My favorite pics of the late great Donny Schmit

bobby397
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bobby397 9/28/2011 5:26pm
9/28/2011 5:26pm Edited Date/Time 9/28/2011 5:26pm
a
Premixed
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Premixed 9/28/2011 6:09pm
9/28/2011 6:09pm
tblazier wrote:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/65727046@N02/6183550531/][img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6183550531_48c56f0864_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/65727046@N02/6183550531/]Donny Schmit[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/65727046@N02/]teyblyy[/url], on Flickr

Donny Schmit by teyblyy, on Flickr
This is what im talking about. Only 1992 YZ250 ever with a low-boy pipe buddy.
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The Shop

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YAKMX
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YAKMX 10/29/2011 8:31am
10/29/2011 8:31am
braaap wrote:
Yeah, Donny was an inspiration for sure. [img]http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m69/braaap121/Misc%20stuff/Donnie_Schmit.jpg[/img]
Yeah, Donny was an inspiration for sure.

Always my favorite rider. Loved the European look of that era.I saw him at Broome one year on the white Chesterfield bike. He carried so much corner speed.
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TX24
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TX24 11/10/2011 6:09pm
11/10/2011 6:09pm
Those shop photos are great and all else. We lost him way too early.
Charles Bronson 12/31/2011 12:46pm
12/31/2011 12:46pm
Arrow pipes and silencers on those Yamahas, just like my street bike. I cant believe this guy just fell over and died at 30.
tblazier
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tblazier 12/31/2011 12:52pm
12/31/2011 12:52pm
burnside wrote:
Tblazer - do you have a tumblr? If not, you should. Would be awesome.

Something like this but moto: http://dead-gypsy-head.tumblr.com/archive
I've heard of Tumblr but i have no idea what it is. What does it do?
burnside
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burnside 12/31/2011 2:02pm
12/31/2011 2:02pm
burnside wrote:
Tblazer - do you have a tumblr? If not, you should. Would be awesome.

Something like this but moto: http://dead-gypsy-head.tumblr.com/archive
tblazier wrote:
I've heard of Tumblr but i have no idea what it is. What does it do?
Theres lots of different 'themes' to choose from, but is sort of like an internet scrap board.. a place to hang a load of pictures.

Heres a good example: http://kustomking.tumblr.com/

Could be a nice way to archive some of your finds.
RbR
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RbR 12/31/2011 2:46pm
12/31/2011 2:46pm
Donny was the greatest ... can't believe he is gone.
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RbR
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RbR 12/31/2011 3:03pm
12/31/2011 3:03pm
Charles Bronson wrote:
Arrow pipes and silencers on those Yamahas, just like my street bike. I cant believe this guy just fell over and died at 30.
Donny's bone marrow failed (aplastic anemia) and his blood lost its ability to clot. I believe he died of a brain aneurism. He was diagnosed a couple weeks prior to his death and he was scheduled to have a bone marrow transplant operation with his sister as the donor. A week prior to the surgery, I was told he woke up in the middle of the night and told his wife Carrie that he was in incredible pain. He fell unconscious and regained consciousness a few times in the emergency room, but then went under one last time and never woke up.

Prolonged Benzene exposure is believed to be the cause of his aplastic anemia.
tblazier
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tblazier 4/18/2012 1:39pm
4/18/2012 1:39pm Edited Date/Time 4/18/2012 1:46pm

schmidt by teyblyy, on Flickr

Pit Row

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schmit401
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schmit401 12/25/2017 10:40am
12/25/2017 10:40am
tblazier wrote:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/tblazier/7091459281/][img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/7091459281_51f6343944_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/tblazier/7091459281/]schmidt[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/tblazier/]teyblyy[/url], on Flickr

schmidt by teyblyy, on Flickr
He was diagnosed on his 29th birthday January 17th and passed in the early morning of January 19th our family does not know if anyone was a match only 2 were tested oldest brother Dave and myself
ctbale
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ctbale 12/25/2017 1:48pm
12/25/2017 1:48pm
Minnesota District 23.

I rode the Florida Winter Series in 78 or 79, cant remember. Donny was there I think on a YZ100 ? I was 250s. Never forget him coming off the track after one moto, said he crashed like 7 times, he had sand all over him. He said he thought he got like 20th or something. When we checked the scoring shack, turns out he finished 1st !!!

Also remember him coming to our motorhome, watched him eat his first Avocado (w/blue cheese) Super funny. Good memories.
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Track and Trail 12/25/2017 2:21pm
12/25/2017 2:21pm
tblazier wrote:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/65727046@N02/6183519313/][img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6183519313_d851f45ab6_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/65727046@N02/6183519313/]Donny Schmit[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/65727046@N02/]teyblyy[/url], on Flickr

Donny Schmit by teyblyy, on Flickr
Where have I seen this one before? Donny was the man. His one off ride and holeshot at Millville post retirement was memorable. The Holy Schmit finish line jump has also been a nice remembrance. I couldn't believe it when he died.
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fox1nz
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fox1nz 12/25/2017 2:37pm
12/25/2017 2:37pm
tblazier wrote:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/65727046@N02/6167537898/][img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6167537898_b43b4fa570.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/65727046@N02/6167537898/]Donny Schmidt[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/65727046@N02/]teyblyy[/url], on Flickr

Donny Schmidt by teyblyy, on Flickr
Man I loved those Chesterfield Yamahas.
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RacerX8
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RacerX8 12/26/2017 4:16pm
12/26/2017 4:16pm

Since he was from Minnesota, the hotbed of snowmobiles, I thought it was cool that he ran the infamous I-500 in 1991 just for fun.


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DKmxFAN
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DKmxFAN 12/26/2017 4:42pm
12/26/2017 4:42pm
motoxxx599 wrote:
Any pics of him riding on the ice at his house?
Do you know what lake this was? I heard a story from my old boss he lived in elk river and that video of him riding was on birch lake. Pretty cool if true, I'm about a half mile from there.
bird
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bird 12/26/2017 8:03pm
12/26/2017 8:03pm
Donny was the first pro I ever saw ride. My dad took me to Millville to check out an amateur race and he just happened to be there. Apparently, he wanted to get some more track time before he left for Europe, so he was lining up with all the other locals. Such a great memory.
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PTshox
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PTshox 12/26/2017 10:40pm
12/26/2017 10:40pm
He was hanging out in Northern California during the winter in 1989 with those red #9 honda's (a 250 and 125). He showed up at a local track in a guys back yard in Watsonville, Ca. He had Jim Lindemann who was helping him with suspension setup stuff and a guy from Fox clothing (not Fox shocks - where Lindemann used to work) along with his wife. He was there for a couple days of testing/riding. He asked me if it was OK if they came back and rode the next day. I was thinking, Well, I have nothing to do with this track other then just showing up to ride like you... but I said "sure" LOL.

Then I saw him the next weekend at a CMC race at San Hill Ranch. He was battling with Jeff Ward going up a whooped out uphill and did a big swap but didn't fall. You could tell he was focused when we saw him at the local track. And he certainly had speed - Ward didn't pull away from him at all. Seemed like good guy... just doing his thing in a van.

Later at the 1989 hang town national I saw him in the pitts after he won the first moto. I remember vividly watch Mitch Payton being handed the exhaust pipe off his bike and looking down the throat of the pipe for a bit... I always wondered what Mitch was looking at... not sure you can tell if it's lean/rich from looking down the pipe like that.
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Park Boys
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Park Boys 5/27/2021 5:49pm
5/27/2021 5:49pm Edited Date/Time 5/27/2021 6:05pm
I just saw a Puzar replica paint job on a modern helmet and it looked incredible. So I tried to find what helmet design Schmit (250 chesterfield days) used to wear. Obviously when you look for photos of Schmit, Vital pops up. So why not bump this thread.
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Log Hopper 5/28/2021 7:31am
5/28/2021 7:31am
Going to the races every weekend before I could afford my own bike I used to love seeing my hero out there. He would race a full moto then line up for the next moto and let everyone go on the line go and proceed to pass everyone. Being the out of shape kid I was I thought it was super human.

I don't remember this story but my dad told me they used to have a money race at the end of the day in Cambridge. Donny would line up on this 80 (or so I remember the story) and beat everyone including the 500s. On the start he would back up and time the gate but the gate dropper held the gate so he hit it. Proceeded to win anyway.
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