RIP Kurt Caselli

[shreddr]

Always a bummer when a racer gets killed. GodSpeed Kurt

Motocross champion Kurt Caselli dies in Baja 1000 crash - X Games

[signit98]

Not just "a" racer... arguably one of the best in his craft!

Although they always know the risk, it's always sad to see.

[bradzdotcom]

super fast, super nice, recently got engaged, just signed a 3-year dakar contract with KTM worldwide...knew him through Motonation/Sidi and FMF.
great guy, gone way too soon.

[Chris Canning]

It's bad enough what's happened but the circumstances ,is you link correct because I've read otherwise.

[Steve Carlton]

Suspicions of a booby trap...

Racer Kurt Caselli Killed In Crash At The Baja 1000 [UPDATE]

Or not...

Kurt Caselli Not Killed By Booby-Trapped Course, Competitor Says

[Rapid Dog]

...local boy...that's too bad.

[signit98]

Not sure if the "booby trap" reports are true (it looks like they are not), but people do stupid crap like that all the time... that includes the media, though, that's why one can't really believe the booby trap story either, until it has been proven.

I remember during the olden days of the Rally Monte Carlo, people would create ice sheets in corners at the Col de Turini, or snow banks... just for fun. It was "invigorating" for the drivers, to say the least. It's night, you can't see crap and you are pushing the envelope, yet you always have to be ready for some utter stupidity of others.

I guess to some it is just to boring, to just see a rider/driver ride by on the absolute limit... they need to see accidents, to be happy.

I don't get it.

[RIQUE]

Dakar will pass though my home town this year. Its a pity Kurt will not be part of the event. RIP

[Dr. Curve]

He hit a coyote and lost control at high speed.

[bradzdotcom]

dr. curve~
what is the source of your information?

[Rapid Dog]

Originally Posted by Dr. Curve

He hit a coyote and lost control at high speed.

...I'd guess a bore...(sp?)

[sgoodwin]

RIP Kurt. Good write up in cyclenews about him. They also mention he may of hit an animal. It's "boar", nasty mean little fockers.


Cycle News - Cycle News 2013 Issue 46 November 19 2013

[Rapid Dog]

Originally Posted by sgoodwin

RIP Kurt. Good write up in cyclenews about him. They also mention he may of hit an animal. It's "boar", nasty mean little fockers.


Cycle News - Cycle News 2013 Issue 46 November 19 2013

ditto, just read that, makes me wonder where his riding area was in Palmdale.

..oh...'bore'..tongue-in-cheek...

[bradzdotcom]

not sure where this coyote (or boar) story came from. as always, there's lot of speculation. hopefully this will help clear things up.

here's the info i've received from people i have known for a long time, and have no reason to believe it's not true.

first, from someone who was involved in that pit area:

KTM had just pitted Kurt at RM 779. 13 miles later is where Kurt had crashed. The first person on scene was a spectator named "Turtle". Kurt was still breathing at this time. After many minutes, Turtle left to go get help. He did not want to leave but had no choice. This was in a very remote area with sand washes, ravines and trees and hardly any spectators. In the meantime, KTM was re-fueling their helicopter. When they got back in the air, they could not find Kurt - nor could the Honda helicopter. Chris was now getting calls from KTM and SCORE, everyone was looking for Kurt. Kim was working the radios for SCORE and this had now become a Code Red. She was helping us as much as she could. They were all frantically searching. Nobody could find him. We tracked him and told as many as we could what race mile he was at approximately (with Spot trackers, it's not exactly accurate and updates only every 10 or so minutes).

Ivan rode in to find him and he and Ricky Brabec got to Kurt almost at the same time (maybe one right before the other). Ricky on the 4x bike. This was quite a bit of time after Kurt had crashed. Then they started pushing the SOS button on the bike and got the info to KTM and SCORE. Kurt was not breathing at this point. The ambulance arrived at Kurt and now it's night time. They tried to revive him but Kurt had already passed.

After inspection of Kurt's bike, it has been confirmed that he hit a large animal at full speed - either a cow or horse.

And from Ivan:
Kurt hit a cow or a horse and crashed. He got up, rode a little bit in a confused fashion, got off his bike, stumbled across the course, then sat down and leaned up against a tree...and took his helmet off. It was about an hour and a half before he was found.

plus:
Many Mexicans in that area have a strong bond of friendship with Kurt. This memorial was placed on the site where KC passed. big thanks to the Ramirez family who took on the project in a very short time.



hopefully that stops the rumors and speculation. Kurt was also wearing a Go-Pro, which helped confirm what happened.
last i heard, there's probably going to be a service this week (maybe friday), probably somewhere out Palmdale way near rapid dog.

i've known Kurt since he was a little guy, terrorizing pucker bushes in palmdale. he was one of the very best people you'll ever meet...he just happened to be wicked fast on a motorcycle too. always took the time to help other riders, always one of the last to stop signing autographs. i don't think he ever went home with his race jersey, it was almost always given away to someone as a souvenir.

one of my favorite kurt stories is about the night before a big event. as soon as one of his buddies/competitors went to bed, KC rolled his bike into the hotel, where everyone ganged up and removed all the plastics (fenders, tank, panels, etc). with everyone helping, it only took a couple of minutes.
in the morning the owner got up to find his bike stripped naked, parked on the diving board of the hotel pool, a reference to the guy's skinny-dipping session the night before.

kurt was one of the really good guys and many, many of us will miss him for a very long time.
racing has always been a dangerous sport. people die doing it. i just wish the trend of the good guys going first would end.
ride in peace KC.

[shreddr]

not to be too morbid, but what caused his death, broken blood vessel in his brain? Will the GoPro footage ever be released, or is this one of those cases where it is too painful to watch knowing the result.

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by shreddr

not to be too morbid, but what caused his death, broken blood vessel in his brain? Will the GoPro footage ever be released, or is this one of those cases where it is too painful to watch knowing the result.

My guess would be more internal trauma, could be number of things, busted ribs, punctured lungs, spleen etc. I am sure it will be determined, but may not be public unless the family wants it to be.

You wonder if the spectator knew there was a SPOT, and how to activate it, could help have arrived in time. And how long before there is some automatic notification, either by g force sensor, or tether, to alert teams of a situation.

[shreddr]

Originally Posted by PFFOG

My guess would be more internal trauma, could be number of things, busted ribs, punctured lungs, spleen etc. I am sure it will be determined, but may not be public unless the family wants it to be.

the cycle news report said head trauma, which is why i asked. if he got back on the bike and rode a bit before stopping again and taking off his helmet it must have been a delayed thing, he also must not have thought he was in danger or he might have sent out a distress signal. Kind of like Natsha Richardson with the hit to the head and delayed death.

no matter what its a major bummer

[bradzdotcom]

the go-pro will probably never see daylight.

i've whacked both a deer and a cow, and even though the cow was just a glancing blow, it still left me with a hip limp for a few weeks. those mofos are solid.
hitting one square on, or t-bone, would be brutal.
i know the section and topography of where it happened, and it's mostly a pinned-to-the-wall part of the course, weaving in and out of the manzanita at the 100mph + range.
kurt spent about three weeks pre-running that section, and knew it well.