(Above) Seated in the center is Danny "Magoo" Chandler. who is surrounded by riders in the Champs of the Past class. (Below) Former world
championship arch rivals Brad Lackey (left) and DeCoster.
Magoo Invitational
Five-time 500cc World Champion Roger DeCoster (above) placed third in
the Champs of the Past race. Jeff Ward (below) topped the Pros.
Grossi, Ward top
Magoo benefit
By Kit Palmer
SACRAMENTO, CA, JUNE IS
Former factory Suzuki motocross rider Billy
Grossi and 1985 Supercross and 250cc National Champion Jeff Ward locked up wins
in today's Magoo Invitational at Prairie City
OHVPark thesamesiteasthe
famous H~ngtown National
"
.
MX. DespIte havmg only ndden once in the past year, Grossi
12
won with a 2-1 combination, nipping former 12Scc ational Champion Marty Smith (1-2) in the Champs
of the Past class, while Ward won
both motos in the Pro class after a.
close dice with teammate Ron
Lechien, both riding KX500 Kawasakis.
An estimated SOOO spectators came
out in upper-SO° weather and saw
over 20 famous former motocross
stars from the early to late 1970s battIe it out once again. Some of the
riders appearing were two· time SOOcc
and Supercross Champion Jimmy
"The Jammer" Weinert.. 2S0cc Na..
tional and Supercross Champion
Donnie Hansen, factory Honda rider
Rich Eierstedt, Tim Han, first Ameriean to win a World Championship
GP Jim Pomeroy and brother Ron,
five-time SOOcc World Champion
Roger DeCoster, Rich Thorwaldson,
SOOc;:c National Champion Darrell
ShulLzand 19SISOOccWorldChampion Brad L~key: All gathered and
raced to help Injured motocrosser
Danny "Magoo" Chandler who is
now paralyzed from theelbo~s down
following a Paris Supercross accident. The race raised at least SIS,OOO
for Chandler's medical bills; some of
that was raised by Lackey, who
brought his SOOcc World Championshipcuptrophytother~ceandsetup
the trophy so spectators could throw
money for Magoo into it.
Chandler was flown in by helicopter Sunday morning, before the races
and was immediately swamped by
hundreds of fans who wanted to at
least say hello to the hometown star.
Chandler and all of the Champs of
the Past riders posed for a "family
portrait" upon his arrival. At times,
Chandler became teary-eyed and later
said he was eXLremely happy seeing
all the former champs and Slars compete in his behalf. "But it's a shame it
takes something like my accident to
get all these people together," said
Chandler.
Many of the riders hadn't seen each
