VeeKay steals the show in Toronto to take brilliant second place
Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout's patience has finally paid off. His strong performance at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, the 13th round of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series, ended up in him claiming a spot on the podium, as VeeKay came in second.
The street circuit around Exhibition Place in Toronto, which hosts the only IndyCar race outside the United States each year, is one of the trickiest tracks of the season. It is extremely bumpy, incredibly fast and unforgiving, and every mistake is immediately punished. Rinus VeeKay, who was in good form after achieving six top-ten finishes in the first twelve IndyCar races, travelled to Toronto full of confidence, considering it to be one of the most beautiful circuits on the calendar.
While Dale Coyne Racing sometimes struggles to get the setup right straight away, this time the Dutch-American combo got off to a flying start. Straight from the first free practice session, it was clear that VeeKay, the #18 askROI.com Dale Coyne Racing Honda driver, was aiming for a place at the front. VeeKay confirmed his strong form with a fine ninth place in qualifying.
As the race length in Toronto had increased by five laps, meaning that this year’s race would consist of 90 laps instead of 85, the team pored over the strategy prior to the race. Would it be a two-stop or a three-stop strategy? VeeKay and his engineer, Michael Cannon, opted for the former, and decided to let the Dutchman start on the fast but fast deteriorating soft tyres and then switch twice to the hard Firestones.
However, it proved to be an understatement to say that the soft tyres wore off quickly. After just a handful of laps, VeeKay reported that he was losing grip and struggled to make it to lap 13 — the goal had been to make it to lap 15 before the first stop, but this proved impossible. However, the subsequent caution periods played beautifully into VeeKay’s hands. His second stint lasted an impressive 42 laps, compared to an average of 35. By the time he made his second pit stop, the DCR driver was in first place.
Following the chaotic phase of all the cautions, VeeKay and his rival Pato O’Ward emerged as the main contenders for victory. VeeKay led for 13 laps until he came in for his second stop. As O'Ward was able to pit later and needed less fuel, he managed to get his car just ahead of VeeKay’s when exiting the pits. For VeeKay, it then became a race of fuel management and tyre conservation.
The Dutchman did exactly what was expected of him, and after 90 gruelling laps of the Canadian street circuit, he crossed the finish line in second place. It was a glorious moment for VeeKay and the team, with DCR also scoring its first podium finish in a long time. Thanks to his second-place finish, VeeKay earned a bag of points for the championship and is now knocking on the door of the top 10, occupying 11th position in the standings.
“Finally back on the podium,” VeeKay rejoiced from Toronto. “I am obviously very happy with this second place. It’s my first visit to the podium in three years, and Dale Coyne Racing has also had to wait a while. After the cautions I wanted to win, but Pato O’Ward didn’t need to stop for fuel as long, which won him those few seconds. Fuel flows at a certain speed, and there’s nothing you can do about that.”
“Above all, second place is a fantastic result, especially given where we started from. Six months ago, it was uncertain whether I would be racing at all this year, so now we can all celebrate this achievement. It’s been a great year so far, but this is the crowning glory of our work. It’s our seventh top-ten finish and the first podium for DCR. The team did a great job, our strategy was excellent, and our fuel mileage was perfect for this two-stop race. I would also like to thank Honda for enabling me to drive so economically with this engine.”
“A wonderful second place here on the streets of Toronto — my seventh top-ten finish of the season, equalling my best season in 2024 when I also finished seven times in the top ten — with four races to go. We’ll be back in action next week, and I think we’ll have another chance at a good result. We’re going all out!" VeeKay concluded.
No fewer than four IndyCar races have already been held in July, but there is a fifth one coming up this Sunday: the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, scheduled to take place this Sunday at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California. It will start at 9:15pm Dutch time.