VeeKay signs with Dale Coyne Racing for 2025 IndyCar season
Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout’s skills will once again be on display in the NTT IndyCar Series, as the 24-year-old Dutchman has signed an agreement with the Dale Coyne Racing team.
With 80 IndyCar starts behind his name despite his young age, VeeKay is now amongst the experienced drivers in the field, so when the Florida resident unexpectedly lost his drive last autumn, team owner Dale Coyne was quick to snap up the Dutchman for one of his cars. In his first test day, VeeKay impressed so much that Coyne offered him the role of team leader.
Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) is a household name in American open-wheel racing. Team owner and namesake Dale Coyne (70) founded the team in 1984, initially to race himself. After several years, Coyne decided to focus on a single duty, which meant that he took a seat on the other side of the pit wall. Since then, Coyne has recorded IndyCar victories with Justin Wilson, Sébastien Bourdais and Mike Conway, among others.
Signing with Coyne means that after five years of racing with Chevrolet power, VeeKay is making the switch to Honda for 2025. In fact, DCR has been associated with the Japanese manufacturer since the 2008 IndyCar season. In the Coyne garages, VeeKay will team up with American driver Jacob Abel, the 23-year-old stepping up as vice champion in the Indy NXT feeder series, a path that VeeKay himself followed five years ago.
VeeKay will drive the car with start number 18, whereas teammate Abel will have the number 51 pasted on his car. The Dutch IndyCar star will have his work cut out for him soon, as a collective test is scheduled on the Sebring (Florida) circuit next week, with the first race of the new season following in two weeks’ time on the streets of St. Petersburg (Florida). This season’s blue-riband event, the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, is scheduled for Sunday, May 25, 2025.
As in previous years, the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series features 17 races to be completed at record pace – the first showdown is scheduled for the first weekend of March whereas the final round will be run on the final weekend of August. Seven races will be held on permanent road circuits, six will take place on an oval and four will see VeeKay and his rivals race on street circuits.
“Good news!” said a relieved VeeKay. “Thanks to Dale Coyne Racing, I get to compete in the NTT IndyCar Series once again, and I am very happy to be assured of a sixth season in this amazing series. After an uncertain start to my winter break, I am grateful to be able to end it in this wonderful way. The test with Coyne in November gave me a lot of hope, but it is wonderful to finally be able to say it out loud.”
“The November test at Indianapolis left both sides with a good feeling. For me, it was immediately clear that I wanted to get on board with Dale. He has been doing this for a very long time and has great vision. Besides, it felt like coming home. After the first laps I could communicate easily with both the engineers and the mechanics. I am sincerely very grateful for Dale to grant me this opportunity.”
“I know Dale Coyne Racing is very motivated to come out strong this year. With Jacob, Dale has recruited a fast rookie who showed some great things in the Indy NXT last year. My goal as a ‘young veteran’ with 80 IndyCar starts under my belt is to fully contribute to the path Coyne has chosen – I feel like we have crossed paths at the right time in our lives.”
“Driving with Coyne also means working with a different source of motivation. I haven’t raced with Honda power before but from what I’ve experienced in recent years, the Honda engine has quite a bit of accelerating power. So I'm really looking forward to racing on street circuits. However, our oval test at Indianapolis also went pretty well. We are all really eager to start the new season,” said VeeKay.
“This year Dale Coyne Racing has chosen to work with two full-time drivers. That stability gives us the opportunity to make a step change as a team,” said team principal Dale Coyne. “To achieve the growth that we are aiming for, we have recruited an IndyCar veteran – Rinus’ experience is among the many reasons we asked him to take a seat in the #18 Honda. We are eagerly looking forward to the start of the new season.”
In the Netherlands, the NTT IndyCar Series can once again be followed live on Ziggo Sport channels this season, with inspired commentary by René Hoogterp.