Kurt Caselli’s impact on the motorcycle world was immense – the most dominant off-road racer of his era, Kurt was respected and admired for his incredible skill, dedication and passion.
Riding was in Caselli’s blood, born to two desert racers in the Southern California desert and competing by his mid-teens, he was destined for great things. To name a few accomplishments, at age 14 Kurt was titled the Mini Enduro K1 Champion and age 15 he earned the K1 plate in Desert. 2 years later, Kurt took the C1 plate in Enduro, Desert and GP. From this point on Kurt dominated worldwide, competing in the ISDE event for 12 years, awarded 8 times Top American and 2 times winning his class.
1998 Kurt Caselli Home Video Footage
After reaching the professional level, Kurt took his first WORCS Championship in 2007 and again in 2011. In the same year Kurt decided to return to his roots of true desert racing and committed to the AMA National Hare and Hound Championship, winning 3 years in a row.
Kurt competing in the 2011 WORCS
To complete his 2013 season in North America, Kurt had to compete with KTM teammates in the 2013 Baja 1000. It was in this race that the legendary FMX rider tragically lost his life from severe head trauma, sustained during a fatal crash. Caselli’s KTM racing team stated, ‘he apparently lost control of his KTM motorcycle in a sandy, high-speed section at approximate race-mile 792’. The team ‘discovered traces on the machine that indicate he had collided with some small animal, which apparently caused the crash’ as reported by xgames. Kurt was leading in the final stages of the race when the crash occurred.
Kurt competing in the 2013 Baja 1000
Kurt’s legacy lives on, his fiancee and family setup The Kurt Caselli Foundation in 2013, whose main focus is the safety of riders and racers in the off-road motorcycling industry. The foundation provides scholarships to high school seniors and raises funding for innovative technology designed to increase off-road competition rider safety. Kurt Caselli will continue to be a true inspiration to riders around the world. If you want to know the story behind the legend, catch ‘Caselli 66: Ride the Dream’ available on Garage now.
