Victor Steeman (15 June 2000 – 11 October 2022) was a Dutch motorcycle racer.
He competed in the
Supersport 300 World Championship intermittently from 2018 until 2022 when he died from his injuries from a crash at the first race of Portimão round of
that season.
Biography
Supersport 300 World Championship
Born in
Zevenaar
Zevenaar () is a municipality and a city in the Gelderland province, in the eastern Netherlands near the border with Germany.
Population centres
* Angerlo
* Babberich
* Giesbeek
* Lathum
*Ooy
* Oud-Zevenaar
*Zevenaar
History
The earliest signs ...
, Steeman made his world debut in 2018 in the Supersport 300, participating in the last two races of the
2018 season as a replacement rider. Riding the KTM RC 390 R, he scored his first world championship point, and ended in fifteenth position in the Portimão race. The
following season, he was brought in as a starting rider for the German team Freudenberg, riding a
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
. He had won first pole position in the Jerez event, which allowed him to start in the lead in both races held during the event. His best position during the season was in Donington with a fourth place finish. He ended the season in fifth place in the overall standings.
In 2020, Steeman competed in the German IDM championship in the 600 class. He won both races in
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
and finished the season in fifth position. Steeman then returned for the
2021 season, with Freudenberg riding a KTM. During the Most round in the Czech Republic, Steeman had his second pole position and won his first race. He finished the season in tenth place in the standings.
Final season and death
In 2022, Steeman moved to the Dutch team MTM Kawasaki. During the Assen round, he won his fourth pole position and his second career victory. He won three more races with the possibility of becoming the overall champion. In the final round on 8 October at the
Algarve International Circuit
The Algarve International Circuit ( pt, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve), commonly referred to as Portimão Circuit, is a race circuit located in Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal. The development includes a karting track, off-road tra ...
, he suffered a very serious accident in the first race and thus did not finish and was ruled out of the second race. He finished second in the overall standings. Steeman died three days later on 11 October in a hospital in
Faro due to injuries sustained from that accident. He was 22 years old
and the second World Supersport 300 rider to die from injuries in a race.
Two days after Steeman's death, his mother Flora van Limbeek died from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
in
Lathum, Zevenaar; she was 59 years old.
Career statistics
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Races by year
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Supersport 300 World Championship
Races by year
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steeman, Victor
2000 births
2022 deaths
People from Zevenaar
Dutch motorcycle racers
Supersport 300 World Championship riders
Motorcycle racers who died while racing
Filmed deaths in motorsport
Sport deaths in Portugal