Motocross champion Kurt Caselli died on Friday after crashing his motorcycle while competing in a race in Mexico.
Caselli was competing as part of the KTM Factory Team in the 2013 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 race on Friday when the 30-year-old lost control of his bike and crashed. Medical crews rushed to mile 792 of the 883-mile desert race to render aid to Caselli, but it was too late. The motocross champion had died of a severe head injuries in Ensenada. Evidence from his recovered bike has revealed that Caselli may have hit a small animal, resulting in the accident.
“Today we lost a KTM hero in the worst possible circumstances. We are shocked and saddened by this tragic news and our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Kurt’s family,” Pat Beirer, the head of KTM Motorsports, said in a statement on Saturday. “Our sport has lost more than a great rider; we have also lost an excellent ambassador for off road racing.”
Early reports indicated that there was a possibility that a man-made booby trap may have caused the collision. Teammate Taylor Robert denied the reports in a Facebook post saying, “I want to make something very clear and stop the rumors. Kurt Caselli did not crash because of a man made booby trap, a spectator, or any other nonsense that people are saying about his accident. This was merely a racing accident … so please stop spreading rumors.”
Caselli was no rookie to offroad motorcycle racing. The 30-year-old had won Argentina’s Desafio Ruta 40 Rally in June and was the winner of the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) in 2007, 2010, and 2011. In additon, Caselli was named AMA Sportsman of the Year in 2007 and won the AMA National Hare & Hound Championship three consecutive times.
