He needed to wait six races last year to finish tenth, Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout succeeded immediately at the start of this season: the 23-year-old Dutchman finished the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg neatly in the top ten.
“All in all, a good start to the year.”
Rinus ‘Veekay’ van Kalmthout – IndyCar driver at Ed Carpenter Racing
After a challenging 2023, the knob had to be turned for the entire Ed Carpenter Racing team. Where leader VeeKay delivered flawless performances time after time, the team struggled with tuning the car and implementing tactical plans. A long winter break of more than six months gave the ECR team time to analyze shortcomings and expand on strengths.
The hard work of VeeKay and consorts paid off immediately on the streets of St. Petersburg. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native was able to compete with the fastest drivers from the very first training laps. That is significant in 2024: the IndyCar Series is more competitive than ever, with as many as 27 competitors barely outpacing each other on pure speed. Moreover, with a seventh qualifying time, VeeKay made his mark. His debuting teammate Christian Rasmussen, the reigning Indy NXT champion, finished 21st in the crowded midfield.
In warm conditions – 26 degrees Celsius, but mainly high humidity – VeeKay and his 26 IndyCar companions got ready for a leaden race, which, as the case in recent years, led the drivers through the streets of St. Petersburg a hundred times. At the start, it was watchful right away: where VeeKay managed to push his green-black #21 askROI.com Chevrolet past a competitor, he simultaneously had to keep a close eye on the mirrors.
VeeKay’s opening stint was ringside. The Dutchman delivered consistent lap times and stayed well on the lead group, only to send into the pits from seventh position for new tires and fuel. ECR and VeeKay opted for a start on hard tires, a second stint on soft rubber and a final stint back on the hard compound.
After a somewhat slow first pit stop, VeeKay returned in tenth place, only to pass multiple IndyCar champions Scott Dixon and Will Power in stunning fashion from there. After losing two opponents, VeeKay found his green-and-black car back in a fantastic sixth place. However, this was not retained: rapid tire wear forced VeeKay to slow down the pace at the end of his second stint, allowing several opponents to come alongside.
In the closing stages of the race, tenth place proved to be the maximum achievable for VeeKay, who got through the hundred leaden laps with visible physical ease. The ECR driver thus managed to put a first top-ten classification of the season on the board right away, which led to personal satisfaction and a pat on the back from the team members. Teammate Rasmussen reached the finish line in 21st place, the race was won by Josef Newargden (Penske).
“A fine race,” VeeKay let slip from sunny Florida, “although I would lie that I was completely satisfied. When you start in seventh place, of course you want to at least finish seventh. However, we were a few laps short of the competitors in terms of the pit sequence, so I lost a few places.”
VeeKay explained: “We struggled to keep the soft tire up for a complete stint. We almost succeeded, but in the last three laps the rubber suddenly went hard. We know what we need to work on as ECR. In any case, it offers hope that we started the new season with a top-ten finish right away. After all, we had to wait six races last year for the first top-ten finish.”
“All in all, a good start to the year. For a spot among the top five, or even on the podium, we still have some work to do, but compared to last year we have made a nice step forward. Last but not least, I would like to thank engine supplier Chevrolet. The Chevy’s went like a bullet today. The season has started well and I can’t wait for the next race,” VeeKay concludes combatively.
The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season continues on the streets of Long Beach, but before that there is another event that does not count toward the championship. On Sunday, March 24, VeeKay and consorts may compete for the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club in California, with the winner logically credited with one million dollars. Start time will be around 8:30 p.m. Dutch time.
