He was in a solid seventh place, with potential for more—but after a collision from a competitor, there was no more for Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout, who finished the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix in fourteenth place.
“This was, of course, a crazy race.”
Rinus ‘Veekay’ van Kalmthout – IndyCar driver at Ed Carpenter Racing
After a busy May, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers continue tirelessly. In the first two weekends of June, there are two races on the schedule, the sixth and seventh challenges of 2024. The first race of this doubleheader takes place on the streets of Detroit, on the new circuit where IndyCar has been racing since 2023. VeeKay, who finished ninth at the Indianapolis 500, headed cheerfully to Motor City to put his #21 Chevrolet from Ed Carpenter Racing to the test.
That green-black car proved not very friendly to Firestone’s softer rubber in practice. Therefore, the team opted to give VeeKay only one new set of tires in qualifying instead of several. That decision did not work out as hoped. The 23-year-old Dutchman managed to place tenth in his qualifying group, which after a grid penalty for a competitor was converted to an eighteenth starting position.
From there, VeeKay faced a long race on the physically intense street circuit in Detroit, the birthplace of engine supplier Chevrolet. In the opening laps, VeeKay immediately made his presence known. The single IndyCar race winner steadily worked his way forward and stayed out of the chaos that usually accompanies the start of a street race. A third of the way through the race, the ECR driver found himself in a promising seventh position.
While some competitors pitted for rain tires as it began to drizzle in Detroit, VeeKay, ever the pragmatic Dutchman, stayed out. The team offered him the option to switch tires, but the young driver correctly saw that it wasn’t raining hard enough for the switch to be successful. VeeKay smelled a top finish and after a restart, he was able to compete with the leaders, but he could not enjoy his strong position for long.
As he entered the first corner after the long straight where the restarts were held, VeeKay was tapped twice by Will Power from the inside. The race officials decided the Australian was at fault and penalized him, but it was already too late for his Dutch competitor. VeeKay ended up backward against the wall and could only continue thanks to the quick action of the marshals.
Because VeeKay impressively stayed within the lead lap, he steadily climbed from a hopeless position (23rd) to a spot within the top fifteen. When the checkered flag fell after a hundred chaotic laps full of crashes and neutralizations, the Dutch ECR driver crossed the finish line in fourteenth place—there was not much more in it, as VeeKay had to save fuel extremely in the final laps. The craziness of the race in Detroit was symbolized by none other than Power, who despite four penalties during the race, finished sixth.
“This was, of course, a crazy race,” VeeKay said from Detroit. “It feels like a case of Nashville,” he joked, referring to the street circuit there known for its chaotic races. “I tried to stay out of trouble, but unfortunately, that didn’t work. During one of the many restarts, I was tapped by Will Power. Fortunately, I managed to stay on the lead lap, but due to the damage and the fuel issue, I couldn’t do much more.”
“It’s a shame because it looked so promising. When other drivers pitted for rain tires, I decided to continue. There was some moisture in the air and some on the track, but not enough for a tire change. I was already in seventh place when I got the tap. I think we also need to look at our strategic choices after the incident because Power ended up sixth, even though he didn’t pass me on the track at all.”
“All in all, I’m satisfied with how the weekend went. Of course, I want to win races and score podiums, but we’re making progress, and I’ve made the most of it. Next weekend we get to race again, this time on my favorite circuit. Road America is fantastic, and I can’t wait to get started there,” VeeKay concluded determinedly.
The action of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES continues next week with the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. The iconic track near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, will see the race start on Sunday, June 9, around 21:30 Dutch time.
