János Drapál (3 February 1948 – 11 August 1985) was a

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

road racer from

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. He had little chance to race in the Grand Prix world championships during the

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, but still won four Grand Prix races. Drapál had his best year in

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

when he won the Yugoslavian Grand Prix and finished the year in seventh place in the 350cc world championship, riding a

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

. In

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

he won two Grand Prix races but slipped to ninth place in the 350cc world championship. Drapál was killed in 1985 after a collision with a Czech track

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during a 250cc race at the

Piešťany Piešťany (; german: Pistyan, hu, Pöstyén, pl, Pieszczany , cs, Píšťany ) is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best kno ...

airfield circuit in Czechoslovakia.Drapál memorial
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Grand Prix motorcycle racing results

Points system from 1950 to 1968: Points system from 1969 onwards: (

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) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drapal, Janos 1948 births 1985 deaths Sportspeople from Budapest Hungarian motorcycle racers 125cc World Championship riders 250cc World Championship riders 350cc World Championship riders Motorcycle racers who died while racing Sport deaths in Czechoslovakia