Fred Merkel is one of the few riders that can truly be called a legend in his own time. A three-time AMA Superbike Champion, Merkel left the states in 1987 to race on the world stage and brought home two FIM World Superbike Championships.

Honda recognized the talent of the young Merkel, and hired him to race AMA Superbikes in 1983. The choice was a good one for Honda. In the third round of the 1983 season, Merkel earned his first Superbike podium finish, a third, at Riverside, California. Just over three months later, on July 24, 1983, at Portland International Raceway, Merkel won the first of 20 AMA Superbike Nationals. That tally of 20 Superbike wins made Merkel the all-time winningest rider in AMA Superbike, a record which stood until eclipsed in 1998 by Miguel Duhamel.

Merkel finished third in his rookie Superbike season then returned in 1984 and won the title. "Flying Fred" just kept on winning and winning in the mid-1980s. In 1984, he won a record 10 AMA Superbike Series races in a single season. Merkel also helped move AMA Superbike racing to a new level of recognition.