JON EKEROLD’S PRIVATEER TITLE TRIUMPH REMAINS HIS CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Jon Ekerold’s route to the 350cc world title was anything but conventional. A Johannesburg-born son of a Norwegian immigrant, he remained a Norwegian citizen, though racing records listed him as South African because of his residence and licence. He left school at 16 to earn money for his ambition of becoming a racer, buying his first 50cc machine in 1968 before moving on to a Yamaha 250.

Ekerold arrived in Europe in 1975, aged 28, and made an immediate impression. After a serious hand injury in an earlier race, he entered the 350cc Grand Prix at the Salzburgring as a late replacement, without prior confirmation of his entry. He finished second, earning his first world championship points and his first Grand Prix podium in one race. He competed only sporadically in his early seasons, but still collected podiums, including third place in the 250cc race at the Nürburgring in 1976.

His results grew more consistent in 1977. Ekerold claimed his first Grand Prix victory in the 250cc class at Le Castellet and finished eighth in that championship. In the 350cc standings he was third, with three podiums. The following year brought more strong finishes: he placed fourth in the 350cc championship, behind Kawasaki’s Kork Ballington and Gregg Hansford, and was eighth in the 250cc class.

A second 350cc Grand Prix win came in 1979 at the Motodrom in Baden, where he beat Toni Mang. That result, alongside a second place at the Salzburgring, helped him finish eighth in the championship. For 1980, Ekerold focused on the 350cc category with the German Solitude team and emerged as Mang’s principal challenger. Ekerold and Mang each won twice during the six-round season, while Johnny Cecotto took the opening race.

The title came down to the final round at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a circuit whose danger and use in the championship were controversial. Over six laps and 137.1 kilometres, Ekerold and Mang fought a hard duel. Ekerold edged the contest on a privately run Bimota-Yamaha, becoming world champion and defeating the factory-backed rival.

He returned to challenge for the title in 1981, winning in Buenos Aires and Monza, but Mang proved stronger in the second half of the season. Ekerold finished runner-up, then moved to Cagiva’s 500cc effort. His only points finish in that class was tenth at Hockenheim in 1982; after a difficult 1983, he retired and returned to South Africa. He later settled in Germany in 1996.

Across 56 Grand Prix starts, Ekerold recorded 19 podiums, including seven victories. His family also had links to sport: several of his six sons became involved in motorsport, while his eldest, Gary, became a racing director with Formula E’s Jaguar TCS Racing team. Ekerold later recounted his life and career in his book, “Jon Ekerold – The Privateer”; a German edition, “Jon Ekerold – der Privatfahrer,” appeared in 2023.