Mary McGee, Barrier-Breaking Competitor in American Motorcycle Racing, Dies at 87

An acclaimed documentary short film on her life premiered in June, and was released a day after her death.

Mary McGee in 2019. / San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers

Mary McGee, a motorcycle driver who was recognized as the first woman to compete in any American motorcycle road racing and motocross event, died Wednesday in Gardnerville, Nev. She was 87.

“Mary embodied resilience, grace, and optimism,” McGee’s family wrote on Facebook via Matthew Carey of Deadline. "She was a historic athlete and a motorsports pioneer who embraced life’s challenges, cared deeply for others, and made time to brighten the lives of those around her. While we are deeply saddened by this loss, we are comforted knowing that her light will continue to shine in everyone she touched."

McGee raced dirt bikes, motorcycles and sports cars at various points across a long career—last racing in 2012. She competed in events at Dodger Stadium and Riverside International Raceway, and ran the daunting Baja 500—a 500-mile off-road race across Baja California—solo in 1975; no man or woman had previously run the race alone.

On June 7, a short documentary on her life co-produced by Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival, winning critical plaudits. That documentary, a 30 for 30 short entitled Motorcycle Mary, premiered on ESPN's YouTube channel Thursday.

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