Mert Lawwill Named Grand Marshal of 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

Featuring an On Any Sunday theme, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will highlight people, machines and memorabilia from Bruce Brown’s beloved moto documentary

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mert Lawwill has been named Grand Marshal for the 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event July 23-25 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Lawwill, an AMA Grand National Champion (1969), won his first AMA national at the storied Sacramento Mile in 1965, the first of his 15 career wins. In 1969 he was voted the AMA’s Most Popular Rider of the Year, and he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.

Beyond his racing success, Lawwill is perhaps best-known for his featured role in Bruce Brown’s legendary 1971 moto documentary On Any Sunday, which chronicled his bid to defend his AMA Grand National title throughout the 1970 racing season.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the classic movie, and the 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event will feature an On Any Sunday theme to celebrate the beloved documentary. Along with having one of the movie’s stars, Lawwill, as Grand Marshal, Lawwill’s Harley-Davidson dirt tracker and a Husqvarna Malcolm Smith rode in the movie will be on display, along with other movie memorabilia.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2021 will also feature a special screening of On Any Sunday in celebration of 50 years, bringing back the excitement and joy of riding to young and old who attend.

“I’m excited to experience all the vintage stuff happening at Mid-Ohio this July,” Lawwill said when invited to attend, “and honored to be chosen as the event’s Grand Marshal — especially since the AMA will be celebrating Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday moto documentary during VMD weekend! Being involved in that film was a great experience, and reliving some of it this July will be fantastic.”

“Mert Lawwill is a beloved figure in motorcycling,” said AMA Editorial Director Mitch Boehm, “for his racing career as well as his role in motorcycling’s all-time favorite movie. Having Mert there to celebrate the magic that Bruce Brown created 50 years ago will be a thrill for everyone involved.”

The 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event will also feature all the vintage-oriented happenings classic-bike fans love about the event, including off-road and road racing, Hall of Fame activities, the legendary swap meet, and more.

Tickets are available at midohio.com/tickets.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.

Not a member? Join the AMA today: americanmotorcyclist.com.