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Thanks Clutchy for giving a little insight to Danny Chandler the person along with "Magoo" the racer.
i was standing there and danny came flying down the hill behind someone into that turn. he hit the berm right behind the guy and squared it off really hard. as soon as he did that he wheelied straight through the big mud hole and sprayed the other guy with mud and of course made the pass.
it it was as funny as it was awesome. i just stood and couldn't believe what i just saw. no one but magoo would actually even try that that line, much less make it work. you had to see him ride, it was unbelievable what that guy could do on a bike!
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Was it him or Johnny that had to have a shot(because he got stung!) immediately after one of the MXoN races and Graham was yelling..."Look! They're using drugs!"
Classic!
There's an obvious benefit that he has left for all of us...
Epic momories.
Legendary Tales that are actually True.
An image of a Smile that we'll never forget.
I had just moved to Colorado from Ohio. For extra money I would flag at the local MX
races. People kept asking me if I was going to the National. I figured I would work
so I could see the race for free and make some cash. I hitch-hiked an hours drive away
to Denver the night before and spend the night at the track. Woke to the sound of works bikes. I was a Broc Glover fan from ABC's Wide World of Sports. I saw Danny at the gate
and razzed him a little. He looked at my like, who the hell is this guy. Race started and
Danny's in the lead. He goes by his mechanic saying he's front brake is locking up.
Couple more laps, he crashes over a big jump. Thinking he's done for the day, he lines
up for the second moto. Broc is chasing him the whole moto but can't get by, them the white flag. About two turns from the finish Broc t-bones Magoo and both go down.
Magoo's bike is on top of Broc's, Broc has to wait on Magoo to get going. After Magoo
leaves, Broc's front wheel goes backwards on the track and he has to ride down hill going
backwards on the track. Goat Breker passes for the overall win.
About six years ago, I'm at Day in the Dirt, in Lancaster-Palmdale, CA. I see a guy in a chair
and I say that looks like Danny Chandler, I'm going to say hi. He welcomes me and we talk about that race. He goes dude, I have that race on video, I'll send you a copy.
He tells me he bruised his spleen in the first moto crash. We become fast friends,
calling each other on occasion, and he sends me a video of the race from twenty years
earlier. Saw him again at he Hangtown National were James Stewart and Stephon Roncada
had their famous dual. I hung out with him while he greeted his fans. They loved him and I loved him.
Very cool story.
Have his DVD and will fire it up one more time in his honor...........that's about all I can do.
SPEED ON Danny!
Thank you for sharing all the cool stories about Danny Chandler.
Saw Danny first as a 250 Amateur using the milkcrate to get on his 250CZ in 1974 at a Plymouth local. I believe he won one moto. The milkcrate tripped me out and how he could ride so fast being as small as he was.
In '77, I got to talk to Danny since I did 2 Cycle News Plymouth local articles and some of the slides/pics you've already seen; most of my good pics are gone. But we have many great shots to make an album.
Danny was really upset Foresthill OHV was facing closure and the OHV commission that had approved a decent grant changed its mind and moved the grant to another OHV. He was extremely upset at the answers he was getting from a particular person and just left.
Fortunately, the Friends of the Foresthill Trails OHV was created and is under a not for profit status..
Yamaha Motor Corp. gave Foresthill a 5 figure grant 2 years ago for use in buiding bridges over "land eroded" areas.
I don't know Danny as well as many of you, but he cared about his town of Foresthill.
I suggest if anything be done, a Danny "Magoo" Chandler Memorial Trail Ride be held at Foresthill OHV to honor the man at the place he cared for the most.
Just a suggestion.
God Bless his friends and family and all those he touched in one way or another.
Then in 1981 at the CMC Golden State Races at Saddleback that Sunday (they were like mini Nationals back then, all the big guns showed up for the Saddleback round) - Magoo was on a mission. You could see he wanted more then ever and he wanted to prove to the factory guys he is just as good as them. To watch him that day was magic on the Yamaha YZ 125 (with the air-scoop front #plate). Seeing him float down Banzi Hill was amazing - watching him rail the berm up Webco Hill at the speed he was carrying - I've never seen that before. He had the world in his palm after that weekend and he knew it.
Then a few years later I was working at Pro Circuit (all 3 of us LOL) and Payton rolled over and said, "call up the t-shirt / jersey guy and put a rush in on a few jersey's to get printed up for Magoo for the Super Biker race at Carlsbad..." WTF... were doing what? Super BIker race where? Jersey for who?... What pipe for what? Go to Honda and pick up what?....I got to meet him at the shop a few days later and he was nicer then ever. Totally made me a lifetime fan.
GodSpeed Danny "Magoo" Chandler.... it was an honor to meet you
When he tried promoting bicycle races my wife and I helped him. His first race was a downhill at Donner Ski Ranch. Rode the ski lift up to the top with your bicycle and raced down.
The memories go on and on. I'll miss him.
Godspeed Danny.
Pit Row
great storys guys, thanks for sharing them with us.
I Love You Danny Pat
There was this little pond in the valley the track lay in and there was Danny, improvised fishing rod in hand trying to catch the catfish in there.
I went down with my friend keith Wilson to film it. It's up on Youtube when Danny beat the might of HRC Honda that weekend.
Interviewing him afterwards, he was just so laid back.
Last year at Mallory Park English MXGP Tony Cairoli and friends were feeding the big carp in the lake on the roadrace infield. It reminded me of Danny all those years ago! Tony also reminds me of Magoo on track a lot, pushing it right to the limit and also the way he intereacts with his fans who adore him!
That was the day Magoo looked Mother Nature in the eye and said “screw you…I’m here, what you got?” I can’t help but wonder and hope…that’s the way he went out sitting in that chair, alone and face to face with Mother Nature one last time….
I love you Magoo…thanks for everything my friend.
bobbym
PS: found out the next day a small tornado touched down near the track and winds exceeded 100+mph
Sometimes he would get so pissed that i could sit there for hours on end, i can still hear his voice when he would come rolling by, "Stewart, why you watching that shit!"...man, i can still hear him clear as day. Anyway...sometimes after a couple Johnny Walker Reds he would sit down in his favorite chair in the living room and watch them with me. They way he could describe every little detail in the vids was amazing. Sometimes he would get so pumped, "Did you see that!", and he would fumble around with the remote and rewind a section and play it back in slo-mo. Other times he would laugh at himself, like when he had to race a 500 in a SX.
One scene that stands out more than any other is a vid from the Colorado nat, he was in a gnarly battle with Broc Glover and his front brake cable stay on the fork leg broke off, and anyone who rode with drum brake knows that when that happens and the cable catches the front wheel it would lock it up. He would come charging down this downhill and have to take his hand off the bars and grab the brake cable with his hand and pull it out of the front wheel to keep it from locking and toss him over the bars. He must of rewound that a 100 times, "did you see that!" and he would sit back with the biggest grin.
Here is a clip from that race, ill will have to go back through the DVD and find the section of him pulling the cable, i thought it was in this clip, but its not, this is the 2nd moto when he and Broc go down. Can you guys imagine the riders of today having to race on a track like that?
83 Denver 500cc nat - More Motocross Videos
Someday ill have to share the story of about 10 of us piling in his van and driving down to Sac to go hang out at a GrateFull Dead concert..you want to talk about some crazy shit? OMG that night was insane...
Late in the night down in the bar we had all had too much to drink, except Magoo who didn't drink!
In came these Italian fans who spotted RJ and came over to say hello, not noticing Danny in the corner.
RJ signs a few autographs, the guys bought us a round of beers and RJ stands up and says "I want to propose a toast! ...... to the meanest, baddest ever motherfucker to ride a motocross bike, I give you..................Magoo!"
Danny just sat there with a wry smile on his face, enjoying the moment and compliment!
At the Donington Park MXoN in 2008 I'd helped Danny & Kris organise passes, hotels etc and a meeting with Guiseppe Luongo.
At midday I sneaked them into the Team USA pits for lunch.
We were sat at a table when Roger deCoster, with all the hassle and pressure of being team USA manager purposely grabbed some lunch and came over to talk to Danny.
They reminisced about previous years and how much bigger the sport was now.
After 20 minutes respite from the madding crowd, Roger got up to leave and Danny said "I love you Roger" and RD replied "love you too Danny" and gave him a big hug.
Mutual respect from two great champions.
Post a reply to: Magoo update... and My 2 cents.