2023 Mint 400 class winner Mike Longtine has passed away after suffering a heart attack while recovering from back surgery. He was 64 years old.

Longtine crashed while competing in August’s Vegas to Reno and broke his back, necessitating the procedure. He was competing in the Over 60 Expert class on the #M901 Husqvarna shared with Dick Wilk, Larry Job, and Scott Stearns.

His friend Tony Aguilera of Team Aggie Racing posted the following eulogy on Wednesday:

Mike was always smiling, joking, and ready for a good time. His laughter, kindness, and unmistakable spirit made every get-together better. He was also an absolute beast on a motorcycle. He was fast, tough, and a fearless desert racer who won many races and earned the respect of everyone he raced with and against.

One memory I’ll always hold close is the Nevada Rally off-road race, when Mike, Dick Wilks, my younger brother Mike Aguilera, and I spent a week pitting for the Vossburg Racing Team of Brian and Darrel Folks, who were racing separate bikes. We traveled across the Nevada desert, worked the pits, shared stories, gave each other a hard time, and laughed while doing what we loved.

Some of my favorite memories from that week were the late nights we spent together working on the bikes, getting everything repaired, serviced, and ready to go for the next day. We were tired, dirty, and running on little sleep, but we were together, doing what we loved and somehow Mike always kept us laughing.

At the time, we were just a bunch of friends enjoying another off-road racing adventure. We had no idea those long days and late nights would eventually become memories we would give anything to experience just one more time.

I’ll always remember Mike smiling, laughing, riding motorcycles, and simply enjoying life with his friends. Those are the memories I’ll carry with me.

The desert racing community didn’t just lose a great racer, we lost a great man, a great friend, and one of our own. Mike’s racing legacy, laughter, generosity, and friendship will never be forgotten.

Rest easy, Mike Longtine. Your race here is finished, but your trail will never fade.
You will be deeply missed.

Longtine won the 2023 Mint 400 in the Over 50 Sportsman class, sharing the #525 bike with Marcus McManus and Chuck Sun. He, Wilk, Job, and Sun ran this year’s Mint in March, where they completed a lap before retiring in 141st overall.

He is survived by his sons Jake, Mikey Longtine, Chris Russell, and Nick Russell.

Featured image credit: Johner Kight