Dutchman Joey den Besten died in an accident during Sunday’s race.
The legendary Imatranajot took a toll. The driver in the photo is not related to the case. Mikko Lieri
This year’s Imatranajot has claimed one fatality.
Dutch Joey den Besten passed away in the IRRC Superbike series race on Sunday.
Competition organizer Outi Kalliomäki The Finnish Motor Federation says that the driver crashed in rainy conditions on the straight.
– The driver hit a pole while sliding off the track. The driver died at the scene of the accident, Kalliomäki says.
The accident happened during the familiarization lap, i.e. when the drivers were driving around the track for the first time after leaving the pit. Only after this would there have been a warm-up lap and the actual start of the race.
The event was suspended for about an hour, after which the races continued. The IRRC Superbike race was also completed.
– Joey’s fellow drivers drove a commemorative lap in his honor and the race started as normal. It would have been Joey’s will, Kalliomäki says.
A dark history
The previous fatal accident in Imatranajai took place in 2019. In total, four drivers and one spectator have lost their lives in the history of the classic race.
Imatranajot was part of the World Championship series for years. However, the race on public roads was considered too dangerous, and it was removed from the race program in the early 1980s.
Last year, the 60th anniversary of the race was celebrated in Imatra.
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