Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1502241
VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P133 "We grew up in the same area," Billy recalled at that time, "and he was really fast on a 125. In the fall of 1975, I was home from the Nationals, getting ready for the Trans AMA and my friends wanted me to race him at a local track in Watsonville, California." Billy reluctantly accepted the challenge and rode a borrowed Honda CR125 against Chandler. The fact that Grossi was under contract with Team Suzuki made a bad idea really bad—though the worst was yet to come! Billy crashed that day and suffered a badly broken leg, which put an end to his very successful '75 season. He would miss not only the Trans AMA Series that fall, but would be unable to defend his Florida Winter Series Championship in early '76. "I knew I shouldn't ride that bike," he said. "I just knew it. And it did not go over well with Suzuki. Not at all!" A few years later, in 1981, Billy's season would come to another early end. He had just completed a strong 500cc series as a semi-privateer, earning a full factory ride with Team Husqvar - na. But at RedBud, the second round of the re-named Trans USA Series, bad luck struck again. A strong first-moto ride ended disastrously when, on the last lap, another rider crashed into Grossi. His name? Danny Chandler! "I came off a jump and Chandler landed on me," he told Cycle News, while nursing a badly swollen hand with ice. "I had just moved to third…I don't know if anything's broken or not." He would find out later that it was indeed broken. The injury was slow to heal, and it would plague him throughout much of the 1982 season. Grossi retired from full-time racing in 1983. He did a few inter - national races in 1984 but hadn't ridden much since returning home. But the 1986 Magoo Benefit pulled him out of his retirement and, on a rented Yamaha YZ490, Grossi finished a strong second behind Marty Smith in the first moto. In the second moto, he passed early leaders Brad Lackey and Darrell Shultz, then kept Smith at bay to take the win and the overall. "For whatever reason, I was feeling good that day," Grossi said. "Marty Smith was my only guy to beat, and I did it in that second moto. "I remember having a conver - sation with Danny after the race. We joked about our run-ins on the track over the years. I also remem - ber talking with him about life and how quickly things can change. "I think I was inspired to win for him that day!" The benefit raised more than $15,000 to help with his medical expenses. Chandler passed away in 2010, the last years of his life being a mixture of enjoying life on the good days and battling dark de - mons on the bad ones. Up until the very last day of his life, the moto community continued to support him, even raising funds to purchase a wheelchair van for him, which he sadly would never get to drive. Several years later, in 2002, Grossi himself was badly injured while competing in a vintage event. The motocross community around the U.S. rallied to raise support for him and his family. He made a full recovery and can still be found kicking up some dust on two-wheel adventure bikes. The motocrosser's creed: I will never leave a fallen comrade. A band of brothers indeed. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives Billy Grossi, one of Chandler's track rivals and best friends, leads Brad Lacky at the Magoo Invitational MX at Hangtown in 1986.