FREDERICKSBURG, Pa. — The racing community has been rocked since the tragic news of an accident that killed five, including a family dog.
A track the Molanders were no stranger to took a moment to honor them and begin the healing process as a community.
Many recall the Molanders as a family that brought so much joy and compassion to any track they traveled to; nearly three weeks after the accident, many folks feel as though the pain hasn’t subsided.
Sleepy Hollow Motorcross track in Lebanon County decided to remember and honor the family with a memorial lap.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around something like this because these kinds of things do not happen, and they don’t happen to such good people," said Dane Molander's Fiancée, Alli Trudell. "Unfortunately, it did and I think we’re just all trying to come to terms with that and understand that this is where we’re at now. This is the hand that life has dealt us.”
The accident on I-81 that took the lives of a truck driver, the Molander family and their beloved dog has been difficult for fellow riders to come to terms with.
“There’s definitely a low vibe and just the amount of people that have to travel on the same road," said Westley Wolfe, a friend of Dane Molander. "I had to travel it this morning. It’s definitely heartbreaking. [It] makes you think and feel grateful for what you have. Waking up every day is a blessing.”
Many of the people who were often around the Molanders echoed that same sentiment.
“Dane was amazing. All the Molanders were amazing, even his sister, his mom and dad. They were beautiful people," said Hunter Capp, Dane's friend. "They would do anything to help you out. If you needed a part, they’d give you a part or just a helping hand. They would give it to you, no matter what the situation was. They were just great people all around.”
Sunday morning, before the final round of the District Six Ultimate Quad Series at Sleepy Hollow Motorcross Park, riders took part in a parade lap to honor the family.
The track is the former stomping grounds of pro rider Dane Molander, his sister, also 30-second card girl, Miranda and his mom and dad, Don and Kim.
The parade was led by Dane’s fiancée Alli Trudell on his former quad while wearing his jersey. The quad is owned by Hunter Capp, who bought it from Dane last year.
“It’s very surreal to be sitting here. I would always be riding this quad with him around the pits," recalled Trudell. "He would always pick me up after his motos. So to be riding it right now means a lot to me.”
The races have been a way to distract riders away from the unsettling news.
“This kind of distracts you from it because you want to do great for Dane and the whole family," said Capp. "As soon as we go to leave, I’ll start bawling.”
Helping to support each other during this difficult time, and with Hunter’s assistance, Alli is jumping back into racing for the first time in over a year, after a back injury sidelined her. He’s helping to coach her as she rips it up on the course while aiming for a goal.
“I’d like to see her put it back on the number one board, for the last time," said Capp. "Then probably park it. It would be nice to see it up top again.”
Racing was everything to the Molanders, as the No. 488 lives on at the track.
“It meant a lot to them as a family. It was something they all did together and that they enjoyed doing," said Trudell. "They brought so much light to the entire community.”
The parade lap wasn’t the only thing at Sleepy Hollow this weekend, there was a benefit dinner with all proceeds going towards the funeral expenses for the family and the truck driver.