1979 – In this year the International Six-Days returned to Germany, Neukirchen, in the heart of Siegen, a region rich in forests already known to sportsmen for being the venue of numerous tests of the European Championship, where the hilly woodland promised large amounts of mud.
From September 10th to 15th the 54 edition ran with the prestigious presence of as many as 25 different motorcycle factories, 7 of which produced in Italy, 6 in the two Germanies, two in Czechoslovakia, two in Austria, two in Spain, four in Japan, 1 in Canada and 1 in Sweden. 389 riders were entered at the start, including 99 KTMs and 54 SWMs.
In 1979 there was yet another change to the Regulations, with the introduction of more stringent standards for the award of medals.
The maximum percentage difference for the first prize was reduced from 15% to 10% for the gold medal, from 60% to 25% for the silver medal and more than 25% for the bronze medal.
In small displacements the AIM 50 was noted, a mix of top of the range components, the engine a 6-speed short-stroke Minarelli, Sachs Hydrocross shock absorbers, the forks Paioli 32 mm.
An instrument tuned to perfection on which a great expert like Gino Perego was able to draw the winning performance, in the wake of a crazy ride that only the wild Bergamo rider was capable of.
BMW lined up a squadron of its new 80 G/S, with double-cradle frame and a new system on the rear cantilever, with a single central Bilstein shock.On these super motos with a displacement of 798cc, 55 hp, were installed advanced fork legs in the front forks and Metzeler tyres 3.00 x 5.00 x 21 front and 17 rear. As always, the clash took place between the top four favoured nations, Italy, Czechoslovakia and the two Germanys, but, as always, a series of unpredictable twists and turns made the outcome ​​more uncertain.
Stodulka and Posik were injured and absent, the team of the Czech Jawa Trophy was changed at the last minute and consisted of 250 Mrazek, Chovancik and Cisar 350, Pokorny and Zloch 500, 750cc Masita.
Like the previous year, Zündapp favoured the 100cc model (3 examples were assigned to Hau, Schmider and Grisse) and Kreutz with the 175cc, but for the third obligatory class the Trophy Team had to use new men such as Werner Schutz on a Maico 500 and Heino Buse on a Maico 750.

I

The hosts began to do well right from the first day both in the Trophy and the Silver Vase, but the second day had to resort to a regulations ruse to keep in the running.
Hau and Grisse were leaders in their class, but were detached by a large gap from Schmider, delayed by several setbacks. They claimed to have lost the road map, a cunning ploy to get 10 penalty points and thus reduce the separation from their teammate.
Reducing the difference between their riders improved the overall performance of the entire team.
Just behind the German positions came immediately the Italians Gualtiero Brissoni, SWM 350, Elijah Andrioletti KTM 250, Guglielmo Andreini SWM 500, Augusto Taiocchi KTM 350, Gianangelo Croci KTM 500 and Franco Gualdi on an SWM 250.
Committed to fighting without truce, no quarter was given to anyone and, on the third day they went into the lead, after Buse was unable to start his bike within the regulation time period.
Thanks to Buse’s problem, the Italians took the decisive lead and were able to keep it until the end, but lived through some moments of frantic agitation when Gualdi, who stopped for a puncture, was given outside help and heavily sanctioned with a 15,000 points penalty.
This was immediately appealed and, late at night, Gualdi was reinstated by the International Jury.
From that year the new FIM regulations granted the right to receive outside help to re-inflate a flat repaired tyre.
Passing on brilliantly from this unfortunate impasse, the Italians did not suffer any other pitfalls and, after many years of fasting, 48 to be exact, came back to win the Trophy.
Behind them, were placed Germany and Czechoslovakia, the GDR 4th, 5th were Sweden, the U.S. 6th, 7th Holland, Poland 8th, 9th Great Britain, Austria, 10th, 11th Belgium, Sweden 12th, 13th Australia, France 14th, Finland 15th, 16th Spain and Canada 17th.
In the Silver Vase Italy sided Pietro Gagni, who lost almost 50 minutes on the first day, and Angelo Signorelli, of Fantic 50, Joseph Signorelli, of Fantic 75, and Andrea Marinoni of SWM 175.
Despite the great success of Marinoni, the dull performance of the Fantic relegated Italy to 8th place.
The prestigious title was won by Czechoslovakia, followed by the DDR and West Germany, Sweden, 4th, 5th Poland, USA 6th, 7th Australia, Italy 8th, 9th Belgium, Finland 10th, Sweden 11th, 12th Holland, Austria 13th, Spain 14th, 15th England, France 16th and 17th Canada.
The 50 class was won by Gino Perego on AIM, the class of 75 by Bruno Rebuli Puch, the 100 class by Eduard Hau on a Zündapp, the 125 class on the KTM 125 ridden by Alessandro Gritti, Andrea Marinoni SWM 175 (175 class), the 250cc class by Frank Schubert of MZ, who was also the absolute winner, the 350cc class by Augusto Taiocchi, Guglielmo Andreini in the 500cc class on an SWM, the 750 class was won by Heino Buse on a Maico of over 750 by Fritz Witzel on BMW.