FLASHBACK FRIDAY | DONNIE HANSEN WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD…UNTIL

Georges Jobe, Donnie Hansen and Kess van der Ven on the podium in Sweden four days before his crash.

The 1982 season was incredibly good to Donnie Hansen—and incredibly bad. The good? Donnie Hansen won both the 1982 AMA Supercross Championship and 250 National Championship. Selected for the 1982 American Motocross des Nations team, Donnie flew to Sweden to race the final 250 Grand Prix before heading to Germany for the MXDN. Donnie won the Swedish Grand Prix easily, but four days later he crashed at Rolf Dieffenbach’s practice track and suffered a closed-head injury. Hansen never fully recovered enough to race at the highest level again, but has successfully transitioned into coaching young riders and teaching motocross schools.

Donnie is 2019. 

MXA LIBRARY OF MOTOCROSS HISTORY