Written by Archie O’Reilly
Rinus VeeKay has departed Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) at the end of his contract after five years with the team - his entire IndyCar career so far.
The Dutch driver took his only IndyCar victory to date on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with the team in 2021. He is also a two-time pole-sitter, including as a rookie on the Indy road course, with a total of four podiums to his name.
“A big thank you to everyone that sent me kind messages over the past few days,” VeeKay wrote on X following initial reports of his departure from ECR. I also want to thank Ed Carpenter Racing for giving me the opportunity and support during the last 5 years.”
VeeKay stepped up to IndyCar in 2020 after finishing second to Oliver Askew in Indy Lights in 2019 and took Rookie of the Year in his first season with ECR.
The recently-24-year-old has finished a best of 12th in the championship standings in 2022, finishing 13th in 2021 and 2024 and rounding out both his rookie and 2023 seasons in 14th - an impressive level of consistency.
The 2023 campaign marked VeeKay’s first without a podium in IndyCar amid performance struggle for ECR, with only a pair of top-10 finishes.
The 2024 season saw somewhat of a performative upturn for VeeKay and the team, with seven top-10 finishes and a first top-five result in two years in the opening Iowa Speedway race. VeeKay also suffered several mechanical issues through the year, meaning another 13th-place championship finish - only 12 points from a career-best 11th - was creditable.
“We had some excellent success together, but as happens in racing, we had some challenges too,” VeeKay added. “But most importantly we always gave the maximum and had fun, with a great team spirit.
“Now that my contract with ECR has come to an end, I am excited about the future and know that I have my best racing years ahead of me.”
One of the greatest appeals about VeeKay has been his pedigree in the Indianapolis 500, displaying his well-rounded skill set amid all four podiums coming on road or street courses.
Heading into the Month of May in 2024, VeeKay had qualified no lower than fourth for the Indy 500 - with three front-row starts - in four attempts. A heavy qualifying crash in 2024 appeared to jeopardise his chances of automatically making the field, though an impressive repair job gave him the chance to make the Fast 12 and qualify a storied seventh.
ECR is yet to announce the driver of either its No.20 or No.21 Chevy for 2024. Carpenter replacing himself with rookie Christian Rasmussen for the closing three oval races of the season in the No.20 was a show of faith in the 2023 Indy NXT champion.
It is also unconfirmed where VeeKay may land in 2025 after departing the only team he has driven for in his IndyCar career to date.