Tony D and Husqvarna

RCF
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4/25/2020 6:59am Edited Date/Time 4/28/2020 5:59am
I'll always wonder why when stories are done on Tony they never mention his time at Husqvarna. I've met him quite a few times over the years because the shop I work for the owner was good friends with him and help him bikes during this time.
I've never asked him when I've been talking to him and Dave the owner of the shop has passed away. does anybody know why they skip over that chapter of Tony's life ?

I still have one of his Huskey jerseys hanging in my basement.


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DC
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4/25/2020 7:11am
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979) after being let go from Suzuki and then did not race at all in 1980 (I believe due to his eye injury). When he did race in '81 his results just weren't what they used to be, as he only had one top ten finish as you can see from The Vault, so he went into teaching a very successful motocross school...

I believe he wore #111 in 1981 as that honorary number the AMA gives either visiting champions or past champions who didn't compete the previous season.

And here's a little known fact: Tony D. raced Loretta Lynn's in 1987 on a Suzuki in the Vet +30 class and finished second to South Carolina amateur legend Robbie Neeley in all three motos...
.

DC
Racer X
RCF
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4/25/2020 7:16am
DC wrote:
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979)...
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979) after being let go from Suzuki and then did not race at all in 1980 (I believe due to his eye injury). When he did race in '81 his results just weren't what they used to be, as he only had one top ten finish as you can see from The Vault, so he went into teaching a very successful motocross school...

I believe he wore #111 in 1981 as that honorary number the AMA gives either visiting champions or past champions who didn't compete the previous season.

And here's a little known fact: Tony D. raced Loretta Lynn's in 1987 on a Suzuki in the Vet +30 class and finished second to South Carolina amateur legend Robbie Neeley in all three motos...
.

DC
Racer X
Thanks DC I always wondered this but never asked when he was around, I was always too busy laughing to get into any serious questions
I think he missed his calling as a comedian lol.
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DC
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4/25/2020 7:19am
He has always been incredibly kind and funny. If I recall correctly his career got derailed in one notorious crash that also took down Marty Smith and Jimmy Ellis, in the first turn at the Houston Astrodome in 1978. Tony tore up his knee badly, Marty separated his pelvis and Ellis hurt his shoulder. None of them were ever the same after that.

DC
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RCF
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4/25/2020 7:22am
The two dust covered helmets in this pic are Tony's Motocross des Nations helmets,I gave them back at the funeral. I believe they're on tour with the traveling Museum now at the Nationals.


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The Shop

MOTO120
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4/25/2020 9:53am
I was fortunate enough to be an instructor for Tony for many years during his Suzuki sponsored "Tony D MX Schools". Tony was a unique individual and had TONS of stories to tell...but not necessarily always ones to be heard by the younger students HAHA. Those were some of my fondest memories during my moto days. Tony is a great guy!
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bultokid
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4/25/2020 10:28am
I've got a picture somewhere of him on a '84 Husky 250CR....iirc wasn't Husky a sponsor of his schools in that time frame ?
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dimetime
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4/25/2020 10:33am
I thought Mitch Payton was helping him when he was on Huskys.
RCF
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4/25/2020 2:46pm
dimetime wrote:
I thought Mitch Payton was helping him when he was on Huskys.
Not that I am aware of I think husky was kind of in shambles then, the guy I work for used to tell me stories of where tony couldn't get parts and he would have help him out. even after he died when I was helping sell off the contents of the shop there were still shelves of new Husqvarna parts.

this was the day before the funeral we were all hanging out in the shop telling War stories.


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mb60
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4/25/2020 3:21pm
DC wrote:
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979)...
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979) after being let go from Suzuki and then did not race at all in 1980 (I believe due to his eye injury). When he did race in '81 his results just weren't what they used to be, as he only had one top ten finish as you can see from The Vault, so he went into teaching a very successful motocross school...

I believe he wore #111 in 1981 as that honorary number the AMA gives either visiting champions or past champions who didn't compete the previous season.

And here's a little known fact: Tony D. raced Loretta Lynn's in 1987 on a Suzuki in the Vet +30 class and finished second to South Carolina amateur legend Robbie Neeley in all three motos...
.

DC
Racer X
I was racing the 250 B stock class that year and never even new he was racing that year in 30 plus.
4/25/2020 4:43pm
DC wrote:
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979)...
Tony only did one series on the Husqvarna, the 1981 AMA 500 Nationals, which were well past his prime (1974-78). He had also raced Can-Am (1979) after being let go from Suzuki and then did not race at all in 1980 (I believe due to his eye injury). When he did race in '81 his results just weren't what they used to be, as he only had one top ten finish as you can see from The Vault, so he went into teaching a very successful motocross school...

I believe he wore #111 in 1981 as that honorary number the AMA gives either visiting champions or past champions who didn't compete the previous season.

And here's a little known fact: Tony D. raced Loretta Lynn's in 1987 on a Suzuki in the Vet +30 class and finished second to South Carolina amateur legend Robbie Neeley in all three motos...
.

DC
Racer X
I remember the name Neeley in the 86 Florida winter AMA. I think there was only one senior class then and he won it on his KX500 racing with Barry Higgins and Dave Clemence from RI. i remember holding up Enduro superstar Dick Burlesons Husky on the gate as he raced at least one round that series. Neeley was indeed fast.
dimetime
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4/25/2020 5:58pm Edited Date/Time 4/26/2020 11:50am



I think this is Tony in an old Anaheim Husky jersey but l'm not sure.

Edited, l apologize for any confusion, l was mistaken.
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tp4
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4/25/2020 5:59pm Edited Date/Time 4/25/2020 5:59pm
this cz he raced winter series in fla..
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Thor34103
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4/26/2020 3:53am
bultokid wrote:
I've got a picture somewhere of him on a '84 Husky 250CR....iirc wasn't Husky a sponsor of his schools in that time frame ?
I purchased a 500 Husky in 1986 and that allowed me to go to a Tony D MX school.
anniebertmojo
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4/26/2020 3:59am Edited Date/Time 4/26/2020 4:01am
dimetime wrote:
I thought Mitch Payton was helping him when he was on Huskys.
RCF wrote:
Not that I am aware of I think husky was kind of in shambles then, the guy I work for used to tell me stories of...
Not that I am aware of I think husky was kind of in shambles then, the guy I work for used to tell me stories of where tony couldn't get parts and he would have help him out. even after he died when I was helping sell off the contents of the shop there were still shelves of new Husqvarna parts.

this was the day before the funeral we were all hanging out in the shop telling War stories.


From the 1981 PC Catalog




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tydog
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4/26/2020 4:55am
No.
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RCF
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4/26/2020 6:42am
From the 1981 PC Catalog [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/26/423145/s1200_IMG_5812.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/26/423146/s1200_IMG_5815.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/26/423147/s1200_IMG_5821.jpg[/img]
From the 1981 PC Catalog




then he must have been with a husky for more than one year like dc said. all the pictures my friend Dave had were of him was on a white husky (83).
I never seen that single shock setup before that's pretty cool I'll have to send that to a buddy of mine he's really into those vintage Huskies.
Thor34103
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4/27/2020 4:41am
tydog wrote:
No.
I wondered the same thing. A funeral was mentioned twice.
RCF
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4/27/2020 4:50am Edited Date/Time 4/27/2020 4:52am
tydog wrote:
No.
Thor34103 wrote:
I wondered the same thing. A funeral was mentioned twice.
I was talking about a mutual friend that died , sorry about the confusion. Tony is alive and well.
Thor34103
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4/27/2020 6:51am
tydog wrote:
No.
Thor34103 wrote:
I wondered the same thing. A funeral was mentioned twice.
RCF wrote:
I was talking about a mutual friend that died , sorry about the confusion. Tony is alive and well.
No problem. Thanks for the clarification.
bayodome
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4/27/2020 7:05am
MOTO120 wrote:
I was fortunate enough to be an instructor for Tony for many years during his Suzuki sponsored "Tony D MX Schools". Tony was a unique individual...
I was fortunate enough to be an instructor for Tony for many years during his Suzuki sponsored "Tony D MX Schools". Tony was a unique individual and had TONS of stories to tell...but not necessarily always ones to be heard by the younger students HAHA. Those were some of my fondest memories during my moto days. Tony is a great guy!
Former instructor here too; early to mid 2000s! Who's this?!

Ditto on your statement. Some great experiences on the road with Tony. Traveling around the country from the time he was 14 and a near photographic memory meant he knew of the most random little places. No need for yelp or google maps, if you wanted some real BBQ down south (most missions were food-related), he could take you to the most legit backwoods spot that he'd been to 20 years earlier without even needing a map.
RCF
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4/27/2020 7:16am
MOTO120 wrote:
I was fortunate enough to be an instructor for Tony for many years during his Suzuki sponsored "Tony D MX Schools". Tony was a unique individual...
I was fortunate enough to be an instructor for Tony for many years during his Suzuki sponsored "Tony D MX Schools". Tony was a unique individual and had TONS of stories to tell...but not necessarily always ones to be heard by the younger students HAHA. Those were some of my fondest memories during my moto days. Tony is a great guy!
bayodome wrote:
Former instructor here too; early to mid 2000s! Who's this?! Ditto on your statement. Some great experiences on the road with Tony. Traveling around the country...
Former instructor here too; early to mid 2000s! Who's this?!

Ditto on your statement. Some great experiences on the road with Tony. Traveling around the country from the time he was 14 and a near photographic memory meant he knew of the most random little places. No need for yelp or google maps, if you wanted some real BBQ down south (most missions were food-related), he could take you to the most legit backwoods spot that he'd been to 20 years earlier without even needing a map.
Roy I was the mechanic at santich Cycles, we would have definitely met then whenever he was in town doing a school he always invited me and my son. I think the last one I was ever at was up at Jack Frost ski resort when they used to have mx track there.
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Tony D and Jammer @ one of Tony Ds schools @ Walden Playboys track in NY, 2008.
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Thor34103
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4/27/2020 10:30am
They have always been close
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RCF
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4/27/2020 11:22am
Thor34103 wrote:
They have always been close [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/27/423715/s1200_50C1E0EE_CA87_4C24_9B5A_0EFCB6C42492.jpg[/img]
They have always been close
I have this photo autograph by Tony
DA498
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4/28/2020 5:59am
Thor34103 wrote:
They have always been close [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/27/423715/s1200_50C1E0EE_CA87_4C24_9B5A_0EFCB6C42492.jpg[/img]
They have always been close
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