1981 Danny Magoo Chandler Motocross Racing - 6-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1981 Danny Magoo Chandler Motocross Racing - 6-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine advertisement / article.
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
□ Just who is the most popular rider in
America? Is it Bob Hannah? Chuck Sun?
Kent Howerton? Broc Glover or Mark Bar-
nett? Maybe Mike Bell? Surprisingly
enough, none of these riders have captured
the fan's enthusiasm and loyalties as has
one Danny "Magoo" Chandler. If you've
ever been at a Supercross or outdoor race
and watched the short, red-haired youth
with the effervescent freckles and stocky
build get on a motocross bike and fly, you'll
come to realize just what it is that makes
him so popular.
Magoo personifies that unmistakable
ingredient that either catapults its recipient
into the just desserts of factory stardom
or over the bars. For Danny Chandler, the
trips over the bars have been far too fre-
quent, and the just desserts far too few.
What Magoo has is that willingness to go
the limit, to hold it wide open without re-
gard to consequence, be it bike or body. If
you're somehow blessed with an almost in-
herent good fortune at saving it, like some
say Bob Hannah has, then that go-for it
attitude can be translated into innumerable
victories and lineups at the pay-out window.
But if you've an occasion to ride that rag-
ged edge of control and not save it, then
chances are the only place you'll be lining
up at is in the hospital emergency ward.
Magoo has seen his share of those.
WHATD HE DO, ANYWAY?
Danny Chandler has never won a Na-
tional, a Supercross, a World or American
championship. Yet in spite of this, he is one
of the most, if not the most, popular riders
in the United States. Chandler's pictures
have graced the pages of almost all the
moto monthlies and even some foreign
magazines such as France's Moto Verte.
With his patented foot-off-the-pegs, leg-out
MERIC
On being the most popular moto
Grosser in America By Dennis "Ketchup" Cox
Magoo a household word in
moto-circles all across America.
riding pose, the young Magoo is un-
mistak ably from this side of the Atlantic.
Young and old fans alike line the fences at
tracks throughout the United States to en-
courage this brash but unassuming 21 -
year-old Northern California native to new
feats of daring-doo. Just what is it about
Danny Chandler that has captured these
fan's attention?
There are certainly more stylish riders;
smoother ones, too, no doubt. But moto-
cross is, after all, a balls-out risk sport; no
Pain is a part of racing. Magoo has seen
his share, and then some.
corporate decisions or suits and ties here;
just guts and desire and the talent to carry
•them to the top.
"Sometimes my best isn't good enough, so
I give it a little more," related Chandler at
the final race of the California DG Golden
State Series at Saddleback Park. Danny
was in a tight race with Suzuki factory test
rider Radical Ron Turner for the overall
125 Series championship. In spite of being
members of the same team, there was no
love lost between the two riders. After a
hard-fought first moto, Chandler re-
turned to the pits to discover that he had not
actually won the moto, as first thought.
Saddleback's finish line is after the final
corner, and Magoo had driven straight
ahead, with Turner making the turn and
raising his fist in victory. "I didn't know you
had to turn the corner to win," recalled
Chandler. "That won't happen next moto."
Chandler says he doesn't notice the crowd when he races. We think-ith he does fibb!
The crowd sure notices him.
Sure enough. Chandler had a tooth and
sprocket battle with Turner in the second
moto and was trailing Radical Ron going
into the last laps. A quick pit board signal
revealed that unless he passed Turner (who
was running second behind new Yamaha
teamster Scott Burnworth), he'd lose the
series to Ron. Magoo turned on the after-
burners and was reeling in Radical Ron
until he came around the track to discover
Burn worth had crashed off to the side.
Chandler then did something remarkable.
He slowed down and let Turner slip away to
win the final moto. Danny knew all he had
to do was finish the moto in second to win
the series, and what he wanted most was to
prove the speculators wrong; he would
prove he could win a series, even if he had
to slow down to do it.
FIST FIGHTS AND RACING
"My biggest problem is that I try too
hard," said Chandler later. "It's like
getting hit in the face in a fight... you just
freak out and go crazy. It's like that when I
fall... I go crazy and try too hard to catch
up, and I end up falling again."
When asked if he thought that maybe the
best thing for Danny Chandler to do would
be to slow down and finish, he responded
"... Maybe,... but I can't slow down too
much ... I'll get beat."
STARTINGOUT
Chandler's first ride on a motorbike was
at the age of nine. He started out campaign-
ing a Yamaha mini enduro 60. This was
back when minis were run during a lull in
the racing—sort of the half-time entertain-
ment . After thrashing around on the mini
for a few years, he made the quantum leap
up to a 250 CZ. His hero, Brad Lackey, was
CZ-mounted, and Magoo wanted to ride
what Bad Brad was winning on. He made
Junior and then Expert CMC ranking with-
in a year, and at the age of 14 applied for
his AMA pro card. He was still ranked as an
Amateur AMA Expert and had to get his
pro points all over again.
Magoo's first National was in 1976 at the
season opener at Hangtown. He went out
and won his qualifier, but in the first moto
he broke and ended up bailing off in the
second moto. It was then that Magoohad
his first taste of National competition; but
because of a lack of funds, he wouldn't hit
the full National trail for another year.
The new year (1977) was to be Danny's
first full shot at a National title. He was
Suzuki-mounted and sponsored by some
friends who owned a cement company (Oak
Grove Cement Mixtures). The year started
off at Hangtown where Magoo went DNF-
crash. From there they went on to Michigan
where Magoo was leading by 20 seconds,
only to have his shift lever fall off. In the
second moto the chain broke while he was
again leading the race.
Next it was St. Joe, Missouri, where again
he got the holeshot and was running 15
seconds out front. He came around on the
first lap and hit an AMA official on the track.
Magoo stayed with the official until an am-
bulance arrived. In the second moto he was
running in second place only to have the
shift lever become stuck in third gear as a...
16658-AL-8106-30