| Author | Message | ||
     Rubberdown |
http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette /Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d8893630030000&sec tionId=60 Too damn soon. We were watching along the fence when The Red Bull KTM Rookie Cup 125's came through on the first lap. It happened right in front of us. My deepest condolences to the families and friends of all involved. Godspeed. | ||
| Miamiuly |
That's sad, but he must(I hope) have lived his 14 years pretty well to have achieved getting into that series. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
May he rest in peace. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
ride in peace Toriano Wilson. FB&D | ||
| Djkaplan |
Racing can be a brutal sport sometimes. 14 was awfully young to find that out the hardest way possible. I hope his parents don't blame themselves. As an ex-teen racer (not nearly at that level of talent) it was something I would have done regardless of the risks. | ||
| Twig |
Real hard pill to swallow. Damn shame. My thoughts are with his family. RIP Toriano. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Tragic...raise a glass.  Cheers to all the good times he had on the track. RIP brotha... | ||
| Skinstains |
Only the good... | ||
| Fran_dog |
RIP, Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends. | ||
| Ezblast |
RIP, and my prayers also to his family and friends. EZ | ||
| Teddagreek |
Very Sad.... | ||
| B00stzx3 |
That is dang sad. but kids are allowed to race bikes at 14 now? | ||
| U4euh |
RIP prayers out to all the families involved in this tragedy. | ||
| Buellgirlie |
godspeed. D | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
a friend of the Wilson family is compiling messages of condolences on the WERA website to present to them at Tori's funeral: http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=185639 Superbike Champion Ben Spies Comments On The Late Toriano Wilson: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Aug/e/n080819a .htm | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
from a post on the WERA website (http://forums.13x.com/showpost.php?p=2151234&postc ount=89): Good day WERA family As a fellow countryman and friend of Tori and his family I'd like to thank you for your heart felt condolences. It is truely unimaginable that our young road racing star's blossoming career has been cut so tragically short. I raced in the same series as Tori in Bermuda last year (the BMRC) and I was fortunate enough to witness and be involved in the start of what would have been a friutful career. I think it would be appropriate for me to talk a bit about Tori and the impact he had on road racing in Bermuda. Our small island (21 sq. mi. with a pop. of 70K) has never had any athlete with the ptoential of making it in the world stage as much as Tori did. When our local club found out that he was accepted into the RBRC a wave of optimism swept the island like wild fire. In 2008 alone we have had more racers leave our club to come to the States and persue professional careers than the total of Bermudians who had tried similiar feats in the past. Unfortunately this tragedy has put a serious road block in all our plans. Road racing is innately very near to Bermudians hearts as scooters and small motorcycles are a main form of transportation here. But so is motorcycle road fatalities. Thus the BMRC has been struggling for years for road racing to gain public acceptance as a legitimate past-time/hobby/potential future career. Last year we dealt with our 2006 600cc national champion dying due poor safety conditions at our local track. This year's tragedy will be even more difficult to swallow. So I would like to ask our WERA and general road racing family at large to help us quell the public outcry that we will undoubtably face here in Bermuda We feel that Tori is a hero to the Bermudian people because even at his young age he was blazing a trail that those younger AND older than him were hoping to follow. So I would like to personally ask if we could some how organize a way for everyone to show their support to Tori and his family. I believe if we can prepare a big card or something with signatures from fellow racers and offerings of condolences it can help sway people from thinking that we lost this wonderful young man in vain. I currently live in Deland FL but I will be returning home this Friday. I'll leave my contact info so that I can be reached to discuss details of how we can make this work. Again I thank all of you for your support through this incredibly tough time. Antoine Richards (c) 386-848-9789 For more information about the BMRC and Tori's earlier years please visit www.bmrc.bm | ||
| Ulywife |
Godspeed Tori. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wilson family during this tough time. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from WERA.com) Updated information, including where to mail items to the family, emails, etc can be found here: http://torianowilson26memorial.blogspot.com/ Also there is the information on making contribution to The Toriano "The Animal" Wilson Memorial Fund. This was created to assist the Wilson Family with the final expenses of the untimely death of their son. Excess funds will be used to assist other racing families who experience similar tragedies. Thank you everyone for everything so far. I can tell you for a fact that the Family has been overwhelmed with the support and caring of the motorcycle community. -- posted by a13x, 8/21/2008 To send condolences to the Wilson Family: Email: Remembering.toriano26 at gmail dot com Post: The Wilsons 20 The Sink Road St. David's, Bermuda DD03   | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from www.mistihurst.com ) R.I.P Toriano Wilson Misti Hurst Published: August 21, 2008 The motorcycle community, the family that is AMA racing, lost someone too young this past weekend in a race related crash at Virginia International Raceway. Fourteen-year old Toriano Wilson of Bermuda, teenager, motorcycle racer, future star, passed away from injuries sustained. To say that I’m shaken is an understatement. I feel cold with sadness, and lost, missing his huge smile already and the grins of his family who were always so close by. I met Toriano earlier this year at Barber Raceway in April, along with his dad Dennis and Dennis’s girlfriend Debbie. I was touched by their enthusiasm and energy and with the grit that kept them pushing forward with whatever it took so that Toriano could follow his dreams. And the kid dreamed BIG, you could see it in his eyes when he talked about racing and hear the determination ringing in his voice when he talked of improving his times, or passing another rider, his dad’s approving hand on this tall kid’s shoulder. They came by every race after that to say their hello’s and give us updates, to wish myself and teammate Josh luck on our own racing endeavors. Dennis smiling, Debbie smiling, Toriano outshining them both with his white tooth grin. I remember thinking that he was mature for his age, he carried himself well, he spoke well, he respected Josh and I, had good manners, but most of all, he had that adventurous twinkle in his eye. I stopped watching the Red Bull Rookie’s Cup races, after seeing a couple kids toss themselves in crashes at Infinneon Raceway, not because I don’t believe in the series or believe that kids that age should be racing, but because it was too hard for me to witness children tumbling, potentially getting hurt. I now more fully understand my parents steady refusal to watch me race, despite their pride in my achievements and their full support. I commend the parents that stand by their kids in the quest for achieving their goals and dreams, and with the courage that it takes to watch them fall and get back up, fall again. In this rare case, Toriano did not get back up. It is the dark reality of motorcycle racing, the stark contrast to checkered flags and podium appearances, and smiles all the time. My body went cold when I heard of a crash in the rookie’s cup that had sent two of the boys by life flight to the hospital. I immediately asked around to find out which kid had been hurt, my stomach turning when I heard, “Toriano…..it doesn’t look good.” That night, shaking, I dug around in our trailer to locate the delicate bottle of pink sand from Bermuda that Toriano and his family has so thoughtfully given me a few races back. I placed it beside the bed in my hotel room and, fighting bad dreams, sent all my energy to him, his family, his recovery. In the morning, Josh and I drove to the hospital to see if we could offer some support, my phone rang as we were nearing the building. I knew the moment I answered, the way the news entered me, a voice in the background sounding muffled, as though talking through clouds, and my knees buckled, shaking hands dropping the purple flowers, a shock of color against the grey pavement and I shook my head at Josh, tears streaming. He seemed to freeze then, his arms limp and dangling for what seemed like forever, the least animated I have seen him, ever. We lost someone too young, in an accident that has left us all reeling. What his family is going through at this moment I cannot imagine as I feel my own coldness in the marrow of my bones and catch myself blinking back tears in the most random of moments. I do not know why I write this down now, except that I feel compelled somehow to commit his name and his energy and his short life to my memory forever and share with others how in such a short time, his smile touched me deeply. My thoughts and my love go out to his family, his friends, fellow racers, and to all those that were touched by his life in some way or another. This is a lesson to all of us that life is precious and can be much too short and that we need to grab each moment and crush it to our skin. I will miss you greatly Toriano Wilson. Godspeed. Misti (Message edited by jerry_haughton on August 24, 2008) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(posted by Christopher Corder at WERA.com): As seen on CMRA bikes (including mine) this weekend:  |
