Mary McGee: AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Mary McGee was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame during the 2018 American Honda AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Dec. 7 at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris in Columbus, Ohio.
McGee was among the first women to race motorcycles in motocross and road racing events in the United States.
McGee was introduced to auto racing by her husband, Don, in the 1950s. In 1957, she learned to ride motorcycles on a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub she bought from a friend and later took up motorcycle road racing to try to improve her car racing skills.
Switching to dirt riding in 1963, McGee started her off-road career by riding a 1962 250cc Honda Scrambler in an AMA District 37 enduro. She began riding Baja events in 1967 and, in 1975, rode solo in the Baja 500.
Also during the 1970s, McGee worked for Motorcyclist magazine and joined editors Jody Nichols, Brad Zimmerman and Rich Cox for a 24-hour road race in Las Vegas, in which the team changed riders every hour on a 650cc Suzuki.
In more recent years, she has returned to competing in select vintage races, while speaking out in support of women racers and recreational riders getting started in motorcycling.
"Oh, the places I have been! The things I have seen!" McGee said. "The terrific people I have met, and for all the friends I still have. I would not be able to thank enough the people who have helped me over these past years. I do believe the one constant we, as motorcyclists, have is to help others and, of course, always be kind."
McGee's Hall of Fame ring was presented by AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Brian Slark while AMA Board Chair Maggie McNally-Bradshaw, a close friend of McGee's, formalized the induction.