On Thursday, Ed Carpenter Racing announced they have re-signed Rinus VeeKay to a new multi-year deal. The 21-year-old from Hoofddorp, Netherlands, is currently 11th in the points standings with one pole, three top-five, and six top-ten finishes.
This will be VeeKay’s fourth season with the team, which makes him the longest tenure driver in Ed Carpenter Racing’s history. The team was founded in 2012.
“I am very excited to continue with Ed Carpenter Racing for what will be my fourth year in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES! Ed Carpenter gave me the opportunity to drive for the team when I came out of Indy Lights and has let me showcase my talents in an Indy car ever since,” said VeeKay. “The continuity at ECR is great, there have barely been any changes in my time here, and it’s very nice to have the same group of people around me all the time. We have been stepping up our game every season, and with the support of Todd Ault and BitNile, we can really move forward as we head into 2023.”
In three seasons at Ed Carpenter Racing, VeeKay has two poles, one win, eight top-five, and eight top-ten finishes in three seasons. He became the third youngest driver to start on the front row of the Indianapolis 500, and his first career came on the Indy Road Course in 2021.
In 2019, VeeKay won six races with Juncos Racing in the Indy Lights series, along with 14 podium finishes and seven poles in his only season. In 2020, VeeKay jumped to IndyCar, where he won one pole at the Indy Road Course and finished in third place. After the season, VeeKay was named Rookie of the Year.
“I am so happy to be able to extend our relationship with Rinus. He is an extremely versatile and talented driver,” said Carpenter. “It has been and remains our hope to build our team to new heights with Rinus helping lead the charge. Our goals and expectations are to win races and to compete for championships. With Rinus’s growth and the support from BitNile and Todd Ault, we are primed for success.”
Rinus VeeKay will look to get his first win of the season this weekend on the streets of Nashville in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday at 3 pm on NBC.
