Former pro racer Michael Corbino Jr., 27, dies in crash

Michael Corbino Jr. never wondered how he wanted to spend his days working and living.

Since age 4, Corbino knew he wanted to spend his life riding and racing motorcycles when his father, Michael Corbino Sr., who raced motorcycles as a hobby, introduced them to him.

“When he was old enough to be able to sit on a bike, he was,” Montana Taplinger, Corbino’s sister, said. “It started out as a fun sport and hobby, and Michael happened to be really good at it. He decided to do that with his life, and that’s what he did.”

Corbino, who raced professionally from 2006 to 2013, died around 3 a.m. Sunday, after he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a tree while traveling northbound on South Tamiami Trail. He was 27. His passenger, Jasmine Fraser, 22, of Bradenton, was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries. At press time, she was listed in critical condition. The crash remains under investigation.

Corbino grew up on Longboat Key and attended the Out of Door Academy before moving to Mill Valley, Calif. and attending Tamalpais High School. He then went to Chico State University in Chico, Calif.

“When he had something he wanted to do, he would go do it,” said Matthew Ball, a friend of Corbino’s since they were 14. “He lived right then and there, right in the moment.”

Corbino, who also managed properties in the Southgate area of Sarasota, first became a professional racer with Supermoto in 2006 and 2007. He was injured in 2008 and 2009, but in 2010, he joined the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Pro Road Racing. He also raced throughout Europe. He took a break competitively from the sport in 2013, due in part to an injury, but told his family he planned to return.

“He was just always a really happy and full-of-life type of person,” said fellow racer Patricia Fernandez. “Even if he didn’t do well in a race, he’d always get off the track with a smile on his face. He always saw the positive side of a situation no matter what.”

“Everybody wanted to be like Mike,” said Dex Honea, who knew Corbino through the Sarasota motorcycle community. “Here, everyone looked up to him, even the older guys. He was the hometown hero who made it to the AMA.”

Corbino told the Longboat Observer that his proudest accomplishment was placing third in a race at the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR 1200 Series at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix in 2012. When Corbino wasn’t riding his motorcycle, he was surfing.

“He spent some time in Malibu and just packed up all his belongings in a big van and lived out of it and surfed every day,” Taplinger said. “That’s just who he was. He was so adventurous and lived his life following his passions.”

Last year, Corbino traveled by himself to surf in Bali for several weeks.

Corbino’s travels through his motorcycle racing and surfing allowed him to make friends around the world.

“He was so open-minded to different people and different cultures,” Taplinger said. “He just accepted people for who they were. He was so welcoming to everybody.”

Although he had close friends around the world, he stayed close to those in Sarasota.

“He was a great guy with a great heart,” said Francis Zamora, his friend of 10 years. “He always had my back and made sure that everyone felt special in their own way. There was not a bad bone in his body.”

In 2012, Corbino told the Longboat Observer that none of his accomplishments would have been possible without his biggest fan and occasional riding buddy: his dad, whom he thanked after each of his races. He remained close to his other family members, as well.

“We were really, really close growing up,” said Taplinger, who is three years older than Corbino. “I have so many fond memories with him. My daughter, Annabelle, is 2, and he was Uncle Mikey to her. He lit up her face, and she was mesmerized by him.”

One of Corbino’s closest bonds, however, wasn’t with a human.

“He trusted us all with his most precious possession — believe it or not, his dog, Harley,” Zamora said. “Not his bikes.”

Corbino always took Harley, who is a boxer, on his adventures. He even paid Ball to drive the dog from Sarasota to California because she couldn’t fly.

“When he traveled back and forth across the country, if you look at his pictures, Harley was always in there with him,” Taplinger said. “They were the best of friends. Everybody who knows him knows about Harley.”

Corbino is survived by his father and stepmother, Michael and Carolyn Corbino; his mother and stepfather, Nikki and Jeff Sedacca; his sister and brother-in-law Montana and Irwin Taplinger; niece, Annabelle Taplinger; his beloved boxer, Harley; and his friends around the world.

“We’re all so heartbroken, but he was so loved,” Taplinger said. “Seeing hundreds of posts on Facebook from all these people who knew him is amazing. I’m so amazed by the outpouring. I’m so proud he’s my brother.”