TrailBlazers Motorcycle Club, Carson, CA (2026)

05/26/2026

TRAILBLAZERS INVITED TO MERT LAWWILL CELEBRATION OF LIFE – A LIFE WELL LIVED

There has been much sadness in the motorcycling community since the passing of legendary racer Mert Lawwill on May 5th. Some good news, however, has been announced recently that Mert Lawwill’s Celebration of Life will be held at the Carson Center on Sunday, August 30th.

While the event is not being produced by the Trailblazers, each Director on our Board has volunteered individually to help with the event and Joe Lawwill wanted to let all Trailblazers members know they are welcome to attend as well. Admission is free, although there are some other options to choose from to help fund the event that are indicated on the RSVP form. To get all the plans in place, Joe needs to know how many attendees to expect, so if you would like to attend, please submit your confirmation at: https://www.mertlawwill.com.

Mert’s connection to the Trailblazers goes back much farther than the 2022 banquet when he received the club’s Dick Hammer Award. Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, Mert won 3 of his 15 career AMA Nationals at Ascot Park, located then just one mile from the Carson Center, the longtime home of the Trailblazers banquets.

This gathering is intended to be a true Celebration of Life rather than a formal funeral service. The goal is for the atmosphere to feel warm, welcome, authentic, and a celebratory gathering of friends, family, racers, riders, builders, and storytellers coming together to honor Mert in a way that would feel true to him.

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.

Mert was never a suit-and-tie kind of person, and the spirit of the event is intended to reflect the authentic, relaxed, and creative nature of who he was. Guests are encouraged to dress casually and comfortably. Those who own vintage Mert Lawwill apparel, racing shirts, motorcycles or bicycle-related clothing, or the commemorative event shirt are encouraged to wear them as part of celebrating Mert’s life and Legacy.

The activities on August 30th begin at 11:00 a.m. with a high caliber “Mert Lawwill Vintage Dirt Track Concours.” The purpose of the Concours is to specifically celebrate the motorcycles, craftsmanship, racing culture, and history that helped define Mert’s life and career. 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 of American flat track racing

The Concours will feature a single award, a People’s Choice Award. Each attendee of the event will have the opportunity to vote for the motorcycle they feel best represents the spirit and history of vintage dirt track racing.

Note: Space will be limited, and all entries must be approved in advance. When you submit your RSVP to attend, please indicate your interest and supply a photo of your motorcycle. Those with motorcycles confirmed in advance for display can arrive to unload beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The doors to the Carson Center Banquet Hall open at 12:30 and the Celebration of Life program will begin. Emcee Don Emde will open the program with a welcome to attendees, followed by personal reflections of his Mert by Joe Lawwill, and remarks from Marcy Lawwill and Tom Suchomel.

Don Emde will then lead discussions with Mert’s early family friends Al Kozak and Kyle Kozak, followed by Kenny Roberts, Wayne Rainey, Chris Carter, Troy Lee and Allan Seymour (part of Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday traveling film crew).

The next segment will address Mert’s years in the Mountain Bike Racing world where his innovative motorcycle-inspired front and rear suspension changed the sport and earned Mert an induction into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Yeti bicycle founder John Parker and journalist Zap Espinoza will share comment on the significance of Mert’s contributions to the bicycle sport.

The final segment of the interviews will be about Mert’s involvement with Prosthetics and Humanitarian Legacy. Shane Cahill, Jake McCullough and Josie will share stories of freedom and independence as a result of “Mert’s Hands.” A short video created by Joe Lawwill featuring Shane Cahill and Josie will follow.

The final part of the program will be a special closing tribute film made special for the event by Dana Brown, son of the late-Bruce Brown, producer of On Any Sunday.

05/21/2026

Details Announced for Mert Lawwill Celebration of Life - A Life Well Lived.

Mert's son Joe Lawwill has announced that the full array of event details for the Celebration of Life for Mert Lawwill are now available on the MertLawwill.com website. The event will be held on Sunday, August 30th at the Carson Center in Carson, CA.
As you will see, it will be a very fitting gathering of the Lawwill family, friends, former competitors, industry and business associates and many fans of the legendary champion to celebrate a Life Well Lived.

Former President and now Secretary/Treasurer of the Trailblazers Don Emde has been invited to be the emcee of the program on stage with numerous legendary friends of Mert's to talk about his life in motorcycling, his technical contributions to the sport of mountain bike racing and creation of prosthetic hands. The event will also feature a salute to Bruce Brown's epic motorcycle documentary On Any Sunday that Mert co-starred in with Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith.

There will be a fantastic motorcycle concours specifically for motorcycles of Mert's era with attendee participation to choose one People's Choice award winner.

Since a large audience is expected, the event does need an RSVP so adequate seating and related details can be setup. Please look at the options shown on the website.

Website: mertlawwill.com

Note: This event is not being produced by the Trailblazers, although many club members and directors are lending a hand to help Joe Lawwill and all Trailblazers are welcome. See website for details.

Photo of Mert at the 2022 Trailblazers banquet when he received the Dick Hammer Award.

05/13/2026

Support Buddy Stubbs for AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame! Note to AMA Life Members who vote in the annual online AMA Hall of Fame election. Buddy Stubbs, a long time friend of many of us and a fellow member of the Trailblazers, has made it onto the final 2026 ballot list announced today.

There are many deserving candidates, but I wanted to share with you a story we ran in the Trailblazers program way back in 2013 when Buddy Stubbs was inducted into the Trailblazers Hall of Fame. Please read the story of Buddy and you'll see why we should support him with a vote this year for the AMA Hall of Fame.

As that story revealed, Buddy was born into a life of motorcycling and he's done it all...racing, movie and television stunt work, collector of classic motorcycles and since the 1960s a successful motorcycle dealer in Phoenix, Arizona.

2013 Trailblazers Hall of Fame Inductee
Buddy Stubbs

Buddy Stubbs is a man who was literally born into a life of motorcycling. His parents owned and lived in a Harley-Davidson dealership in the Midwest where Buddy’s first crib was a drawer in the shop. Buddy’s father was a hill-climber and taught him to ride at a young age. By age 10 he was racing and won his first trophy a year later. From that point forward, Buddy’s ambition was to be a motorcycle racer. The first big win came at age 15 when he took the checkered flag at a TT event in Peoria, Illinois. Buddy took racing seriously and was a threat in TT scrambles, flat track and road racing and was a familiar sight on Harley race bikes carrying the No. 42 plate. Buddy’s biggest win was the Daytona 100 Miler in 1963.

By 1966 Buddy’s racing career was starting to wind down when he received a call from Harley-Davidson’s president Walter Davidson. Davidson and Stubbs were old friends and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company had a dealership in Arizona that was in trouble. He asked Buddy to run the struggling dealership until a buyer could be found to take it over. Buddy liked the challenge and moved to Phoenix to live behind the shop in a trailer as he put the store back on its feet. The struggling dealership soon began to prosper and Davidson asked Buddy to take over permanently and personally co-signed the loan so he could purchase the store. Buddy still owns and operates the dealership to this day along with his sons, Frank and Jack.

The next call Buddy received was from Hollywood; Bud Ekins who was doing some projects in Arizona needed a good stunt rider. Buddy’s stunt career took off and encompassed some of the best-known motorcycle movies and television of the era, including the memorable television series Then Came Bronson.

“My favorite movie was Electra Glide in Blue in 1973,” says Buddy. “It was a motorcycle cop movie. It was shot entirely in Arizona. Harley-Davidson sent me five new police model Electra Glides for use in the movie which I rode, fixed, and maintained.”

The whole time Buddy raced, ran his dealership and worked in movies, he fed his passion for motorcycles by collecting his favorite bikes. A few years ago a 3,000 square-foot wing of Buddy’s Phoenix dealership was specially built as a museum to house his impressive personal collection of classic and vintage motorcycles. “Although I’ve had a lifetime of involvement with Harley-Davidson,” Buddy says, “I’ve never been prejudiced toward any brand of motorcycle. I just love all motorcycles and I have owned, raced and ridden many brands.” His collection includes Vincent/HRD, BSA, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Ariel, and Norton motorcycles.

Buddy still rides (in 2013); he just completed the coast-to-coast pre-1930 Cannonball endurance run on one of his museum bikes. When he’s not riding, you can find him in one of his two dealerships (Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson in Phoenix or Buddy Stubbs Anthem Harley-Davidson) or conducting tours of his museum. He really loves his collection of bikes and has a personal story to tell about many of them.

The Trailblazers proudly welcome Buddy Stubbs to the Hall of Fame and congratulate him on a lifetime of motorcycling achievement.

05/07/2026

Mert Lawwill 1940-2026. From Joe Lawwill and the Lawwill family on the passing of Mert Lawwill. Motorcycle Icon, Suspension Pioneer, Grand National Champion, Innovator, and inductee into five halls of fame.

Boise, ID — 5/6/2026. Mert Lawwill, star of On Any Sunday and 1969 Motorcycle Grand National Champion, has passed away at the age of 85 in his home state of Idaho, surrounded by family and friends.

There has been much written about Mert Lawwill, and for good reason.

A 1969 Grand National Champion and inductee into both the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Lawwill built a legacy that bridged motorcycles and bicycles—becoming a motorcycle icon and a pioneering force in modern bicycle suspension design—while inspiring a devoted following that spans generations.

Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Mert was never one to follow the rules. The son of a house painter and a schoolteacher, both talented artists, and one of seven children, he quickly developed a reputation for finding creative ways to avoid chores—channeling that ingenuity into a life defined by motion, mechanics, and independence.

That spirit found its outlet when his older brother Roy introduced motorcycles into the picture. From that moment on, Mert was hooked.

As captured in the song “Cycle Racin’ Man” from the album Motor-Cycle Man by Buddy Mize:
“Little Mert, Little Sq**rt got a tricycle they say… rode it down through the town saying watch for me some day, in his heart from the start grew a very special plan, little guys about this size make a mighty big cycle racing man….”

In Boise, alongside close friends including Al Russell, Dean Huskey, and Al Kozak, Lawwill immersed himself in riding and racing. What began as a tight-knit group of local riders evolved into the foundation of a career that would take him to the pinnacle of American motorcycle racing.

As a longtime factory racer for Harley-Davidson, Lawwill rose through one of the most competitive eras in the sport. Early in his career, the support of Dudley Perkins in San Francisco provided Mert with the opportunity to pursue racing full time, a turning point that helped launch his professional career. He would go on to capture the 1969 AMA Grand National Championship. Known for his smooth style and mechanical intuition, he was not only a champion rider but also a technical pioneer. Lawwill developed his own racing chassis design, which became the benchmark for professional dirt track racing throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
His story reached a broader audience through his appearance in the landmark film On Any Sunday, directed by Bruce Brown. Brown’s decision to feature Lawwill introduced him to a global audience—many discovering Mert for the first time through the film—and helped define the culture of motorcycling for generations. Beyond the film, Brown and Lawwill developed a close friendship that endured over the years, a relationship that Mert valued deeply.

Following his racing career, Lawwill brought that same engineering mindset into the bicycle industry, where he became a true pioneer of the sport’s early development. He is credited with producing one of the world’s first production mountain bikes, the PRO CRUISER, in 1977—well ahead of the category’s mainstream emergence.

Lawwill also designed and patented a four-bar suspension system that was adopted by leading brands including Yeti Cycles and Schwinn. In addition, he developed the Lawwill Leader, a groundbreaking leading-link suspension fork that further demonstrated his forward-thinking approach to bicycle design. Throughout the 1990s, elite racers competing on those platforms achieved significant success, further validating Lawwill’s impact on modern mountain bike technology.

Yet among all his accomplishments, the work that meant the most to Mert was deeply personal.

Motivated by his close friend and fellow dirt track competitor Chris Draayer, who lost his arm in a racing accident but was determined to ride again, Lawwill set out to find a solution. The result was a prosthetic innovation known as “Mert’s Hands”—a device that allows riders who have lost a hand or arm to maintain a secure connection to the motorcycle while still being able to safely release in the event of a fall.

This work opened the door for countless adaptive athletes to return to riding and represented, in Mert’s eyes, his most meaningful contribution.

“From an early age, I understood that my father lived a life that was anything but ordinary. As I began to recognize the respect and admiration people had for Mert, the attention that came with it—even being asked for my own autograph as a child—felt surreal. I started calling him ‘Mert’ as a way to navigate that spotlight. As I grew older and pursued my own career in mountain bike racing, he remained my most steadfast supporter, always encouraging and standing behind me. It was never a question of pride—I have always felt a deep sense of gratitude and honor to call someone so impactful my father.”
— Joe Lawwill

Despite his championships, innovations, and industry influence, those closest to him will remember something less tangible but equally enduring—his independence, creativity, and the unmistakable way he approached life on his own terms. Friends and family remember his unfailing good nature and sense of humor, which remained with him throughout his later years.
Mert Lawwill was preceded in death by his wife, June Lawwill.
He is survived by his son, Joe Lawwill; his daughter, Marcella Lawwill; his stepsons, Rick, Mike, and Tim Suchomel; three grandchildren; and extended family, friends, and a global community of riders and fans who were inspired by his life on and off the bike.

A celebration of life will be held, with the date and details to be announced at a later time.

Photo Credits: Archival photography courtesy of the Lawwill family archives, including images believed to be from photographers such as Walt and Dan Mahony and others whose work documented Mert’s racing career over the years. We sincerely appreciate the photographers who helped capture and preserve these moments. Additional credit information will gladly be updated as needed.

Media Contact
Joe Lawwill
[email protected]
(714) 422-4704

04/14/2026

Prayers for Mike Kidd, an old friend to many of us in the motorcycle sport, and a hero to many more. Former AMA National Number 72, and #1 as Grand National Champion, he entertained us on the track for many years, and then stayed in the sport after his racing was done to be involved and promote it for the next generation. Mike is in a big battle with cancer and we can all help by letting him know we are thinking of him and praying for yet one more victory in his life. Fight on Mike, we're with you.

Cards and letters are welcome. Here is his address:

Mike Kidd
1216 W. Archer St.
Jacksboro, TX. 76458

PLEASE SHARE

03/27/2026

Here's some more Trailblazers banquet photos that Kinney Jones took at the RacerX Illustrated Pre-party on Friday night, the bike show on Saturday afternoon and a few stage shots during the awards banquet.

03/25/2026

Another Trailblazers banquet moment, by Don Emde

I'm still going through a lot of photos from the recent Trailblazers banquet. Here's a favorite that was taken by Kinney Jones of the final award of the night as Steve Storz (right) and I had Kel Carruthers on stage with artist Dave Maestrejuan for the presentation to Kel of a painting he made for him.

It's very rewarding to see how happy Kel was about Dave's creation and I was pointing out that Dave made the painting look like a postage stamp. The story behind that was that Kel actually was on more than one postage stamp back in his racing years in Australia.

For me, it was a great opportunity to recall the years when Kel came to race in America and he and I competed at numerous roadraces in the early 1970s. He was a great rider and inspired this 20-21-year-old at the time to do my best to run at his pace.

I was very happy to be the presenter of the Dick Hammer Award to him.

03/23/2026

Time to start a new list for the In-Memoriam video at the 2027 Trailblazers banquet, Jeff Smith has passed away, by Don Emde

Jeff Smith 1934-2026. 2-time World Motocross Champion, 8-time Six-Days Gold Medalist, 2-time British Trials Champion, inspiration of the 441cc BSA Victor motorcycle, and later Can Ams, leader of the AHRMA vintage racing organization in America, creator of the BMW Battle of the Legends series in 1990s, husband, father, and friend to so many. Jeff Smith passed away Sunday at his home in Wisconsin at age 91.

I didn't know Jeff Smith from his specialty as a motocross champion, we had first met at the motorcycle dealer shows in America in 1978. I was selling ads for Motorcycle Dealernews magazine, who were also the producers of shows, and I recall being at the Houston Astrodome where a dealer & consumer show was held in the adjoining convention center the days prior to the AMA National races in the Astrodome. Jeff was running the Can-Am Motorcycle business then and I was in the show office when Jeff came in and reported that their van had been broken into overnight and the motorcycles and his display had been stolen. And this was the day he needed to get setup for the show which would open later that day.

Being from England and then living in Canada, Jeff didn't even know what his options were to try to salvage some type of representation at the show. As I recall, I believe he had a Can-Am dealer in the area and he was able to arrange to have them bring over a couple of machines from the store and luckily had a big Can-Am banner he could hang up.

Other than letting him use the office phone, and maybe the loan of a roll of duct tape to hang the banner, I didn't do all that much, but I stuck with him as he was getting everything worked out. Jeff knew that like him, I also had a history of racing for BSA, and there was some kinsman ship that I think stuck with us through the years.

Fast forward to 1991, I hadn't seen Jeff for many years, but I knew he had been hired as Executive Director of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA). I was in my office one day when the phone rang. I answered and it was Jeff Smith, saying hello as if I had just talked to him the day before.

He then went on to say, "Don, I've got an offer that you can't refuse." He went on to tell me how he had arranged an event for the upcoming Daytona Bike Week. There, hopefully, I along with nine other riders of days-gone-by would race identical factory-prepared BMWs in a kind of match race to be held during AHRMA's vintage day at the Daytona International Speedway.
Jeff explained that the concept of the event was to showcase racers of the past who had all accomplished big things during their racing days.

For me, it had been over 15 tranquil years since I had hung up my racing leathers, but in just a matter of a few days, Jeff had me and nine others signed up for his new program and the BMW Battle of the Legends was born. We would go on from the debut at Daytona in March of 1992 to compete at two different race tracks each year through 1996.

After Jeff retired from AHRMA in 1999, I didn't see him much, but did make contact with his daughter Christine in 2018 to obtain a copy of the wonderful 464-page biography, "Jeff Smith. Trials Master, Motocross Maestro," written by Ian Berry. Jeff kindly inscribed it to me.

When I heard the news on Sunday that Jeff had passed away, my first thoughts were about how he quickly sold me on the idea of getting back into a racing series after not riding a motorcycle at or more than 100 miles per hour then for more than 15 years.

There was no money to be won, or championships to add to my racing resume. But Jeff explained why the then-growing vintage motorcycle hobby was becoming so popular. It was a chance to remember my years of racing when I was just a teenager and to feel young again with the personal drive to be at the front of the pack, with race fans cheering me on. As it turned out, despite some challenging events, Jeff was right.

Not only did I compete in every one the Legends races, but BMW asked me to write and publish a book about the BMW Battle of the Legends series. It became just my second book after publishing the Daytona 200 history.

What a great life Jeff had. He was more humble than he needed to be. I don't recall him ever talking about himself. But others did. People like Torsten Hallman who said, "He was the only rider I ever knew who would never admit defeat until the checkered flag had fallen. As far as he was concerned, every race was a race to the finish, and in grands prix nothing else mattered."

Godspeed Jeff. The checkered flag of life has now fallen, and you won.

03/17/2026

One special moment for me at this year's Trailblazers banquet was after 15 years as President, I have stepped aside for Norm Bigelow to take the helm. We invited the 13 other members of the active Trailblazers Board of Directors to join us on stage for me to officially turn the reins over to Norm.

From left: Bill Getty, Paul Flanders, Tom Horton, Steve Storz, Gale Waller, Kathy Cruz, Nancy Emde Steward, Norm Bigelow, Don Emde, Kevin Foley, Nancy Mercer, Duane Teevans, Keith Lynas, Joe Colombero and Tom Seymour. Photo by Zap Espinoza.

03/16/2026

Trailblazers 2026, by Don Emde / Photos by Zap Espinoza.

There's no question, it's a hell of a lot of work putting on that banquet every year...Not only me, but our new president Norm Bigelow and our other fellow Directors, plus help from other members and great industry sponsors. But as I said on the stage on Saturday night, it all finally comes together and the best moment of the year for me is when its over, people are heading home and we all see how much fun everyone had and how appreciative all of the honorees are about the awards and recognition we gave them. Congratulations to Jim Holley, Dave Arnold, Brad Baker, Randy Hall, Ronnie Jones, Mitch Payton, Jeff Ward and Kel Carruthers. Proud to have you in the Trailblazers Hall of Fame.

So like many of you, here I am on Monday enjoying some of the great moments of the 81st annual Trailblazers banquet. And yes, we are already sharing ideas about what went right, and what things do we need to fix or improve for next year. Stay tuned.

TrailBlazers Motorcycle Club

05/26/2026

05/21/2026

05/13/2026

05/07/2026

04/14/2026

03/27/2026

03/25/2026

03/23/2026

03/17/2026

03/16/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category