Godspeed, Kurt Caselli

Off-road champion killed in Baja 1000.

AMA Hare & Hound Champion, multi-time ISDE gold medalist, and factory KTM racer Kurt Caselli succumbed to injuries sustained while competing in the SCORE-International Baja 1000 on Friday, November 15. Caselli was 30 years old.

Facts has been difficult to obtain from the Baja peninsula, as KTM and SCORE have yet to release details about the accident. Based on social-media stream and live tracking on the SCORE website, Caselli crashed the 2x FMF Racing/Bonanza Plumbing KTM at mile-marker 796 while leading the eventual winning Johnny Campbell Racing team of Tim Weigand, Colton Udall, David Kamo, and Mark Samuels. The team, who have now recovered Caselli's bike discovered traces on the machine that indicate he had collided with some animal, which apparently caused the crash.

“We at KTM can't put into context the loss everyone in the motorcycling community is experiencing,” said Jon-Erik Burleson, President of KTM North America. “Beyond his racing successes and talent as a rider, Kurt was above all else a core member of our greater off-road family that simply can't be replaced. Kurt inspired the KTM family to keep pushing the limits of racing. He was the driving force behind our renewed efforts in Baja, Hare & Hound and the International Six Days Enduro. His work ethic, attitude and graciousness will never be matched.”

This past year, Caselli launched a new career in rally racing. In his Dakar debut, he won two stages and was marked as a contender for overall victory in the upcoming 2014 edition of the South American race.