Nine-year-old Argentine motorbike racer Lorenzo Somaschini died on Monday after crashing on Friday in Brazil. Race organizer SuperBike Brasil confirmed his passing: “Everyone on [our] team is appalled by what happened and offers Lorenzo’s family and friends our sincere condolences.”

Somaschini, a Rosario native, was taking part in the fourth round of the Honda Junior Cup at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo. During the free practice sessions on Friday, he fell off his bike while coming out of a curve known as Pinheirinho. Despite wearing all the necessary equipment, he hit the back of his head in the fall, which made his condition much more serious.

The organization’s statement added that he was treated at the scene by the ICU ambulance medical team and was stabilized at the racetrack’s emergency room. He was transferred to the Hospital Geral da Pedreira and later to the Albert Einstein Hospital, where he died.

“I’ve been riding bikes since I was four,” Somaschini told specialized website Paseo Tuerca in April. “My dad used to ride; when I was two, he took me to watch SuperBike and I started to like it. My dream is to reach MotoGP and become a world champion.”

These were Somaschini’s first steps in the Honda Junior Cup, a junior class for drivers aged 8 to 18. According to its official website, the series was created in 2013 to “teach racers all the concepts and techniques for motorbike race riding.” The category races Honda CG 160 Titan bikes, specially modified for young racers with adapted pedals and handlebars.