Dorothy Mercer was so far ahead of her time… she wouldn’t settle for being told she could only race the women’s “Powder Puff” classes.. she wanted to race with the boys! While many sanctioning associations would not allow her to race the boys on the oval, the cross-country groups welcomed her with open arms. And she thrived in cross-county races, in particular the famed Winnipeg to St. Paul race.
This photo is so great. On the far right is Wes Pesek, the guy Dorothy was racing with on all the cross-country races, and one of the best cross-country races that ever sat on a sled. Dorothy is walking towards the camera in her full race gear, ready to hit the track. Don Omdahl is walking towards her. You can see Stan Hayes’ head behind Don, working on his mighty 650cc 1973 Polaris Starfire.
We believe this photo was taken in Little Falls, Minnesota.
