IndyCar: The top free agent not getting nearly enough attention

As a seasoned gamer of IndyCar races, I can’t help but feel a tinge of excitement about the upcoming 2025 season with so many teams still shuffling their driver lineups. One name that seems to be slipping through the cracks is Rinus VeeKay, currently at Ed Carpenter Racing.

For the 2025 IndyCar season, only a handful of teams have finalized their driver lineups, among them being Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, and Team Penske, who have each confirmed their three-driver teams for the upcoming year.

Following the inclusion of Prema Racing with their two vehicles on the starting lineup for the upcoming season, seven teams are left pondering over their driver choices for next year, as they finalize their rosters.

For the upcoming season, there are vacant seats on the team known as Ed Carpenter Racing, a place where Rinus VeeKay has been driving the #21 Chevrolet for every one of his first five IndyCar seasons.

As a gamer, I find myself in an unusual position come the end of the 2024 season, with no contract renewed and my name not echoing as frequently as I’d expect in the chatter about potential new homes for upcoming free agents.

Over the course of his first four IndyCar seasons, the 23-year-old Dutch driver placed either 12th or 14th overall in each season. However, within this period, he achieved eight top five placements, which included a victory and three more podium finishes.

In the current season’s championship rankings, VeeKay is found fifteen spots from the top, yet his recent achievements have gone relatively unnoticed by many.

He is the sole racer who has completed every one of the last four races within the top 10 positions, and he currently holds down sixth position in oval rankings, with only Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, and Alex Palou ahead of him.

A complete list of #IndyCar drivers who have recorded four straight top 10 finishes:
— Beyond the Flag (@Beyond_The_Flag) August 18, 2024

Given the noticeable decline in Ed Carpenter Racing’s past performance, with speculations (that have since been refuted) suggesting a potential sale, VeeKay’s achievements stand out all the more impressively.

In the past four races, he’s doubled his top 10 finishes compared to what he achieved throughout the entire previous season. The upcoming tracks appear favorable for him, potentially leading to an improvement in his rankings.

As a long-time racing enthusiast with years of attending races at various tracks under my belt, I must say that I am thrilled about the upcoming doubleheader at The Milwaukee Mile. Last year, we saw VeeKay finish in a season-high sixth place at Portland International Raceway, and I’m eager to see how he fares this time around. However, I have to admit that Nashville Superspeedway seems more like Texas Motor Speedway than a traditional short track to me. But knowing the organizers, they are bound to make it work with the short track aero configuration for the season finale. I can hardly wait to witness the high-speed action on these tracks!

More teams need to be giving VeeKay a call, if they haven’t already.

Ed Carpenter Racing needs to take all necessary steps to retain him, ensuring continuity as they strive to return to the forefront regularly and ultimately secure their first victory since Ed’s solo triumph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in May 2021.

1. After securing David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Enterprises has an available spot on their team, which leaves Meyer Shank Racing looking for another driver. Meanwhile, Juncos Hollinger Racing requires a permanent substitute for Agustin Canapino.

1) Prema Racing has been rumored with numerous drivers who have raced open-wheel vehicles in the past.

Considering Dale Coyne Racing’s performance this year, it might not be the most appealing choice. However, Toby Sowery’s impressive debut races suggest that the drivers could be key factors in the team’s difficulties rather than the cars themselves.

Although the 2024 season has clearly been one of their poorest in many years, Dale Coyne’s team has consistently operated on a smaller scale and with limited resources compared to others.

In the past 12 years, they’ve only managed to go an entire season without a podium finish once, and that was also the only year they didn’t have a full-time driver (2015). Interestingly, this is similar to their situation this current season. Given their track record, there could be potential for a skilled driver like VeeKay to uncover hidden strengths within their team.

At least five or six of these eight teams should be on the phone with VeeKay.

One thing VeeKay consistently experiences at Ed Carpenter Racing annually is a swift race car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500, which might lead him to believe that remaining there could be his optimal choice. If he doesn’t secure a significant deal with a title challenger elsewhere, it would certainly seem logical.

Over the course of five Indy 500 races, he has managed to qualify on the front row an impressive three times, with his worst starting position being seventh. That seventh place was achieved despite a qualifying crash that initially seemed to threaten his chances for a spot in Bump Day discussions. His average starting position is a commendable 3.8.

However, it’s worth noting that he’s never managed to exceed his initial position in races. Intriguingly, his best performance falls short of his worst starting point. Despite team owner Ed Carpenter often disagreeing with the perception that his vehicles don’t perform as well during races as they do during qualifying, this trend will persist until one of them finally clinches a victory.

In three instances, a driver has taken pole position for the renowned “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, but Carpenter himself has yet to achieve this feat on those occasions.

Although there’s not much buzz yet regarding VeeKay’s plans for IndyCar in the upcoming years, he is definitely a driver worth watching as the racing season unfolds, and we get closer to the 2025 driver roster being finalized.

2024-08-21 17:32

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