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	29

Paul Friedrichs (21 March 1940 – 30 August 2012) was anEast German professionalmotocross andenduro racer.^[1] He competed in theMotocross World Championships from1961 to1972, most prominently as a member of theČZ factory motocross team where he won three consecutive titles from1966 to1968

Friedrichs was born inBuchholz and grew up inMecklenburg 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.

In1965, he finished in second place in the 500cc world championship, behindJeff Smith, before claiming his first world title in 1966 as a member of theČZ 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 in1967 and1968 to become the first three-time 500cc Motocross World Champion since the series' inception in1957.^[2] He was the top individual points scorer at the 1968Motocross des Nations event helping the East German team finish second to the Russian team.^[3] He dropped to third place in the1969 championship, then finished second toRoger De Coster in the1972 500cc world championship.

Friedrichs also competed in the 1972International Six Day Trial as a member of the East Germany national team that finished second to the powerful Czechoslovakia national team. At the age of 32, he retired from competition at the end of the 1972 season.

Friedrichs won 61 individual heat races and 29 Grand Prix victories during his world championship racing career.^[4] He won three 500cc motocross world titles (1966, 1967, 1968), two 500cc East German motocross national championships (1965, 1972) and four 250cc East German motocross national championships (1962, 1963, 1967, 1972).^[4] He was a member of three East GermanTrophée des Nations teams (1965, 1967, 1971), and three East German Motocross des Nations teams (1966, 1967, 1968). Friedrichs was the top individual points scorer at the 1968 Motocross des Nations event.^[3]

Friedrichs died inErfurt, Germany on 30 August 2012 at the age of 72.

Points system from 1952 to 1968:

Points system from 1969 to 1980:

• 1940 births
• 2012 deaths
• Sportspeople from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Sportspeople from Erfurt
• East German sportsmen
• East German motocross riders
• Enduro riders

• CS1 German-language sources (de)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from November 2018