This post has been extremely hard to compose. Aidan Zingg was a popular young rider in Southern California, and we knew who he was through his Dad, Bob Zingg, from his racing days and from his production company, Zingg Inc.

We got to know Aidan when we tested his Loretta Lynn’s Championship-winning Supermini last August, and we immediately recognized that Aidan wasn’t the normal 16-year-old kid. Respectful and mature far beyond his age, Aidan knew the ins and outs of his KTM 112 Supermini and clearly articulated the details on video for our cameras.

From that day, Aidan never missed a chance to say hello whenever we saw him at Pala or Glen Helen, and we watched him grow into his new KX250 big bike and his Team Green Kawasaki ride.

MXA’s Josh Mosiman parked next to the Zinggs at Mammoth this week, and while Aidan’s Dad, Bob, was changing the oil and putting a clutch in his bike after practice day on Thursday, Aidan was helping Josh switch suspension from one bike to another in the wind and the dust, long after everyone else in the pits had left the track.

Aidan was leading the Schoolboy 2 final on Friday when he slid out late in the race and relinquished the lead, ultimately finishing second overall.

During Saturday’s first 250B moto, Aidan was battling at the front of the pack when he crashed in the back section.

Aidan Zingg’s legacy and impact on the motocross industry are not a result of his skills on a motorcycle, but of who Aidan was as a person when his helmet came off. He was extremely competitive on the track and exceptionally funny and lighthearted as soon as his race was finished. He was never “too cool” to associate with anyone, and he was uplifting and always encouraging other riders in his conversations.

After the ambulance left with Aidan and his family, the pits at Mammoth became still. Quickly, word spread about the severity of the incident, and the entire Mammoth motocross pits gathered at the PanicRev booth, behind the starting line, to pray for Aidan. PanicRev Ministries’ Destin Deerman and 3N1 MX Ministries’ Jeff Jetton prayed with the masses.   

At 6:00 p.m. Saturday, a few hundred people gathered in the Mammoth Christian church to pray, and once again, a large crowd showed up at the PanicRev booth on Sunday morning at 7:15 a.m. to come together and pray as a community for a third time.

Here’s Aidan holding his copy of the January issue of MXA with his Supermini on the cover. 

Aidan was making big strides forward in his first big bike year. He recently began training with Broc Tickle and riding with Garrett Marchbanks during the week. 

Aidan Zingg, 15 years old at the time, with his Loretta Lynn-winning Supermini. Read the full story about his bike by clicking here.

MXA VIDEO: TESTING AIDAN ZINGG’S KTM 112 SUPERMINI

Aidan’s Supermini on the cover of our January issue.