John Douglas Chandler (born September 27, 1965) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

former professional

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...

racer. He earned a reputation as one of the most versatile racers of the 1980s and 1990s. Chandler is one of only four riders in

AMA Ama or AMA may refer to: Ama Languages * Ama language (New Guinea) * Ama language (Sudan) People * Ama (Ama Kōhei), former ring name for sumo wrestler Harumafuji Kōhei * Mary Ama, a New Zealand artist * Shola Ama, a British singer * Ām ...

racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and road race.Doug Chandler at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
/ref> He was inducted into the

Motorcycle Hall of Fame The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction Motorcycle components and systems for a motorcycle are en ...

in 2006.

Motorcycle racing career

Born in

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area l ...

, Chandler began competing in dirt track oval racing after experiencing success in motocross competitions. In 1983 he earned the prestigious AMA

Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

. His first-ever road race win was in 1988 in the Pro-Twins class at

Mid-Ohio Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central regio ...

. He went on to take the

AMA Superbike AMA Superbike Championship is an American motorcycle racing series that has been run every year beginning in 1976. For most of its existence it has been considered the premier motorcycle road racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned b ...

title in 1990 on a Muzzy Kawasaki, also taking World Superbike wins at Brainerd and Sugo that year. In 1991 Chandler travelled to Europe to compete in the

Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

series. He rode for former world champion

Kenny Roberts Kenneth Leroy Roberts (born December 31, 1951, in Modesto, California) is an American former professional motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship. H ...

on a satellite team aboard a Yamaha. He finished a respectable 9th in his first year on the Grand Prix circuit. He accepted a job from

Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal co ...

in 1992 finishing 5th overall, only just behind experienced teammate Kevin Schwantz. Chandler spent 1993 and

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

riding for the

Cagiva Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. Giovanni's sons, Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni, went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. ...

team. He opened 1993 with a podium finish in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

before things went sour and the team's support moved towards countryman

John Kocinski John Kocinski (born March 20, 1968 in Little Rock, Arkansas) is a retired American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depre ...

. After a less than successful year in 1995 developing the Harley-Davidson superbike, he rejoined the Muzzy team for 1996, and won both the 1996 and 1997 AMA Superbike titles. As a result, he joined Fred Merkel and Reg Pridmore as three-time AMA Superbike champions. Despite a severe crash in World Superbike competition at Laguna Seca in 1998, he finished second overall to

Ben Bostrom Benjamin Bostrom (born May 7, 1974) is an American former professional motorcycle racer. From 1995 to 2011 he competed in the AMA Superbike Championship, the World Superbike Championship and the MotoGP world championship.. Motorcycle racing care ...

in the AMA Superbike championship. Chandler remained with Kawasaki until 2002, before a final year of road racing with Ducati. In 2003, Chandler tried his hand at

Supermoto Supermoto is a form of motorcycle racing held on race tracks that alternate between three kinds of track surfaces: the hard packed dirt of flat track, the irregular jumps and obstacles of motocross, and the paved tarmac of road racing. Superm ...

racing in the inaugural season of the AMA Supermoto Championship. Showing his impressive versatility, Chandler won a race in the new series. Chandler currently runs

motorcycle training Motorcycle training teaches motorcycle riders the skills for riding on public roads. It is the equivalent of driver's education for car drivers. Training beyond basic qualification and licensing is available to those whose duty includes motorcy ...

courses. In 2015, he began working to assist with race control operations for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) sanctioned American motorcycle road racing series, MotoAmerica.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

Races by year

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

References

External links

DougChandlerRacing.com
- Official racing school site

by Dean Adams, Superbike Planet.com
A photo of Doug racing in the AFM
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Doug Living people AMA Superbike Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders American motorcycle racers Superbike World Championship riders Sportspeople from Salinas, California Motorcycle trainers 1965 births