Last weekend, Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout had to settle for a fifteenth place finish at the Milwaukee Mile. The Dutch IndyCar driver was in the top ten for a long time during the penultimate race of the season, but a disappointing pit stop dropped him back to fifteenth place. ‘Actually, it was a pretty good day today,’ reflects ‘VeeKay’ himself.
The IndyCar season is slowly coming to an end. Although the champion is already known – Alex Palou clinched the title at the Portland International Raceway in early August – there is still fierce competition for the other positions in the standings. The last two races of the season consist of oval races, and the first one, at the Milwaukee Mile, took place last weekend.
Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout started the race in eleventh place, but thanks to a good start, he quickly moved up to ninth place. However, Van Kalmthout lost valuable time due to a late pit stop, allowing his competitors to undercut the IndyCar driver. ‘VeeKay’ managed to hold his own in a chaotic second stint, and soon found himself back in ninth place. A too-long final pit stop meant that the Dutch driver ultimately had to settle for a fifteenth place finish.”Actually, it was a pretty good day today,” ‘VeeKay’ reflects immediately on Sunday evening. “We were comfortably in the top ten and I was able to match the pace of the direct opponents. Unfortunately, our plans took a big hit at the fifth and final pit stop, when we came in simultaneously with a large group during a neutralization. Because I lost a lot of time there, a top ten finish was no longer possible.”
‘One More Burst of Speed’
Christian Rasmussen – former teammate of ‘VeeKay’ – ultimately won the race. Van Kalmthout himself hopes to conclude the IndyCar season in Nashville with an even better result. “We will do everything we can to end this memorable year on a high note. Next weekend we get to burst into speed one more time and I know that it won’t be due to a lack of effort from my engineer and the mechanics. Everyone is eager to really step on the gas one more time, so bring on Nashville!”, ‘VeeKay’ concludes with determination.
