VeeKay Eager to Finish the Season Strong
Photo: Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment
By Dennis Krause
Rinus VeeKay is really looking forward to getting back on track this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile. It’s easy to understand why.
First of all, the driver of the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet was taken out, through no fault of his own, in a multi-car accident early in Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
Secondly, VeeKay had one of the quickest cars in a NTT INDYCAR SERIES test at The Mile last month in preparation for this weekend’s Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
“That's one thing with this busy INDYCAR stretch is you don't have time to get stuck with a bad result because you get to look forward right away, this time to a double-header.
“Really excited for Milwaukee. Always loved that track, and for sure we tested here earlier, like everybody else. It was a 25-car test, and we were second quick. That gave us confidence for sure, and I think we're going to have a great weekend.”
Indeed, VeeKay’s oval results this season have been impressive, including a sixth place finish at the Indianapolis 500 and fourth at St. Louis [World Wide Technology Raceway]. He hopes to keep that oval-track momentum rolling this weekend at Milwaukee.
“Yeah, just relying on the info we have, the data we have. I don't think we have a long way to go on the car. Conditions are going to be a little different, but I always say a good car is a good car; it'll be quick in every kind of condition.
“Just one thing about oval racing, especially one with very little banking, is confidence,” Veejay added. “Priority is making sure we've got the confidence in the car, that I've got the confidence to push the entries and run the high lane, very much how [Milwaukee Mile winner] Christian Rasmussen did last year.”
In the three races since INDYCAR returned to the Milwaukee Mile, there have been 2,115 on-track passes. According to VeeKay, it’s a great venue to showcase what short-track, INDYCAR racing is all about.
“Often we see when there's one groove, we don't see any passing. But the thing in Milwaukee is we're not stuck to the bottom. It's not really like there's one best way around the track,” VeeKay explained.
“I think where we see all that passing in Milwaukee is people finding grip in other places than the car ahead or the car behind. There's many ways to get around the track, especially with there being so little banking.
“I think that's for sure one of those tracks that doesn't matter kind of what the conditions are. You will see passing.”
Photo: James Black/Penske Entertainment
The relative lack of banking is what makes the difference between Milwaukee and other short ovals in the series.
“Milwaukee has got -- we drive quite high downforce, but the track is fairly flat looking at the banking, where other short ovals we go to have higher banking,” VeeKay said. “So it's almost like a road course. Usually being loose on an oval, you want to pit, fix that and go out again, make sure you're not loose.
“But the fastest way around Milwaukee is a rear, that you're kind of finding the car very much like a road course where you've got a little bit of four-wheel slide going on and being a little bit more sketchy around that place.
“It takes a lot of work, but there's definitely a lot of performance to be found there.”
Just age 25, VeeKay has been in INDYCAR since 2020, spending his first five seasons with Ed Carpenter Racing. After being cut loose by the team after 2024, the Dutchman has embraced being a lead driver for Dale Coyne Racing in 2025 and Juncos Hollander this year, helping to develop and move both teams forward.
“Yeah, really embracing it. It feels very natural to me. But this is also now the second year for me on a new team, but both times I've been blindly trusted by the teams that my feedback was correct. We've grown so much already this year with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Looking at our first race in St. Pete until now, it's a lot more complete as a team. It's really nice to see that.
“I feel like the approach we are working towards or how we are approaching things is the right way.”
Being taken seriously as a team leader has also energized VeeKay.
“Oh, it's really important. It motivates me when a team values you. I put a lot of effort in.
“But it's the same the other way around.
“I would say it really is a team sport, INDYCAR. Even though I'm the one driving the car making the cool moves, [all the guys] they’re the ones that get me out on track, get me spots in pit lane and give me the car to do stuff with.
“Being in a team where you're valued helps everything. It's just really cool when I have a feeling, my engineer has a feeling, and we kind of go with it and we let our instincts almost do the work and things come together. It's really rewarding.”
Photo: Matt Fraver/Penske Entertainment
Since the Indy 500, it seems like VeeKay has been in contention most race weekends. He credits it to some test days that yielded positive results.
“Yeah, I don't think there's something we did wrong earlier in the season. I think we can thank our second half of the season by just having a few test days. We had three test days and got to try some stuff that really fixed our Achilles heels.
“If you look at Indy Road Course was a tough weekend. Arlington was a tough weekend. Long Beach was a tough weekend. Then Road America was one. So that's all bumpy street courses and road courses. Then we tested in Mid-Ohio, and that really changed everything for us.
“We had enough time to try things that we usually don't dare to do in a race weekend when you've only got an hour practice. That really changed everything and I think was the key to fixing our package.”
Currently 11th in the championship standings, VeeKay’s goals for the remaining three races on the schedule are twofold.
“Looking for a podium, that's for sure. I finished fourth three times now. I've kind of checked Milwaukee off as a potential race-winning weekend after we tested there. Winning a race, there goes a lot into it. But I think we've got the pace to have a go at it coming to Milwaukee.
“I think looking at our season, we've really shown what we wanted to show so far,” VeeKay added. “My goal is top 10 in the championship. I think with the tracks coming up, that is very reasonable. I think for us, if we maximize our two weekends coming up, three races, that's all I'm looking for.
“I think we've got a shot for a podium in Milwaukee, and it would be really cool to get a podium to finish off a season like this one, I think, with some deserved hardware.”
Involved in the INDYCAR silly season for a third straight year, a win or a podium might go a long way in determining where Veejay winds up in 2027.
“Yeah, for sure. I think things are getting more clear. Still nothing concrete decided yet.”
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute.