Personal recollections of a motorcycle racing legend
It began Wednesday night, after dinner here on the West Coast. The phone was ringing and both cell phones were pinging from texts and emails. “Did you hear that Mert Lawwill passed away?” were the messages. Stories from industry friends and old riders began to be shared about what a pleasure it was to have known Mert. As we have been reconnecting and reminiscing with our motorcycle family these past few days, our memories of Mert are pleasant ones. We thought we would share some of these through our photography of him over the decades.
In 1969, Mert #18 won the AMA Grand National Championship. In 1970, On Any Sunday, the movie was filmed with him using his #1 plate. In 1971, Bruce Brown’s creation was released in theaters and has been a classic ever since. Geoff was a junior in high school then, and he saw it 5 times. After graduating, and while as a photography student at the local college, Geoff was lucky enough to photograph this legend and others at the 1975 Sacramento Mile. It was the first time he had gotten “on the good side of the fence”. Press passes were easy to obtain back then, especially for a dirt track event. Mert rode with the #7 plate, as AMA numbers 2 through 9 are reserved for former National Champions. In 1977, Geoff was working a steady job and would travel to races on the weekends to shoot his favorite sport, motorcycle racing. He captured Mert along with Kenny Roberts and others in 1978 at Laguna Seca.
Mert Lawwill and Kenny Roberts, Laguna Seca, 1978. Nickless Photos.
Life becomes busy for us all in our early years. It wasn’t until we were older and I joined the team that opportunities to photograph Geoff’s idols off the bikes and at charity events became the focus. When Kenny Roberts had his ranch in Hickman, California, he would sponsor charitable events to help raise money for military veterans in and around the Modesto area. Each year Kenny would host an event honoring Corporal Michael D. Anderson, who was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq. The first of these events was held in 2012. It consisted of a dinner, talks, and an auction, followed by a ride into Modesto to enjoy a screening of On Any Sunday at a local hotel. The movie was the highlight, as only a small but lucky few got to watch it together with Mert, Kenny, Bruce Brown, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Jr. and Kurtis, Jimmy Odom and others. It had gotten late and other attendees passed on the opportunity. Not Geoff! He was completely star struck to be experiencing the movie with this group of idols and their shenanigans, calling out and laughing at different times during the movie. What a memory and probably the best birthday present I’ve ever given Geoff. I remember talking to June, Mert’s wife, and she told me of her insistence that Bruce not film her while she was pregnant. She had Bruce film her saying goodbye to Mert for the beginning of the season, after the baby was born.
In 2012, Mert rode his bike to Kenny Roberts’ ranch for the charity event. Nickless Photos.
In 2015, Geoff and I attended another of these events at Kenny’s ranch, and it wasn’t quite as informal as that first one, nor was there another screening of the movie with everyone. Sadly, Bruce Brown has since also passed away, but he and Mert both attended these annual events and were always a pleasure to talk and joke with.
2015, three greats: Mert Lawwill, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey. Nickless Photos.
In 2023, Castle Rock in Washington hosted an AFT TT as part of the West Coast swing. Our friend Steven Gregory was working for SDI at that time. He assisted Mert, then in his early 80’s, with attending the event, autographing posters, and posing for pictures with fans, all for the good of the order of motorcycle racing.
2023 AFT Castle Rock TT, Mert & Steven Gregory. Nickless Photos.
Mert can be defined by his passion for motorcycles and motorcycle racing, not only as a champion rider, but also as an innovator helping those who can no longer ride, regain their love of the sport by using his prosthetic device, Mert’s Hands. Geoff and I sponsor an adaptive rider, Sherman Lee, at our home track in Lodi, CA who uses Mert’s device and competed just recently in Chico, CA.
Adaptive rider Sherman Lee utilizing a Mert’s Hands device to compete. Nickless Photos.
Mert’s contributions to our sport are a wonderful legacy and testament to a life well lived, helping others to succeed and enjoy motorcycling. In 2024, Mert was honored in Las Vegas, NV at Gene Woods’ Hot Shoe Hall of Fame. Mert received the Maely Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ride in peace Mert, you will truly be missed.
Barb & Geoff Nickless
*Below is Mert’s acceptance speech of his Lifetime Achievement Award, shared with permission.
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