MX Legend Dies
The outrageous motocross racing legend Danny ‘Magoo’ Chandler has passed away as he was found dead in his California home. Danny Chandler was a top AMA and world championship motocross racer of the 1980s. His hard-charging racing style won him legions of loyal fans at home and abroad. He now rests in peace.
Chandler was known as one of the boldest riders of his era. He often attempted jumps on his motocross bikes that were previously considered impossible, endearing him to motocross fans and intimidating his fierce competitors.
Chandler’s list of accomplishments includes numerous national and international motocross victories. His racing career came to a premature end when he was left paralyzed after a crash at the Paris Supercross in December 1985.
Despite his disability, Chandler has become a positive influence on thousands of people by giving talks on his life story at schools, hospitals and other assemblies.
Danny ‘Magoo’ Chandler once said: "I always seemed to be riding bigger bikes than other kids my age. My first race bike was a Hodaka 100 then I moved up to a CZ 250. I had to have a CZ since that’s what my hero, Brad Lackey, was riding at the time."
This tragic news comes after almost a year of fundraising led by his friend and mentor, World Champion Brad Lackey, for the Danny "Magoo" Chandler Handicapped Van Fund project. The funds were being used to purchase and outfit a special needs van for Magoo so he could more easily go on the road teaching his Danny Magoo Motorcycle Safety Clinics.Â
Chandler was born in Sacramento, California, on October 5, 1959. He was born into a racing family. Growing up in the rural Northern California community of Foresthill, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, some of Chandler’s earliest memories were of watching his father compete in enduros and scrambles.
The mx world will dearly miss Danny Chandler. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his friends, family, and fellow motocross fans worldwide. Remembering Danny ‘Magoo’ Chandler
