Argentine 9-year-old boy dies after racing accident at Brazilian Interlagos racetrack

SAO PAULO – A 9-year-old Argentine boy who took part in a motorcycle racing series in Brazil has died days after suffering a head injury during training, organizers said Tuesday.

Lorenzo Somaschini competed in the Copa Honda Junior category and had been in hospital since Friday following his accident on the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo.

He was treated at the Albert Einstein Hospital after the accident on the same track where Formula 1 has been racing in Brazil for decades. He died on Monday evening, organizers said.

Copa Honda Junior is one of the most important racing series for junior riders in America. It includes riders aged 8 to 16 with motorcycles adapted to their size.

Somaschini was born in Mendoza and has been racing since he was four years old. In various interviews he has said that he hopes to be in MotoGP and to win.