After eight years at Fox Raceway, the 12th annual Kurt Caselli Ride Day returned to its birthplace—Glen Helen Raceway Park—where hundreds of racers, friends and family of the late legend enjoyed a full day of fun for a great cause.
Photos by Mark Kariya
While the final numbers of funds raised won’t be tallied for a few days, it’s safe to say this year’s Ride Day will go down as another significant contributor to the Kurt Caselli Foundation’s (KCF) mission of protecting and supporting the lives of off-road riders.
With Glen Helen’s motocross tracks and surrounding off-road trails open to ride, there was something for practically every attendee. Those who didn’t know how to ride but wanted to learn could take two-hour beginner classes taught by United States Motorcycle Coaching Association (USMCA)-certified coaches in a safe, separate area.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, three scholarships of $6600 each were awarded for the spring 2026 semester. The recipients were Addy Albrecht of Montana, Piper Carver-Coons from Nevada, and Arizona resident Rhett Russo.
There were several dozen vendors on hand, a silent auction and raffle prizes, as well as the Memorial Legend Lap for Kurt (which attracted more than 300 riders) and the always popular Caselli Team Challenge, won this year by former MX champ Marvin Musquin and randomly selected partner Brennen Watson.
First-time attendee Robert “Fig” Naughton said the event was beyond anything he imagined. A former pro motocrosser and off-road racer, he got to know both Kurt and his father, Rich, when Naughton raced in the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) from 2001-04.
“My little claim to fame was Kurt’s first win with his new factory KTM contract at the Avi Casino [round],” Naughton said. “That was my first podium; I was second. Kurt smoked us, but behind me was Ty Davis, Destry Abbott, the three factory Suzuki guys, Shane Watts and all these amazing off-road guys, and I finished second to Kurt Caselli.
“More importantly, getting to know Kurt through those four short years of WORCS was just the smile and the fact that he always exuded positivity. Rich, of course, also. The sport’s full of so many amazing people, but Kurt’s one of those I’ll always remember.”
He continued, “Surprisingly enough and almost disappointingly so, I’ve never made it to one of these Caselli Ride Days before, and this is the 12th one. So, I saw the Foundation up at the Big Bear Grand Prix in August, I ran into [KCF Director of Operations] Lindsey [Mashchak] up there, and I’m like, ‘I’m coming!’
“It’s been an amazing experience and a reconnection with a gazillion other people I’ve known since the ’80s in this sport! This weekend and going to Baja to ride has made me realize this is my people, this is my community, and I need to spend more time in it. Riding a dirt bike is therapy for my brain as well as almost every other guy you talk to in these pits. It’s what I do, and I’m stoked to be here! Hopefully, I don’t miss another one for as long as I’m riding. I’d like to bring my daughter here next year. It’s just a rad event.
“And to top it all off, I met Doug Henry over the adaptive motocross thing they were doing. I got to introduce myself and tell him how awesome I almost was, wasted a little bit of his time there. Then just had conversation, because I work in health care and I’ve worked with spinal-cord injuries, and I see the stuff that most people don’t see. Then, in the random draw today, they pulled Doug Henry’s name, and he’s my teammate for the team race! My day couldn’t be any better!
“I’m still kind of irritated with myself that this is my first one, but it won’t be the last! It leaves such an impression of just how good the sport is when it comes time to help people, to donate to charities and those things. I love it!” CN
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