MURRIETA, California (December 29, 2022) — The 10th Annual Kurt Caselli Ride Day, presented by Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, FMF Racing, and KTM, is a fundraising event held in honor of off-road racing legend Kurt Caselli. The event took place on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022, and drew over 750 attendees this year at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. Together, the bike giveaway and event proceeds raised $76,750 for The Kurt Caselli Foundation's work and its mission of Protecting and Supporting the Lives of Off-Road Riders.

The event featured riding activities such as a three-mile off-road loop, open riding on the Main, Vet & kids tracks, segmented practices for adaptive riders and kids/women/beginner riders, a parade lap to honor Kurt Caselli, USMCA Beginner Dirt Bike Skills classes, and a fun Pro-Am race called the Caselli Team Challenge. There was also a vendor row, much like the pits at Supercross or a Pro Motocross national race, where the area was lined with 36 of the industry's top moto brands (and even some local businesses) who support the mission of Protecting and Supporting the Lives of Off-Road Riders. The Ride Day is well attended by a plethora of decorated off-road and SX/MX racers, all there to have a good time and enjoy a day of riding in honor of Kurt Caselli —someone who made an impact on the lives of many riders. Between sponsors, vendors, and Pro riders, there were over 40 raffle prizes and silent auction items, which event attendees had the opportunity to win.

Nancy Caselli, Kurt's mother and TKCF Treasurer, awarded the Kurt Caselli Scholarship to 7 recipients, each receiving $2,500 in funds—applied directly to their school's tuition. The Spring 2023 semester recipients are Lexy Baker of Agua Dulce, CA, Luke Millet of Centerville, UT, Olivia Pugh of Tacoma, WA, Carter Rayburn of Apple Valley, CA, Tristen Bell of Huachuca City, AZ, Travis Azure of Bon Aqua, TN, and Lacey Kerr of Emmett, ID. The Foundation started the scholarship program in 2015 and has awarded $132,500 in scholarship funds to 53 recipients. The Fall 2023 Semester is now open for racers to apply at KurtCaselli.com/scholarship.  

The annual Pro-Am race, dubbed the Caselli Team Challenge, is always entertaining. Each year, Pro and amateur (or "average Joe") riders are paired up randomly via popsicle stick drawing for a fun racing experience. This year, the challenge returned to the Vet track for a 20-min +1 lap moto where Kailub Russell and Cole Whitmer took the top honors and claimed the perpetual trophy. Team challenge results are available online at KurtCaselli.com/teamchallenge. 

Accounting for a large amount of the proceeds raised was the one-of-a-kind bike build, a 2022 KTM 500 XCF-W Baja race bike that Brad Baker of CTG Federal generously donated. The bike was a special project for Brad Baker and Quinn Cody's private Baja race team that Factory KTM mechanics built with an unlimited budget, costing over $30,000 and featuring several unique factory parts and tricks you can't even buy. Live on stage, the winner of this giveaway bike was selected using the TapKat software that pulled ticket number 34865 as the winning number. The KCF team cross-referenced the entry list to verify that Michael Reed of Fruita, CO was indeed the bike winner and then was called to notify him of his new ride. Congratulations Michael!  

If you have yet to attend the Kurt Caselli Ride Day, do yourself a favor and put it on the calendar now —it's always the first Saturday in December and a fun event for the whole family. For 2023, the tentative date is December 2nd. More details are to be announced following the winery event. 

"We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support from the industry, Kurt's global fan base, and our sponsors," said Donny Emler Jr., President of the Kurt Caselli Foundation. "It is truly inspiring to see everyone come together to support the off-road community in Kurt's name. The Kurt Caselli Foundation team worked hard to make this 10th Annual Ride Day a success, and we are thrilled to have seen so many smiles at the event. Thank you for helping us make a difference.

The 10th annual Kurt Caselli Ride Day was a huge success, thanks to the support of event sponsors: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, FMF Racing, KTM, Fox Racing, 805, High Fives Foundation, MotoDemption, PCI Race Radios, and Fox Raceway as well as the many vendors and volunteers who made the event possible. We look forward to continuing to honor Kurt's memory and support the off-road racing community for years to come. Proceeds from the event will go to the Kurt Caselli Foundation, which works on safety initiatives and provides educational scholarship opportunities for off-road and motocross riders.

For more information about the Kurt Caselli Foundation, please visit www.kurtcaselli.com.