The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
A Tribute to Mert Lawwill (2026)
Run Time: 17:57
A Tribute Film By: Chris Drozdowski
Key Cast: Mert Lawwill
FILM MAKERS
“For Mert Lawwill (1940-2026) a hero of my youth. This is a collection of excerpts featuring Mert from Bruce Brown’s Classic Documentary “On Any Sunday”. I had the privilege of doing a new 5.1 soundtrack and a Frame by Frame dust and scratch repair of this film several years ago.” – Chris Drozdowski
Check out his YouTube channel for more Bruce Brown moto film restoration/sound work clips.
SUMMARY
“Little Mert, Little Squirt 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….” – Cycle Racin’ Man from the album Motor-Cycle Man by Buddy Mize (1970).
Mert Lawwill (September 25, 1940 – May 6, 2026) was 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 was notable for winning the 1969 AMA Grand National Championship as a member of the Harley-Davidson factory racing team. After his motorcycle racing career, Lawwill became one of the top motorcycle racing frame designers and builders. Lawwill then used his experience as a motorcycle frame builder to become an innovative mountain bike designer, developing one of the first bicycle suspensions. He also developed prosthetic limbs for amputees. Lawwill was inducted in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
Today we remember Mert in film: Mert is featured in a few Vintagent archive films including On Any Sunday (1971), Why We Ride (2013), Angels Of Dirt (2024), and a wonderful spoof by Hoxton Moto filmed at the Malle Mile On Any Other Sunday (2022) which is very loosely based on the legendary Mert Lawwill sequences from the original film. His legacy lives on.
RELATED MEDIA
Read his Obituary to learn even more about the man and the legend.
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Yup … yet another M/C legend lost to the ravages of time . Saw this on YouTube and figured it’d make it here …
And ahh … if its any small source of comfort to you all …. legends in my world have been dropping like flies this year … e.g. Dave Mason , Seymour Bernstein etc ….more than a few .. much too young IMO .
Sigh …. the older one gets … sigh …
Brother … this Buddy Mize character is about as obscure as one can get when it comes to his now discography etc … trawled all over digital hell to find that songs mentioned … and … nada
Poor guy … did more than his fair share ( films .. covered by many etc ) … with little to show for it today … sigh … such is the way of the Enshitocene
Oh well … assuming he had a decent contract … at least he made a few $$$ from royalties … back when one did make $ from royalties …. unlike today ….. sigh
Like so many kids, I saw On Any Sunday and was immediately hooked on motorcycling (which I am still involved with today). In particular, Flat Track Racing. Watching Mert ride with such smooth confidence and grace was truly inspiring. And this is not to take anything away from the film overall. I recently commented to my wife that if there was only one film I could watch till the end of my days, On Any Sunday would be it. The visuals and sound track bring a sense of peace and happiness as I think back to that era. Now knowing that the last of the trio, Mert, Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith, are gone, in addition to so many racers featured in the film, it leaves a hole that will never filled.
Thank you Bruce Brown and Steve McQueen for bringing this wonderful film to us. And to Mert, Steve, Bruce, Malcolm, Gene, Dick (Bugsy) and the rest, may you enjoy endless sand covered beaches to ride upon.
Seriously ? My condolences that you’ve led such an empty life and are aging so poorly .
Cause see Mr Nelson … the whole point of growing old is attaining wisdom … not focusing on a past you’ve no doubt over romanticized . Cause honestly … though OAS was fun when it was new … overall … its a pretty low grade B Film on the best of days that even the likes of Steve McQueen et al couldn’t elevate .
Cult classic … yeah … but does that make it good ? Not hardly . Entertaining … maybe … but still crap in the end .
And all your ( and mine in the music world ) heroes moving on ? Sure … give them a moment of silence … but then … to paraphrase a quote I recently ran across …
‘ If you can string two coherent words together … if you can still string two cognitive ideas together .. if you can feed yourself … and put one foot in front of the other ( with or without a cane or walker ) .. then quit feeling sorry for yourself and a long gone past … get off your ass … and doo something …’
Cause brother .. get a clue … the past is dead … ” Old Guys Rule ” and ” Age and Wisdom trumps Youth and Enthusiasm Each and Every Tine ! ”
e.g. Get over it …. you’ll feel a helluva lot better better ,,, and I promise you … that poor wife of yours will as well
Damn I’m getting sick of this ongoing addiction to nostalgia to the point of depression and self destruction .
ENOUGH ! .. Grow up … act your age instead of your shoe size turn the last part of your life into REAL a life [ not a virtual life based on the actions of others ] … despite having wasted decades away up till now
So is the above a bit cruel ? Yup … cause to quote the bard [ Nik Lowe ]
” You’ve got to be cruel to be kind … in the right measure ”
And here’s a final hint … Kind … has nothing to do with being Nice ! … and ahh … the music to OAS … pretty much sucked !