Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of — racer, innovator, builder, humanitarian, and friend.
This will be more than a traditional memorial service. The day is being designed as a true celebration of Mert’s life and impact, bringing together friends, family, racers, riders, and fans from across the motorcycle, bicycle, racing, and adaptive riding communities.
The event will feature:
- Guest speaker storytelling panels
- Vintage motorcycles and memorabilia
- The inaugural “Mert Lawwill Vintage Dirt Track Concours”
- Historical displays and artwork
- A special tribute film presentation by Dana Brown
As part of the Celebration of Life for, we will be hosting the inaugural:
“Mert Lawwill Vintage Dirt Track Concours”
The purpose of the Concours is to celebrate the motorcycles, craftsmanship, racing culture, and history that helped define Mert’s life and career.
This will not be a traditional motorcycle show focused on competition or commercial presentation. The goal is to create a curated and historically meaningful display that reflects the spirit and era of American dirt track racing that Mert loved so deeply.
Featured Motorcycles
The display will focus on:
- Vintage dirt track motorcycles from the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s
- Historically significant race bikes
- Period-correct dirt trackers
- Motorcycles with historical relevance to the era
- Special bikes connected to racers, builders, and the culture surrounding American flat track racing
Selection priority will be given to motorcycles that best represent the history, craftsmanship, and spirit of the era.
MoreMert Lawwill (Born September 25, 1940) is an American professional motorcycle racer, race team owner and mountain bike designer.[1] He won the 1969 AMA Grand National Championship and, was one of the top competitors on the AMA national racing circuit during 1960s and 1970s.[1] After his motorcycle racing career, Lawwill became one of the top motorcycle racing frame designers and builders.[1] Lawwill then used his experience as a motorcycle frame builder to become an innovative mountain bike designer, developing one of the first bicycle suspensions.[2] He also developed prosthetic limbs for amputees.[2] Lawwill was inducted in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
