I've been in NorCal for six years and always thought it was cool I live near where Danny "Magoo" Chandler grew up. The other day in nearby Auburn at local restaurant I even saw a pic of him on the wall. Every time I see the name Foresthill I think of Magoo (my daughter couldn't believe I knew who the rider was). I was in Placerville today which obviously also has a big moto connection.
I was wondering if any locals here that maybe knew him had some lore about Magoo and his time here. Where did he hang out? I have seen pics of him riding at MMX, where I have ridden a bunch. That was pretty cool. I'm sure there are some stories. Just curious to hear about his time growing up in the very unique area. (Photo credit MXA- don't know the photog)

I think this sums up Danny perfectly. RIP
Yeah, he kind of epitomizes this Gold Rush area. Tough and resilient people.
First pic is Unadilla! Was there that day.
A young Danny
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I used to ride mammoth bar before there were any facilities , they just had an occasional dozer down there to groom it, heaven on earth. one day im down there gooning out on my '92 KX125 thinking I rule this place. some MFer named joel smetz pulls in and unloads a husaberg 501 IIRC just making that place his bitch. he'd run down along the shore and launch up the bluffs/cliff face back onto the track basically creating new track. I was in awe.
MMX did not exist until after Y2K any pictures you've seen would've been from E st. MX
Ah, ok, my mistake. As you know they are right next door to each other. It looks like the same bridge next to it.
All good dude. E street use to be a lot larger and was on an area of what is now MMX.
i saw Danny ripping there when I was pretty young in the early 80’s.
Never met him....but was fortunate to see him race a number of times.
Legend....from the best era.
RoadHog💪
Someone made a documentary movie of him maybe 15 years ago or so and it would be worth a watch if any of you can find it. He was one-of-a-kind and it is obviously a very interesting story.
There is a lot of good footage from the Northern California tracks that you might recognize. Forest Hill, Mammoth Bar, E Street, etc.
No Magoo thread is complete without one of the most iconic Dirt Bike Magazine photos of all time (Rest in Peace Rick "Super Hunky) Sieman)
Yep, I have seen it, but it's been a while. It has the really tough-to-watch scene of his bad crash in Paris. Always give me a pause about watching it again. But it's a good one.
I believe that they still sell this documentary DVD at Auburn Power sports which is also a Beta dealership in town. At least they still had some copies last time I stopped in there about two years ago when I was visiting a friend that lived in Meadow Vista.
Before E Street MX. Charlie Sexton was promoter he ran at E Street and riverfront his promotions was called Marysville Motocross
What restaurant in Auburn? I will stop by and look for the pic.
Pit Row
I'll probably get flamed for this, but what is the mystique about this guy? A handful of wins and podiums and people around here act like he was a 5 time champion....
What's the story behind the photo?
Well, shut the internet down for the day. Stupidest post in the world right here. Competition closed.
1982 Team USA riders (from left) Jim Gibson, Danny Chandler, Johnny O’Mara and David Bailey.Racer X Archives
The 250cc race in Germany came first, then the 500cc race. The vast majority of the fans at those two tracks (Gairldorf and Wohlen, respectively) had probably never even heard of anyone on Team USA other than O’Mara, and only because of what he had done the year before. By the time the races were over, Danny “Magoo” Chandler was a motocross god. In the first moto in Germany, he overcame early leader O’Mara and ended up winning the 40-minutes-plus-2-laps race by some 10 seconds over British rider David Thorpe, the future multi-time world champion. In the second moto Chandler again overtook O’Mara for the lead, and again rode away from everyone. When it was all over, Chandler was 30 seconds ahead of second-place Andre Vromans of Belgium.
The following week in Switzerland was even an even more emphatic statement by Chandler, as he holeshot both motos and simply disappeared, this time on 500cc equipment.
What Chandler did over the course of the two races, first in Germany, then in Switzerland, was something that Roger DeCoster never did, nor did Bob Hannah, nor Heikki Mikkola, nor Gennady Moiseev, nor Jeff Ward, nor Torsten Hallman, nor David Bailey… None of the all-time greats from that time span.
Bob "if you ever get off that Maico let's be teammates at HRC"
Danny "Stamp it Bob"
Danny was picked up in 1985 by KTM and won the 1985 French 500 GP
I was overseas for the Air Force during 85 - 87. I got to see Magoo at Namur in 85. This is one of my favorite photos I took.
Here is a shot of Danny talking to Malherbe in the pits at Namur in 85.
You obviously never saw him ride. I lived in Yuba City, Ca from 80 - 84. I got to see him ride often at E street and Riverfront Park as well as Praire City (Hangtown) for the Golden State Nationals and Trans Cals. He gave 100% all the time even to a fault as he did throw away a lot of wins.
I was at a local race at Riverfront park around late 80 or early 81. It had been raining all the day. The track was pretty much flooded. Danny was riding a 1981 Suzuki RM125. He crashed in the first turn. He got up well behind everybody and started putting in crazy laps with his feet off the pegs most of the time but that RM was screaming the whole time. He went from last to first in about 8 laps. When he crossed the finish line he was completely covered in mud. All you saw was his eyes. He shouted out "what place did I get" Everybody shouted back "you won". That's what Danny Magoo Chandler was. I guy who loved racing his dirt bike and no matter if it was a local race or a National, he always gave 100%.
He was the most exciting guy to watch ride that I have ever seen and I have been watching since the late 60s.
Here is Danny on a RM125 at the 81 Hangtown National.
This has to be a joke.... Otherwise, you are no moto fan.
Post a reply to: Was near Foresthill, CA today and thinking about Magoo