Lewis Hamilton recently honored Mary McGee, the legendary American motorcyclist. McGee is famously called Motorcycle Mary to highlight her career achievements as a woman in motorsports, an industry that is often dominated by men. Here is a deeper look into who McGee is, her achievements in motorsports, her love for F1 and Hamilton, and more.
McGee is the first woman in history to compete in both road races and motocross competitions in the United States. She began her career in sports car racing and in no time outclassed her male competitors.
Soon after, she developed a passion for motorcycle racing. She competed in both road racing and motocross from 1960 to 1976 before competing in vintage motocross events that began in 2000.
Since she is already 87, it is remarkable that she last competed in a race just 12 years ago. A year after her last race, she was honored as an FIM Legend for her remarkable career achievements.
Six years ago on December 7, 2018, she was also inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, last year, she also got inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame (ORMHOF) Class of 2023.
What are some of Mary McGee’s biggest career achievements?
Perhaps the biggest achievement of McGee is that her career span was an astounding 50 years. She first began racing in 1960 and then raced as late as 2012.
She is also the only woman in history to compete in the Baja 500 solo event (1975). Moreover, she is also the first woman in history to compete in the Baja 1000 event (1968) and in a US MC/FIM-sanctioned motorcycle race in America (1960).
That’s not it, as McGee is also only the first woman in history to compete in both motocross and road race motorcycles in the United States. Last but not least, she’s also the first woman to compete with Europeans in International motocross in the US.
McGee’s love for F1 and Lewis Hamilton
Although McGee competed in several motorcycle racing categories, she also has a love for cars and F1. She made an appearance during the Canadian Grand Prix this past weekend and gave an interesting interview to Martin Brundle.
During the interview, she highlighted for how long she has been following the sport, and that her favorite driver is none other than Hamilton. When asked if her visit to the Canadian GP was the first time she watched an F1 race, she replied that she was at Riverside several years ago when she watched her first Grand Prix and met two-time champion Jim Clark.
Brundle then asked who she was supporting for the Canadian GP, to which she replied, “Mr. Hamilton, of course“. The two legends also met each other in the paddock last weekend in Montreal. McGee watched the Grand Prix from the hospitality of the Mercedes team, and Hamilton’s garage in particular.
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It is pertinent to note that it is not just Mary who respects Hamilton, as the British driver too has the highest level of respect for the 87-year-old. It is for the same reason that Hamilton has quietly been producing a documentary that highlights Mary’s achievements.
Only after McGee made her appearance on the Canadian GP grid last weekend was it revealed that Hamilton and his team have been making a short documentary to highlight the 87-year-old’s achievements. The documentary is called Motorcycle Mary.
Other than Hamilton, Rachel Greenwald and two-time Oscar-winning producer Ben Proudfoot will also produce the documentary. This short film will make its premiere at the ongoing Tribeca Film Festival.
As per reports, this documentary will feature never-before-seen before archival footage and pictures of Mary. In essence, it will provide fans with a glimpse of the 87-year-old’s remarkable racing career that spanned 50 years.
Where can fans watch the Motorcycle Mary documentary?
During the Canadian GP last weekend, veteran presenter Ted Kravitz provided some crucial details about the upcoming Motorcycle Mary documentary. The 50-year-old revealed that fans wanting to watch Motorcycle Mary in the US can do so on ESPN films.
Kravitz then revealed that he did not have the details of where fans in the rest of the world can watch the short film once it is released, but he promised to reveal it as soon as he got hold of it. The film lasts 21 minutes and is directed by Haley Watson.
For those fans interested in watching the premiere, rush tickets are available at the venue for them. The next date and time for the film is Thursday, June 13 at 6:15 PM ET.
Fans unable to watch the documentary then will also have the opportunity to enjoy it over the weekend. The film will also be premiered on Saturday, June 15 at 2:15 PM ET.
Meanwhile, the last date and time to watch the film is Sunday, June 16, at 2:45 PM ET. The location of the film is AMC 19th St. East 6 in Broadway, New York.
