Mert Lawwill

American motorcycle racer
Mert Lawwill (Born September 25, 1940) is an American professional motorcycle racer, race team owner and mountain bike designer. He competed in the AMA Grand National Championship from 1962 to 1977. Lawwill is notable for winning the 1969 AMA Grand National Championship as a member of the Harley Davidson factory racing team. He also developed prosthetic limbs for amputees.

Lawwill was born in Boise, Idaho. His defense of his Grand National Championship during the 1970 season became the subject of Bruce Brown's 1971 motorcycle documentary film, On Any Sunday co starring actor Steve McQueen and off road racer Malcolm Smith. Lawwill continued to compete for the AMA Grand National Championship until 1977 when, he retired at the age of 37 due to an inner ear disorder that affected his balance. He accumulated 161 career AMA Grand National finishes and won 15 Grand National races during his 15 year racing career. During this period, he continued his involvement in motorcycle racing as a race team owner in the AMA Grand National Championship until 1990 when, he grew frustrated with the way the AMA ran the championship. Lawwill's custom racing bicycles became highly prized by top racers around the world and his designs won numerous national and world titles. He also runs a non profit company supplying prosthetic hands so that amputees can ride bicycles or motorcycles. Approximately a third of all the prosthetic hands that he manufactures go to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, for use by military veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.