Kurt Caselli Memorial Ride Day 8

GuyB
12/6/2013 5:41pm
Following Kurt Caselli's unfortunate accident in the Baja 1000, the whole off-road motorcycling community, from hardcore desert guys, to weekend off-roaders, to moto guys, was hurting. A lot of them got together at Glen Helen to celebrate his life the best way they knew how, at his memorial ride day at Glen Helen Raceway. Here's some of what went down.

From the time we pulled off the highway we knew the day was going to be something special. We haven't seen lineups like this to get into Glen Helen since the glory days of the MX Nationals.

This memorial to Kurt will find a place in the desert near his dad's memorial.

KTM obviously had a huge setup in the pits, and FMF brought out a ton of Caselli t-shirts that sold out almost immediately.

There were lots of ways to donate to the Caselli Foundation that's been established to initiate learning, inspire others and help raise the bar for increased rider safety. There was a silent auction, that included goodies from riders, companies, and individuals. The James Stewart helmet to the left? Pro golfer Ricky Fowler laid down a $2500 bid for that one. Ricky also donated a golf bag, and some of his gear. If you're interested in making a donation to the Caselli Foundation, you can do it through KTM North America, Inc., c/o: Caselli Foundation, 38429 Innovation Court, Murrieta, CA 92563.

It was cool to see some legendary riders on hand. We ran into Malcolm Smith, and Charles Halcomb at Glen Helen.

By any measure, the turnout of riders who showed up to pay their respects was impressive.

At noon everyone gathered to hear some remembrances of Kurt, a prayer, and a moment of silence.

Kurt's mom, Nancy, and fiance Sarah White. Sarah will head the Caselli Foundation.

A contingent of Riverside County Sheriffs were also on hand.

A memorial parade lap was led out by Kurt's KTM teammates.

There were no shortage of ways that riders showed their respect...like Chris Filmore.

At the end of the day, some guys did motos on Glen Helen's MX course, some hit the hillclimb, and others headed out for a trail ride. All got to remember Kurt in the way that worked best for them. It made for a very powerful and very cool memorial, and that definitely fit with the man being remembered.

Caselli had an affect on riders across the dirt bike community, from casual fans to top level pros. MX pros Justin Hill (center) and Blake Baggett (right) showed up to offer their respects for a motorcycling legend.

This photo wall was set up under one of the KTM awnings. It gave attendees a chance to both admire and reflect on the man kid that Kurt had been, and the man he had become.

The images on the wall spanned Caselli's life, from childhood to this year. If you never knew him Kurt was, by all accounts, a good human being.

These images offered friends and family a chance to say goodbye in their own way.

While the mood of the day was mostly somber, the outpouring of friends and family to the ride day was a positive example of the person that Kurt Caselli was.

Related:
Kurt Caselli
Kurt Caselli Memorial Ride Day
2013
8 comments

View replies to: Kurt Caselli Memorial Ride Day

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flyingeek423
10 years ago
Thank you for posting GuyB. There is no doubt that Kurt was highly respected and loved!
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JM485
10 years ago
Man, that is unbelievable. They should be proud to have put on such a successful event, just amazing. I wish I lived in SoCal, I would have been down there for sure.
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TeamGreen
10 years ago
The most Amazing Day I've EVER spent at Glen Helen,

Kurt, you made a Difference.
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Samantha_Willich
10 years ago
wow i wish i could of been there kurt will never be forgotten by me he is an inspiration and will always be i will still watch his videos you might be gone but you will never be forgotten .