April 1^st, 2015 was a bittersweet and somber day, as the motocross community gathered at Glen Helen for the memorial service and ride day to honor and celebrate the life of Tyler Clay Hoeft. Tyler was 14 years old. He was a precocious young man who left us much too young after succumbing to injuries sustained in a crash in Freestone, Texas. He grew up on two wheels, riding around his hometown of Castaic Lake with his dad Darrin and brother Justin, and blossomed into the racer that everyone had come to know over the past few years—fast, determined, and dedicated. To his friends and family, Tyler was a kind, gentle, and loyal young man, but on the track, he was an intense competitor who loved racing motocross. For those lucky enough to witness him ride, it was apparent that he had been blessed with a God-given talent few possess, as his effortless and fluid style was poetry in motion.

Tyler’s memorial service went exactly how he would have liked it. Following a touching devotional, everyone in attendance joined the family out on the track for a parade lap, as his dad Darrin, mom Michelle, brother Justin, and Justin’s girlfriend Kaelyn led the procession around the track where Tyler had spun countless laps throughout his life. After that, the track was open for riding, allowing everyone to spin laps in memory of Tyler. It’s often difficult to understand why tragedies like this happen, however, in his short time with us, Tyler touched a lot of lives, and lived more in 14 years than most do in a lifetime. It was a day filled with sadness, but it was also a day filled with laughter, memories, and good times—exactly how Tyler would have wanted it to be. It was truly a celebration of Tyler’s life. He will never be forgotten.

Words and Photos by Brendan Lutes