Fred Merkel (born September 28, 1962, in Stockton, California) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer and two-time Superbike World Champion.
In 1984 he teamed with Mike Baldwin to win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.
[2] He jointly holds the record for the most wins in a season with Mat Mladin.
He won the championship from Fabrizio Pirovano and Davide Tardozzi with two wins and three other podiums.
Merkel retired from racing at the end of the 1995 season after being injured in an accident at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona.