On July 19, Spanish riders Bernat Martinez and Dani Rivas both lost their lives in a tragic, multi-bike, chain-reaction accident at the start of MotoAmerica Superbike/Superstock 1000 Race Two at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
This past weekend both men were honored during separate memorial services in Spain.
On July 31, Rivas was remembered in a service in his hometown, Moana, Spain. The service included a display by his FIM/CEV Repsol European Superbike Championship team, Easyrace/Boxmotos.com, and Rivas’ BMW S1000RR was started and some attendees were allowed to rev the bike in salute to their friend. The next day a large convoy of motorcyclists escorted Rivas’ body to a burial service.
Spanish MotoGP racer Aleix Espargaro can be seen in the following video revving a salute to Rivas: https://youtu.be/yyR3XOLrvcU
On August 1, Martinez was honored at Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, just outside of Valencia, Spain. A memorial ceremony was followed by a hearse taking Martinez’s casket for a lap around the track while hundreds of motorcyclists followed. From the track, Martinez’s body was taken to a cemetery in Alberic, Spain, for burial.
A video with scenes from each rider’s memorial service can be seen here: https://youtu.be/4OzJCGA2BSM