Nic Coury from The Monterey County Weekly is reporting that two riders have died of their injuries sustained during a multiple bike pileup at the start of the MotoAmerica race just after 5 pm on Sunday, July 19th.

According to Coury, "Two motorcycle racers died following a massive crash involving multiple riders at Laguna Seca on Sunday evening.



The crash took place just before 5pm, moments after the start of MotoAmerica Superbike/Superstock 1000 race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It appeared that up to five bikes collided and tossed riders into the dirt runoff to the right of the start/finish bridge.

According to Monterey County Sheriff’s Cmdr. John Thornburg, two riders died as a result of their injuries.

As medical personnel arrived on scene, one rider tried to sit up on his own, but was screaming in pain. Medics held him down in order to administer help. A second injured rider tried to walk away from the scene, but began limping and was helped to the ground by medical personnel.

One of the injured riders was taken by helicopter to the trauma center at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas. A second injured rider was taken by ambulance to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

As of 8:45pm, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca officials had not issued a statement on the crash, identified the riders involved or give an update on their conditions. Calls to race officials were not returned.

According to a press release from MotoAmerica, 35-year-old Bernat Martinez of Alberic, Valencia, Spain was transported from the raceway by ambulance to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula where he died from his injuries. Daniel Rivas Fernandez, 27, of Moana Galicia, Spain, was taken by helicopter to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas where he died.

The race was the final one of the day and a support class for the larger World Superbike headlining race. MotoAmerica was formerly known as the American Motorcycle Association Superbike races, which typically ran before MotoGP races in previous years and is owned by FIM, which owns MotoGP and World Superbike."


Source: Bikeland.org & Monterey County Weekly

Photo: Nic Coury