63 replies to this topic

[loki]

KTM rider Kurt Caselli died earlier this evening from massive head trauma after a crash in the Baja 1000 SCORE International, ESPN and KTM confirm.  There are unconfirmed reports from those at the race that he hit a booby trap on the course.  Thoughts and condolences to his family and friends.

[akshay380]

Damn. RIP Being reported on Twitter as well

[Disgrace]

Wait, what? Booby trap?

[loki]

Locals setting traps for enjoyment is not uncommon during the Baja off road races.  While nothing has come from the media, reliable, known sources from the race teams that were at the scene say it was a trap.

[RosannaG]

Sad news, very sad. Rest in peace Kurt.

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pMF3GL455x0

Edited by RosannaG, 16 November 2013 - 08:00.

[Kelateboy]

It is always a sad occasion when you have a death in motorsports. RIP Kurt.

[johnmhinds]

Locals setting traps for enjoyment is not uncommon during the Baja off road races.  While nothing has come from the media, reliable, known sources from the race teams that were at the scene say it was a trap.

 

What kind of trap?

[swerved]

What kind of trap?

 

This kind ? Words seldom fail me. RIP, whatever the cause.

 

[Fontainebleau]

Locals setting traps for enjoyment is not uncommon during the Baja off road races.  While nothing has come from the media, reliable, known sources from the race teams that were at the scene say it was a trap.

I am a total illiterate when it comes to legal matters, but if that was the case isn't this to be considered murder?

[Piif]

Horrible.

One has to wonder why anyone would want to race in a country where degenerate assholes can do stuff like that. No racing in third world countries, please.

[DampMongoose]

Oh how I wished that barbed wire had been pulled by the car through the line of sickening degenerates that set it up... Unbelievable that this sort of thing goes on and heartbraking for the drivers/riders involved and their friends and family. 

[Tsarwash]

RIP Kurt. That video is disgusting. Or rather the people in it are. 

[TecnoRacing]

Sad and disgusting...

 

I believe this (maybe in less extreme form) use to happen at the Carrera Panamericana quite often (putting objects in the road, removing or reversing road markers etc.)

[DampMongoose]

Sad and disgusting...

 

I believe this (maybe in less extreme form) use to happen at the Carrera Panamericana quite often (putting objects in the road, removing or reversing road markers etc.)

 

Similarly, wasn't there a rally in Ireland a few years back where a plank with nails in it was set up on track?

[Clatter]

I am a total illiterate when it comes to legal matters, but if that was the case isn't this to be considered murder?

It would probably be near impossible to identify who actually set the trap. 

[Clatter]

This kind ? Words seldom fail me. RIP, whatever the cause.

 

 

That is sick.

 

I had no idea this sort of thing was going on.

[Vitesse2]

Horrible.

One has to wonder why anyone would want to race in a country where degenerate assholes can do stuff like that. No racing in third world countries, please.

Sadly, it doesn't only happen in third world countries. 'Fans' on winter rally stages in Europe which have been recced as dry have been known to throw snow or water onto the road in sub-zero temperatures. Not ideal on Alpine roads ...

 

edit: plus the dickheads who threw nails onto the course of the Tour de France last year:

 

http://www.nytimes.c...hrown.html?_r=0

Edited by Vitesse2, 16 November 2013 - 10:55.

[Juan Kerr]

RIP Kurt. That video is disgusting. Or rather the people in it are. 

Apparently these is no limit to stupidity and attention seeking in this world

[ANF]

Horrible.

One has to wonder why anyone would want to race in a country where degenerate assholes can do stuff like that. No racing in third world countries, please.

No racist nonsense, please.

[Coral]

Oh no, that is shocking. RIP Kurt.

[fabr68]

Cancel the stupid race. If the locals want the turist money they better start putting these idiots in jail

[Smile17]

As if this only happens in 3th world country's.

Edited by Smile17, 16 November 2013 - 12:07.

[swerved]

That is sick.

 

I had no idea this sort of thing was going on.

 

Sick is a good word for it, doesn't take much to imagine what the outcome might be if that were a biker without the protection of a cage etc, its a real shame that there's an event in which people are allowed to get as close to the speed and skills as they dare, and someone wants to try and maim those providing the entertainment, then we wonder why the world is going safety mad.

 

****wits.

[Jovanotti]

No racist nonsense, please.

Yes and no political correctness just for the sake of it please. Wherever these things occur, the event has to be cancelled in the future until these assholes are sitting in jail for (attempted) murder.

What an unnecessary way to die, condolences to his friends and family.

[Nobody]

Motorsport is dangerous enough without this kind of barbarity.

[JHSingo]

Earlier in the year, I wrote daily reports on Dakar for another website, which meant following live timing/text commentary from stages. I came across Caselli's name quite a bit and he seemed like he was a talented rider, particularly as (if my memory serves me correctly) it was his first time at the event.

 

RIP. There has been enough tragedy in motorsport as it is this year, and allegations that this may have been caused by "fans" (I use that word loosely in this context) is extremely disturbing. I hope those at fault feel awful for what they've done, but they are probably the lowlifes that don't have a moral backbone so probably won't...

[Nonesuch]

Wherever these things occur, the event has to be cancelled in the future until these assholes are sitting in jail for (attempted) murder.

 

As sad as it is for the well intentioned fans, I agree. Similar to how some brave referees have called off football matches spoiled by racist and uncultured attendees, motorsport events that are deliberately sabotaged (and, as pointed out, this doesn't only happen in backward countries) are probably best called off.

[Tsarwash]

Yes and no political correctness just for the sake of it please. Wherever these things occur, the event has to be cancelled in the future until these assholes are sitting in jail for (attempted) murder.

What an unnecessary way to die, condolences to his friends and family.

As loathe as I am to bring this up in such a thread, it is not PC to point out racism (which the original post was) and request that it stop. 

 

Obviously I agree that racing shouldn't continue in areas where this is rife, and I am sure there are many parts of the world where this is unheard of. Idiots such as these bring entire regions into disrepute. 

[Massa]

Horrible.

One has to wonder why anyone would want to race in a country where degenerate assholes can do stuff like that. No racing in third world countries, please.

 

 

Your post is as silly as them.

[Spillage]

This kind ? Words seldom fail me. RIP, whatever the cause.

 

That's unbelievable. Disgusting. If something like this is what killed Caselli then I hope whoever set the 'trap' suffers some very serious repercussions. My thoughts are with Kurt's family, can't imagine how they're feeling right now.

[RosannaG]

I think we must condemn this kind of actions it doesn't matter where they take place and even though, it looks like it happens more often in some countries than others, I don't think it's a good idea to get into arguments that won't lead us to anything positive.

 

I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, it's just my opinion.

[RedBullFan]

Wait, I don't understand the video.

 

How can you know that the barb wire was indeed a trap and that it didn't attach itself to the car while it was rolling after the bump?

[mangeliiito]

The idiotcy of people, words fail me. RIP Kurt!

[Lazy]

Wait, I don't understand the video.

 

How can you know that the barb wire was indeed a trap and that it didn't attach itself to the car while it was rolling after the bump?

It didn't roll until it hit the wire, you could see the wire stretched across the track.

[JimiKart]

As if this only happens in 3th world country's.

Sure, right, what utter drivel.. name one North American or European track where spectators have been allowed to string barbed wire across the track then stand around an film a crash.

[whitewaterMkII]

I cut my teeth in off road racing back in the eighties, and believe me, even then this kinda crap happened. Booby traps are part and parcel of racing in Mexico, the savvy drivers know whenever they see a clutch of vehicles and people in the middle of nowhere it is almost guaranteed there is something bad about to happen. back in the day we had an awesome season of races and the vast majority were in the the southwest US, unfortunately the greens have shut down virtually everyone of them, and that's the biggest reason that the Baja is still the big race in the sport.. That was the genesis of circuit/stadium racing off road races with the formation of the SCORE series by luminaries in off road racing like Mickey Thompson and others. We truly ran an open class back then with some very odd vehicles and in some races, like the Mint 400 in Las Vegas we had everything from stock volkswagens to the Nevada National Guard that entered one of their M-60 tanks. The Baja 1000 is notoriously a nasty race and their are very bad injuries there every year, particularly in the moto classes. Since the Baja 1000 is run in the dark, the traps are almost impossible to see. My condolences to Kurt's family and friends.

Edited by whitewaterMkII, 16 November 2013 - 17:32.

[Gorma]

It didn't roll until it hit the wire, you could see the wire stretched across the track.

I don't see any trap or wire stretched across the track..

[whitewaterMkII]

I don't see any trap or wire stretched across the track..

Oh the trap is there all right, it's difficult to see, but someone took a backhoe out there and cut in a ditch in the middle of the track, which is a pretty common occurrence, worse is when they put telephone poles in the way or bulldoze in huge jumps.

[Chubby_Deuce]

Sure, right, what utter drivel.. name one North American or European track where spectators have been allowed to string barbed wire across the track then stand around an film a crash.

 

Are you under the impression that the Baja 1000 takes place on a track? This could explain why you're having a hard time understanding.

[Lazy]

I don't see any trap or wire stretched across the track..

You're right about the wire but the trap is clear to see I think.

[PorcupineTroy]

I had absolutely no idea this kind of thing happened in rally events.

 

What the actual ****.

[AlexS]

That is sick.

I had no idea this sort of thing was going on.

 

Me neither , if this is the case it should be considered murder.

[Longtimefan]

Thats just unbelieveable..  words fail me..

 

RIP

[Andrew Hope]

Okay, since no one seems to be about to explain: why? Why would you booby trap a rally course? Just being a dick? Some kind of politcal statement? Get out of my country? What?

[Gorma]

Oh the trap is there all right, it's difficult to see, but someone took a backhoe out there and cut in a ditch in the middle of the track, which is a pretty common occurrence, worse is when they put telephone poles in the way or bulldoze in huge jumps.

Ok. Thanks. That's crazy.

[P0inters]

RIP. Utterly ridiculous that they keep holding it with things like this going on.

[loki]

ESPN is reporting that reports of a trap have been debunked though there is no other information at this time to confirm.  SCORE International is saying only that he lost control at high speed.   According to racers at the scene just outside Ensenada the trap consisted of rocks and wood buried under silt.  Others are adamant this wasn't a trap but the natural terrain of the surface.  The consensus in the Baja racing community is that this was indeed a trap.  The community down there is pretty small and if it is a trap as reported it is possible that someone will have seen who set it.

[loki]

The Baja 1000 is notoriously a nasty race and their are very bad injuries there every year, particularly in the moto classes. Since the Baja 1000 is run in the dark, the traps are almost impossible to see. My condolences to Kurt's family and friends.

If the event happens without a fatality either racer or spectator it's considered a good year. This year SCORE is under new ownership though nothing has been presented that they have done anything different with regards to this as the previous owner had done in years past.  There was a change though where the bikes started at 11pm (23:00) Thurs night in an effort to make it safer when started closer to the high powered classes like Trophy Truck (800-900 hp) where there have been issues when passing the bikes and in places where the bikes and slower classes used shortcuts of the circuit in order to maintain safe intervals between the fast and slow classes. The downside is that the bikes had to do two night stints though this crash occured late afternoon local time and darkness wasn't a factor.

[Chubby_Deuce]

http://instagram.com/p/gyerk5E8xC/

 

Booby trap story was pure speculation and untrue.

[loki]

Other racers with as much experience as Brabec say otherwise.   Word from Baja is that SCORE will issue another statement regarding cause likely after the weekend.