Mark Kariya | December 5, 2023
A lot can happen in 10 years. The Kurt Caselli Foundation (KCF) and its 11th Annual Caselli Ride Day, Presented by FMF, Rocky Mountain ATV-MC, KTM, PCI Race Radios and Fox, are proof of that.
In the 10 years since the 2019 AMA Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Caselli passed, the KCF has mushroomed into what’s likely the largest philanthropic organization dedicated to enhancing the safety of off-road riders and racers. It’s raised well over $2 million in that time and now has an annual safety budget of $120,000 in addition to awarding $6600 scholarships twice a year.
Many attendees joined the Kurt Caselli Memorial Legend Lap, a slow lap around Fox Raceway’s Vet track in honor of the fallen rider. As usual, GasGas, Husky and KTM factory off-road riders were in town for their team photo shoots and attended.
Photos by Mark Kariya
The Ride Day is its most popular fundraising event, as it’s something that Kurt Caselli himself would’ve enjoyed—a day of getting together with friends to hang out and ride dirt bikes.
As Caselli’s mechanic during his last championship years and now the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Anthony DiBasilio reflected on those changes. “It’s definitely reaching new people, so that’s helping the growth, which is nice,” he said. “Obviously, the things that the Foundation’s doing with the scholarships and the effort that they’re putting into the races here Stateside to help with the safety is growing.
“Of course, there’s always room to grow and make it better, and that’s what we’re trying to do. I like listening to peoples’ suggestions and giving that back to the committee and trying to help them improve and just make things safer because that’s what the Foundation is for.”
It’s no secret that higher education is getting more expensive so KCF scholarship amounts are larger to help offset that, something that Maggie Michel will appreciate next semester.
Activities at the Fox Raceway venue included riding on the main and Vet motocross tracks, tackling the fresh single-track off-road loop, demo rides on brand-new 2024 Husqvarna motorcycles or KTM’s new kids-only SX E-2, a two-hour-long beginner/refresher skills course taught by certified United States Motorcycle Coaching Association (USMCA) instructors or a Riders 1st Responders first-aid skills class. There was also a dedicated session on the Vet track for disabled riders on adaptive bikes courtesy of the High Fives Foundation and MotoDemption.
For the second year in a row, disabled riders on adaptive bikes enjoyed an exclusive session on the Vet track, the bikes courtesy of the High Fives Foundation and MotoDemption.
One of the smallest raffle winners had the biggest smile after her ticket was drawn for the Stacyc 20 eDrive. The ticket was one of the last 10 her parents purchased as an afterthought in order to bring their total number of tickets to 66—the number Caselli himself ran.
In addition, there was the always popular—and entertaining—Caselli Team Challenge that gave everyday riders the chance to team up with a notable Pro racer in a relay race on the Vet track. Riders had to stop and exchange a pair of Ethika boxers after each lap, so outright speed was not the determining factor.
The awards, raffles and silent auction highlighted non-riding activities, with former ATV racer Maggie Michel the latest scholarship recipient and many happy faces at the conclusion of the raffles.
Though it’ll take a while to crunch the numbers, the 2024 KTM 500 EXC-F giveaway bike alone raised $39,804. After a computerized random drawing, KCF President Donnie Emler, Jr. had the honor of phoning Steve Fox from Texas to inform him he’d won.
The USMCA provided a free two-hour beginner/refresher skills course with certified coaches like Kylee Nordby. Pre-entry was required, but it was otherwise included in the day’s $30 admittance fee.
It was, by all accounts, another fun day. For those unable to attend or who’d simply like tangible reminders of the day, Ride Day (and other KCF) merchandise will be released later this week at www.kurtcaselli.com.
“It’s been fun watching it grow over the years,” DiBaslio said. “I’m really excited for what they are doing and looking forward to what is to come.”
For more information, visit https://www.kurtcaselli.com/
