VeeKay makes up 23 places during Iowa race weekend
Rinus 'VeeKay' van Kalmthout drove his way up from the back of the field twice during the Sukup IndyCar Race Weekend at the Iowa Speedway, as the 24-year-old Dutchman had a disappointing qualifying session but once again proved himself to be among the pacesetters in the races.
The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season is in full swing now, with July proving to be a pivotal month, as no fewer than five races take place in it, two of which are at the Iowa Speedway. In the Synk 275 and the Farm to Finish 275, VeeKay and his rivals raced each other twice on the short oval in Newton, Iowa, this weekend, both races consisting of 275 laps on a track just over one kilometre long.
Preparations for this doubleheader were far from smooth. Due to a tornado and excessive rainfall, Friday was completely cancelled, with the free practice session moved to Saturday morning. What’s more, the one-and-a-half-hour session was shortened to 45 minutes as the preliminary programme was curtailed too. With only that session and a few laps in high-line practice, VeeKay had to start qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
This session did not go well. During his first qualifying lap, VeeKay had a scary moment which caused him to graze the wall, and during his second lap he briefly lifted following a power slide. This put VeeKay in 25th on the grid for the first race and 26th for the second, two extremely difficult starting positions in the highly competitive field of 27 IndyCars.
However, VeeKay, the #18 askROI.com Dale Coyne Racing Honda driver, refused to give up. In Saturday’s Synk 275 Powered by Sukup race, he bided his time, gradually working his way up the field. His third stint was particularly strong, and the longer the race went on, the better the car suited the Dutchman. By the time the chequered flag fell, the Coyne driver had moved up nine places to finish 16th.
For the second race, the Farm to Finish 275 Powered by Sukup, VeeKay and Dale Coyne Racing adopted a different strategy. While the first race was fairly straightforward due to cautions falling around the planned pit windows, the decision was made to come in early for fuel in the second race. VeeKay then bravely worked his way forward, keeping the necessary fuel numbers in mind. Shortly before the end of the race, the IndyCar race winner appeared to be on course for a stunning seventh place, until a late caution threw his plans into disarray.
As some of VeeKay’s competitors were able to obtain ‘free’ new tyres and fuel, the Dutchman was forced to concede defeat to a few of them in the final laps. Having run out of fuel, VeeKay crossed the finish line in 12th place after 275 fiercely contested laps on the lead lap. With his 16th and 12th places, VeeKay made up no less than 23 places over two races. In the last five combined IndyCar races (at Gateway, Road America, Mid-Ohio and the Iowa doubleheader), VeeKay has made up an impressive 53 places from his position on the grid.
The Dutchman described the doubleheader in Iowa as a challenging weekend. “Qualifying was not easy, with 25th and 26th starting positions for races 1 and 2 respectively. Unlike almost the entire field, we hadn’t tested here recently, and the tornado on Friday, which caused practice to be moved and shortened, didn’t help. Still, we actually drove quite strongly in the races.”
“We can be very proud as a team of gaining nine places on Saturday and 14 on Sunday. What’s more, my teammate Jacob Abel achieved his best result of the season with an impressive 11th in the second race. Before the final restart on Sunday, I was in seventh place. However, with my tyres being more than eighty laps old, it was impossible to compete with those behind me who had just stopped for new rubber.”
“Nevertheless, we scored valuable points by moving up from the back of the field, which boosts morale when things are tough, as they were this weekend right up to qualifying. There are five more races to go this year and I’m feeling hopeful. While many teams have tested at Iowa, we went to Milwaukee. That happens to be one of the five races still on the schedule.”
The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series continues with the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, which takes place on the street circuit around Exhibition Place in Toronto, Canada. The only IndyCar race outside the United States will start at around 6:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
