TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOY: THE FIRST OF THE SOVIET MISSILES

1965 250 World Champion Viktor Arbekov.

1965 FIM 250 World Champion Viktor Arbekov was born on March 8, 1942, in Podolsk, a city 30 miles south of Moscow and passed away on February 18, 2017, at the age of 75. Viktor started racing in 1956 on a home-built 125 at the age of 14. Arbekov would go on to win the USSR 125 National Championship in 1959. Over the course of his career he won 14 USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) National crowns.

In 1963, Arbekov finished 20th in the FIM 250 World Motocross Championships. In 1964, he finished third behind Joel Robert and Torsten Hallman. The following year Arbekov defeated Joel Robert to win the 1965 World Championship. In 1966 and 1967 Viktor finished fourth in the 250 World Championships. And, in 1968, he was ninth overall—and disappeared from the Grand Prix scene to behind the Iron Curtain (often rumored to have fallen afoul of his Soviet handlers).

During his GP career Arbekov won nine 250 GPs and one 500 GP (in Germany in 1966). From 1961 to 1968 he was a member of the USSR national team at the Trophee and Motocross des Nationals. After the end of his sports career he was engaged in coaching up-and-coming Russian riders.

 

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