Europe.

Friedrichs successfully defended his crown in 1967 and 1968 to become the first three-time 500cc Motocross World Champion since the series' inception in 1957.^[2] He was the top individual points scorer at the 1968 Motocross des Nations event helping the East German team finish second to the Russian team.^[3] He dropped to third place in the 1969 championship, then finished second to Roger De Coster in the 1972 500cc world championship.

Friedrichs also competed in the 1972 International Six Day Trial as a member of the East Germany national team that finished second to the powerful Czechoslovakia national team. He died in Erfurt, Germany on 30 August 2012 at the age of 72.

Points system from 1952 to 1968:

Points system from 1969 to 1980: