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{{short description|Spanish motorcycle racer}}
{{short description|Spanish motorcycle racer}}
{{about||the artist from Caracas, Venezuela|Mercedes Elena Gonzalez}}
{{Infobox Motocross rider
{{Infobox Motocross rider
| name = Mercedes Gonzalez
| name = Mercedes Gonzalez
Line 9: Line 10:
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_place =
| years = 1970 - 1987
| years = 1970–1987
| teams = [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine|Kawasaki]]
| teams = [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine|Kawasaki]]
| races =
| races =
| championships = AMA Women's MX - 1984 - 1991
| championships = AMA Women's MX (1984–1991)
| wins =
| wins =
}}
}}


'''Mercedes Gonzalez''' (born 11 July 1963) is a [[Spaniards|Spanish]] former professional [[motocross]] racer.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez">{{cite web |url=https://racerxonline.com/2017/01/22/where-are-they-now-mercedes-gonzalez |title=Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez |publisher=racerxonline.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Mercedes Gonzalez">{{cite web |url=http://swillian.domainhost.com/remember_when/mercedes_gonzales/mercedes_gonzales.htm |title=Mercedes Gonzalez |publisher=swillian.domainhost.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Women’s Motocross: The Next Level">{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2010/07/article/womens-motocross-the-next-level/ |title=Women’s Motocross: The Next Level |publisher=motorcycle-usa.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://supercross.com/mercedes-gonzalez/ |title=Mercedes Gonzalez profile |publisher=supercross.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref> Gonzalez was one of the most accomplished female racers in the history of [[American Motorcyclist Association|AMA]] motocross.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/><ref name="Women’s Motocross: The Next Level"/> She was a five time Women's Motocross Champion at [[Loretta Lynn's Amateur Championship|Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross National Championships]] and a nine time Women's Motocross [[List of AMA Motocross Champions|national champion]]. Her nine national championships are the most by a female competitor in American motocross history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://motocross.transworld.net/features/she-races-jessica-patterson/#eg1WQ7RZ65VdXBO1.97 |title=She Races: Jessica Patterson |publisher=motocross.transworld.net |accessdate=7 February 2016 }}</ref>
'''Mercedes Gonzalez''' (born 11 July 1963) is a [[Spaniards|Spanish]] former professional [[motocross]] racer.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez">{{cite web |url=https://racerxonline.com/2017/01/22/where-are-they-now-mercedes-gonzalez |title=Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez |publisher=racerxonline.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Mercedes Gonzalez">{{cite web |url=http://swillian.domainhost.com/remember_when/mercedes_gonzales/mercedes_gonzales.htm |title=Mercedes Gonzalez |publisher=swillian.domainhost.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Women’s Motocross: The Next Level">{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2010/07/article/womens-motocross-the-next-level/ |title=Women's Motocross: The Next Level |publisher=motorcycle-usa.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://supercross.com/mercedes-gonzalez/ |title=Mercedes Gonzalez profile |publisher=supercross.com |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref> Gonzalez was one of the most accomplished female racers in the history of [[American Motorcyclist Association|AMA]] motocross.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/><ref name="Women’s Motocross: The Next Level"/> She was a five time Women's Motocross Champion at [[Loretta Lynn's Amateur Championship|Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross National Championships]] and a nine time Women's Motocross [[List of AMA Motocross Champions|national champion]]. Her nine national championships are the most by a female competitor in American motocross history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://motocross.transworld.net/features/she-races-jessica-patterson/#eg1WQ7RZ65VdXBO1.97 |title=She Races: Jessica Patterson |publisher=motocross.transworld.net |accessdate=7 February 2016 |archive-date=8 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208062559/http://motocross.transworld.net/features/she-races-jessica-patterson/#eg1WQ7RZ65VdXBO1.97 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Professional racing career==
==Professional racing career==
Born in [[Madrid, Spain]], Gonzalez moved to the United States at a young age and began riding [[motorcycle]]s at the age of 7. Due to the lack of female competitors, Gonzalez often competed against male racers such as future national champions [[Jeremy McGrath]] and [[Mike LaRocco]] before they became professional racers.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/> Her experiences competing against male racers helped her dominate the women's division of motocross racing.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/>
Born in [[Madrid, Spain]], Gonzalez moved to the United States at a young age and began riding [[motorcycle]]s at the age of 7. Due to the lack of female competitors, Gonzalez often competed against male racers such as future national champions [[Jeremy McGrath]] and [[Mike LaRocco]] before they became professional racers.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/> Her experiences competing against male racers helped her dominate the women's division of motocross racing.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/>


After dominating women's motocross, Gonzalez made the decision to switch to [[Short course off road racing|stadium off-road racing]] competing in the superlight cars class of the [[Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group|Mickey Thompson off-road series]] with future NASCAR racer [[Jimmie Johnson]] as her teammate.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/> She won a race at Denver's Mile High Stadium to become the first woman to win a Mickey Thompson off-road event.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/><ref name="Mercedes Gonzalez"/>
After dominating women's motocross, Gonzalez made the decision to switch to [[Short course off-road racing|stadium off-road racing]] competing in the superlight cars class of the [[Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group|Mickey Thompson off-road series]] with future NASCAR racer [[Jimmie Johnson]] as her teammate.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/> She won a race at Denver's [[Mile High Stadium]] to become the first woman to win a Mickey Thompson off-road event.<ref name="Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez"/><ref name="Mercedes Gonzalez"/>


Gonzalez then started a career in [[downhill mountain biking|downhill mountain bike]] racing where, against much younger competitors, she finished second overall to [[Leigh Donovan]] at the [[1995 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships]] and, followed with a 6th place finish in the [[1996 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships]] before retiring at the age of 36.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-sports.org/mercedes-gonzales-mountain-bike-spf36626.html |title=Mercedes Gonzalez Montain Bike results |publisher=the-sports.org |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref>
Gonzalez then started a career in [[downhill mountain biking|downhill mountain bike]] racing where, against much younger competitors, she finished second overall to [[Leigh Donovan]] at the [[1995 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships]] and, followed with a 6th place finish in the [[1996 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships]] before retiring at the age of 36.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-sports.org/mercedes-gonzales-mountain-bike-spf36626.html |title=Mercedes Gonzalez Mountain Bike results |publisher=the-sports.org |accessdate=22 November 2018 }}</ref>


==Later career==
==Later career==
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Madrid]]
[[Category:Motorcycle racers from Madrid]]
[[Category:People from the San Fernando Valley]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Spanish motorcycle racers]]
[[Category:Spanish motocross riders]]
[[Category:Motocross riders]]
[[Category:Female motorcycle racers]]
[[Category:Female motorcycle racers]]
[[Category:AMA Motocross Championship National Champions]]
[[Category:AMA Motocross Championship National Champions]]
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[[Category:Downhill mountain bikers]]
[[Category:Downhill mountain bikers]]
[[Category:Spanish mountain bikers]]
[[Category:Spanish mountain bikers]]
[[Category:Spanish emigrants to the United States]]

Latest revision as of 19:45, 3 June 2024

For the artist from Caracas, Venezuela, see Mercedes Elena Gonzalez.
Mercedes Gonzalez
NationalitySpanish
BornJuly 11, 1963 (1963-07-11) (age 61)
Motocross career
Years active1970–1987
TeamsKawasaki
ChampionshipsAMA Women's MX (1984–1991)

Mercedes Gonzalez (born 11 July 1963) is a Spanish former professional motocross racer.[1][2][3][4] Gonzalez was one of the most accomplished female racers in the history of AMA motocross.[1][3] She was a five time Women's Motocross Champion at Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross National Championships and a nine time Women's Motocross national champion. Her nine national championships are the most by a female competitor in American motocross history.[5]

Professional racing career

[edit]

Born in Madrid, Spain, Gonzalez moved to the United States at a young age and began riding motorcycles at the age of 7. Due to the lack of female competitors, Gonzalez often competed against male racers such as future national champions Jeremy McGrath and Mike LaRocco before they became professional racers.[1] Her experiences competing against male racers helped her dominate the women's division of motocross racing.[1]

After dominating women's motocross, Gonzalez made the decision to switch to stadium off-road racing competing in the superlight cars class of the Mickey Thompson off-road series with future NASCAR racer Jimmie Johnson as her teammate.[1] She won a race at Denver's Mile High Stadium to become the first woman to win a Mickey Thompson off-road event.[1][2]

Gonzalez then started a career in downhill mountain bike racing where, against much younger competitors, she finished second overall to Leigh Donovan at the 1995 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and, followed with a 6th place finish in the 1996 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships before retiring at the age of 36.[6]

Later career

[edit]

After her racing career, Gonzalez was hired by Honda to work at the Honda Rider Education Center in Colton, California where she organizes staff schedules and rider education programs.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Where Are They Now?: Mercedes Gonzalez". racerxonline.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Mercedes Gonzalez". swillian.domainhost.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Women's Motocross: The Next Level". motorcycle-usa.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Mercedes Gonzalez profile". supercross.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  5. ^ "She Races: Jessica Patterson". motocross.transworld.net. Archived from the original on 8 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Mercedes Gonzalez Mountain Bike results". the-sports.org. Retrieved 22 November 2018.


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