LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Born Mary Connor in Juneau, Alaska, she had a brother called Jim who was four years older than her. During the Second World War, there was a fear that the Japanese might invade Alaska, so the children were sent south to live in Iowa with their grandparents.
They travelled there by steamer – from Juneau to Seattle (a distance of 1700 miles).
Mary was a keen horse rider and entered gymkhanas.
When Jim was old enough, he joined the military. Meanwhile, the Connor family moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
When he was demobbed, Jim became a mechanic. He introduced Mary to his friend, Don McGee from the east coast of the USA, who had been in the army with him.
For his hobby, Jim took up car racing. He took Mary to one of his races – and she was absolutely enthralled.
Jim then suggested she take a drive around the circuit in his car. Mary remembered being absolutely terrified – but she was hooked.
Mary married Don in 1956. She was five feet eleven inches tall – bigger than her new husband. She said of herself, “I was fast on my feet, fast with my brain, self-conscious and lacking in confidence.”
They celebrated their first wedding anniversary by going to watch a race at Phoenix, Arizona.
Don then suggested she followed in her brother’s footsteps and take up car racing.
Mary competed in her first race in December 1957, driving a Mercedes 300SL. It was a Sports Car Club of America race. Once behind the wheel she oozed self-confidence.
Shortly afterwards, Mary started winning races and came to national attention as there were no other women drivers. “We were supposed to stay home, cook, raise kids. I didn’t pay any attention to that because I was having too much fun.”
Mary bought her first motorbike in 1957, a Triumph Tiger Cub that she acquired from a friend. It often failed to start so she traded it in for a Honda C110. She would ride it to her work place – as a parts manager for Flint British Motors.
In 1960, Mary raced at Santa Barbera in a Porsche Spyder. The owner of the team, the Czech-born, Vasek Polak, was so impressed with her that he suggested to Don that Mary take up motorbike racing.
When Don mentioned it to her, she said, “Ok – Why not?”
Despite her success in cars, the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AMF), were not convinced a woman could race bikes. They insisted she take a test drive.
Mary passed with flying colours, so she applied to the American Federation of Motorcyclists for a license to compete. They replied ‘’No woman has ever asked us before’. She got the approval to go ahead and race.
She remembered walking out for her first race. “I got a lot of strange looks walking out to the bike.” She wore a pink polka dot helmet. Mary was the first woman in the USA to compete in motorcycling racing.
She also took up motocross.
In 1962, an article about Mary appeared in the magazine ‘Motor Trend’. It was entitled ‘Housewives Revolt’. It finished with the words. ‘So, ladies, if you are bored with the freeway traffic, don’t give up. Buy a motorcycle and join Mary McGee.’
Later that year, Mary and Don were invited to a New Year’s Eve party in Manhattan Beach, where Don introduced her to his friend, fellow motor-bike enthusiast, the actor Steve McQueen.
When Steve heard that Mary raced bikes he said to her, “McGee, you’ve got to get off that pansy road-racing bike and come out to the desert.”
McQueen and his stuntman, Bobby Harris, persuaded Mary to join them in entering a desert race at Jawbone Canyon in California. At the end of the race, Mary admitted she was more exhausted than she had ever been before. She was also frozen as it had snowed in the desert. Nevertheless, she was hooked.
The following year, Mary gave up racing cars to concentrate on motorbikes. However, the opportunity to race on tracks was limited as the rules allowing women to compete were changed after she had won a race. At this time, she was the only woman competing.
The new rules said each woman entering had to complete a trial before every race. Mary said she was really “ticked off” with this – so she quit road racing.
This rule was never applied – as there were now no women racers.
In 1964, Mary’s brother, Jim Connor, was killed during a car race in California. In any accident, Mary always blamed the vehicle, never the driver.
That same year, Mary herself was seriously injured in a car accident in New York – ironically not whilst she was racing. Whilst she was in hospital, she discovered she was pregnant.
The following year she gave birth to a son.
In 1967, Mary entered the Baja 1000. It was in Baja California in Mexico – one thousand miles across the desert. She faced many hazards including rocks, sand dunes and extreme weather conditions. Mary became the first woman ever to complete the course.
In 1975, Mary was contacted by the Swedish motocross World Champion, Rolf Tibblin. He tried to persuade Mary to ride solo in the Baha 500 (this was a race usually competed in by teams of two men). No woman had ever ridden in this competition.
Mary said, “I can’t do that Rolf.”
He replied, “You will do it, Mary.” And she did!
Later on, Mary called the ride the hardest thing that she had ever done. The weather was the hottest it had ever been for the competition.
Early on, she hit a boulder and broke her left foot. Then, she came across another rider whose bike had broken – and she had to give him a lift.
Her husband and son stayed in a trailer close to the start (and finish) line, waiting to greet her.
Mary completed the course – the first woman ever to do so. Not only that, but she won the race, having overtaken seventeen two-men teams on the way.
“It was very barren, no electricity, no doctors, no phone. In case of injury you’d have to ride injured to get someplace where someone has a car – but I did come off the bike several times.”
No woman has successfully completed this race since Mary did.
The Iron Man trophy was awarded to the best rider in the race, and it was given to the man who came second, behind Mary – an example of the prejudice against women in the sport.
This was something Mary had battled against throughout her career. She said male riders did not know how to treat her. “I wasn’t their sister, I wasn’t their mother, I wasn’t their girlfriend. So, what do they do?” Consequently, she felt that she always suffered both negativity and isolation.
In 1976, Don and Mary divorced. She immediately gave up racing.
In 2000, Mary moved to Carson City in Nevada. There, she met up with many of her old bike friends and rediscovered her passion for the sport. She took up racing again, entering veteran competitions.
Mary initially took part in over sixties competitions, changing to over seventies as she aged.
Mary was forced to give up bike racing in 2012 due to suffering from arthritis.
In older age, Mary mentored many other women riders, encouraging them to enter competitions. “Just get out there and ride.”
“They used to say that women can’t do that. Of course you can. You may not win but at least you entered.”
In 2018, Mary was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame. At her inauguration, Mary said, “I am very, very happy to be a member of this Hall of Fame. I am a very lucky woman…and I want to tell you to get out and ride.”
She added, “Racing was never just about competition for me – it was about freedom, courage and pushing myself beyond limits…I hope my story inspires women and shows that with determination, anyone can carve their own path, no matter the odds.”
In June 2024, Mary was invited onto the grid of the Canadian Grand Prix alongside Martin Brundle.
Shortly afterwards, a documentary was made about her entitled ‘Motorcycle Mary’. It was produced by Lewis Hamilton. The two of them got on really well. In it, Mary said, “There is no shame in even coming last. You are participating in life.”
Mary had a stroke and died in Gardnerville, Nevada.
She died the day before the documentary film was released.
Martin Brundle said, “This is very sad. I spoke to her on the grid in Montreal and was due to make a feature with Mary in Austin – but she wasn’t well.”
Lewis Hamilton said, “I’m deeply saddened to hear that Mary McGee, the first woman to road race motorcycles in the USA has passed on. Her legacy will live on as a trailblazer in the world of motor sports and beyond.”
Mary’s family said, “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.”
They added, “Mary was truly fearless. So much of her life was not letting people stand in the way of what she really, really loved to do.”
RIP – Racing’s Intrepid Pioneer
