It’s been a few days since Dane Westby’s shocking and sudden death, but it’s still pretty hard to come to grips with. I speak as somebody who only follows Westby through his rising racing career so I can’t even begin to imagine what his death is doing to the people closest to him, especially his family, friends, and colleagues.

Yamaha->ke301 is a big part of Westby’s racing career and upon hearing the news of the Wolverine’s death, the motorcycle company decided to release a short video of Westby doing some lap runs on his Yamaha YZF-R1 during a recent MotoAmerica test session at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

The video perfectly captures everything people love about Westby. Watching him ride around the circuit showed just how dedicated he was to his career, even earning the status of a “rising star” from his peers in the paddock.

Off the track, Westby was considered a man of considerable charm and wit, combining those two qualities with a genuine heart that manifested itself to anybody he met. It’s no secret that a lot of people loved Westby, not just for his skills as a racer, but also for the authentic way he showed his appreciation to his fans and even to the media.

Forget about the career that will never be, Dane Westby was a good man who was taken from us way too soon.

In a lot of ways, Yamaha said it best: “Ride in peace, brother.”

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