Rinus “VeeKay” van Kalmthout finished an impressive sixth on Sunday in the 110th edition of the Indianapolis 500. The 25-year-old Dutch driver distinguished himself with overtaking moves during late restarts and, despite an unconventional strategy, managed to work his way up the field.
“At the Indianapolis 500, you have to make sure you’re in the fight at the end, and I was able to do that.”
Rinus ‘Veekay’ van Kalmthout – IndyCar driver at Juncos Hollinger Racing
Following last weekend’s qualifying session, in which Rinus VeeKay secured 11th place for his #76 Wedbush Chevrolet from Juncos Hollinger Racing, the Dutch driver took to the track on Sunday afternoon local time to compete in one of the world’s most iconic races for the seventh time in his racing career. Starting from the middle of the fourth row, VeeKay was able to easily hold his own in the front of the midfield during the opening stages of the Indianapolis 500, with the leaders never far out of sight.
An early caution prompted the strategists at Juncos Hollinger Racing to opt for a different strategy. While many competitors made an immediate pit stop, VeeKay stayed out to gain a strategic advantage later in the race. It earned VeeKay eight laps in the lead. Around the halfway point of the race, however, the strategies evened out, bringing VeeKay back into the same pattern as his competitors. The calm was short-lived: rainfall not only triggered a 15-minute Code Red, but also provided a second opportunity to employ alternative tactics.
After the race was suspended and later neutralized—because it had started to drizzle again—VeeKay was strategically brought in on lap 131. That moment determined the rest of his race, as it meant VeeKay needed only one more pit stop to reach the finish line, while several competitors still had to stop twice. No further rain fell, so VeeKay was unable to capitalize on a potential renewed (and perhaps final) suspension.
A late crash by Caio Collet brought out another red flag, with VeeKay in ninth place. At the restart, the JHR driver showed his best side by passing four opponents on the outside. At the restart following the final caution of the race, VeeKay lost one position, but he still managed to finish sixth—his best result at the Indianapolis 500 and the best result by a Dutch driver since Arie Luyendyk won the race in 1997. The strong result also propels him up the IndyCar standings: VeeKay moves from sixteenth to fourteenth place, just four points behind twelfth place.
“A good race, a good day!” VeeKay says enthusiastically after 200 laps of racing on the legendary Indianapolis oval. “During the first caution, the call was made to stay out, but that strategic choice didn’t work out later in the race. Around the halfway point, I was at the back, in 27th place, and I decided to save fuel and drop back a bit.”
“The race then played out perfectly for me, actually exactly as we had planned. A few strong restarts helped me gain extra positions, and because we were able to skip the final pit stop, I drove my way up to the top six. I’m very satisfied with this race; I personally gave it my all and am grateful to my team members. At the Indianapolis 500, you have to make sure you’re in the fight at the end, and I was able to do that.”
“A sixth-place finish is my best result at the Indianapolis 500, and also the best result for Juncos Hollinger Racing. This gives us a lot of confidence! I want to congratulate Felix Rosenqvist on winning this race and look forward to getting back in the car as early as next weekend,” VeeKay concludes with determination.
There’s no time to rest: the next race of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season is next weekend. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will take place on the Detroit street circuit. The race gets underway on Sunday evening around 6:30 p.m. Dutch time and can be watched live on Ziggo Sport.
