Joey Den Besten's Fatal Crash @ Imatra 2023
- 3 months ago
Leading Dutch rider Joey den Besten, 30-year-old, from Borculo in Gelderland province, was tragically killed on Sunday afternoon, 02 July 2023, during the final day of the third round of the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) meeting held at Imatra in Finland.
The accident occurred about 15h45, during the formation lap of the second Superbike race, when it was pouring with rain and the track was awash. Joey den Besten lost control of his Kawasaki ZX-10RR bearing the race number #65, slid off the track and collided with a lightning pole along the back straight of the circuit. The rider was prounced dead at the scene.
After the fatal accident, the event was suspended for about an hour. At the end of a long discussion the organizers decided to continue the races as scheduled in the Imatra meeting programme and the IRRC Superbike race was also completed, according to the opinion of all the riders, including Joey den Besten's team who wanted the event to go on. Reportedly, weather on Sunday was not as bad and wet as the previous day, when the Saturday qualification session was red-flagged because of the heavy rain and racing resumed only after the track was in better condition.
A former twice IRRC Supersport champion, in 2014 and 2017, finishing runner-up in the years between, Joey den Besten started competing at a young age and was a well-experienced and known road racer. He finished third in the IRRC Superbike class in 2021 and seventh in 2022. Before moving to Finland, he had previously raced at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland. He lived in Borculo, in Gelderland province, Netherlands, at the time of his death.
R.I.P
The accident occurred about 15h45, during the formation lap of the second Superbike race, when it was pouring with rain and the track was awash. Joey den Besten lost control of his Kawasaki ZX-10RR bearing the race number #65, slid off the track and collided with a lightning pole along the back straight of the circuit. The rider was prounced dead at the scene.
After the fatal accident, the event was suspended for about an hour. At the end of a long discussion the organizers decided to continue the races as scheduled in the Imatra meeting programme and the IRRC Superbike race was also completed, according to the opinion of all the riders, including Joey den Besten's team who wanted the event to go on. Reportedly, weather on Sunday was not as bad and wet as the previous day, when the Saturday qualification session was red-flagged because of the heavy rain and racing resumed only after the track was in better condition.
A former twice IRRC Supersport champion, in 2014 and 2017, finishing runner-up in the years between, Joey den Besten started competing at a young age and was a well-experienced and known road racer. He finished third in the IRRC Superbike class in 2021 and seventh in 2022. Before moving to Finland, he had previously raced at the North West 200 in Northern Ireland. He lived in Borculo, in Gelderland province, Netherlands, at the time of his death.
R.I.P