Satisfied VeeKay scores good points in Portland
The second half of the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series season is going well for Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout. After four consecutive top-ten finishes, the 23-year-old Dutchman scored a fine 11th place at Portland International Raceway that hosted the 14th round of the 17-race championship.
After a challenging start to the IndyCar season in which VeeKay had to race hard for a midfield finish, things have started to click for his Ed Carpenter Racing team since July, as both VeeKay and team-mate Christian Rasmussen have been able to push in recent races. For the Dutchman, the team’s peak form has resulted in four consecutive top-ten finishes – a unique achievement given the competitive nature of IndyCars where as many as 28 cars competed last weekend.
Going into the weekend at Portland International Raceway, the final road course of the year, the ECR team was eager to downplay people’s expectations. With the usual quartet of top teams in ironclad form on road courses, it knew that a top-15 finish would be the best they could achieve. VeeKay did just that, qualifying in 15th place, which, due to another driver’s grid penalty, was converted into 14th on the grid.
In the 110-lap race, VeeKay came out flying as usual, as a triple overtaking move saw the driver of the #21 BitNile.com Chevrolet move up to 11th place before the former IndyCar race winner decided to consolidate. With those downplayed expectations in mind, VeeKay was keen to secure the best possible result rather than chasing the field like a madman, with all the potential risks that entailed.
In a straightforward race with only one caution period – which occurred shortly after the start – VeeKay was able to match the pace of the top ten’s bottom half very well, with the lap times that were better than expected. After 110 laps, the green and black car, once again covered in stickers from BitNile.com, the main sponsor of the Portland event, crossed the finish line in a solid 11th place. With an average finish position of 8.6 over the last five races, VeeKay is not too far behind championship leader Alex Palou, who has an average finish position of 7.0 over the same period.
“Just outside the top ten, but just a good day at the Portland circuit,” VeeKay summed up after the race. “I got a good start from 14th and was able to work my way through the field, making up three places straight away. Then I decided to stay in the midpack in order to save fuel. Nevertheless, I am very happy with the speed I showed, we made good progress.”
“Shortly after the warm-up on Saturday afternoon we made an adjustment that paid off during the race, so I was fine. Some of my direct rivals in the championship also had good results, so it remains exciting in the midfield, but I am still aiming for a position close to the top ten in the final standings.”
“Portland was the last road course of the year – from now on we will only race on ovals, starting with the short oval at Milwaukee. After that we’ll fly to Nashville. We’ve had some strong races on ovals recently, so I’m confident going into the last three races of the season. I think we can still do something good, at least I will give it my all”, VeeKay concluded.
The 2024 NTT IndyCar Series continues with a double-header at the Milwaukee Mile, with Race 1 of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s on Saturday, August 31, followed by Race 2 on Sunday evening (Dutch time). Saturday’s race will start around midnight in the Netherlands, while Sunday’s race will start at 1pm. Both races can be followed live on Ziggo Sport.
