Dutchman Rinus ‘VeeKay’ van Kalmthout is currently making his debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona International Speedway. The IndyCar driver was awarded the Rookie of the Year in his class in racing last year, but will be heading to his first endurance event within the next 24 hours.

The motorsport season has officially kicked off, with the 24 Hours of Racing kicking off in Daytona at 9:45 pm KST. It is a popular race in the United States and no fewer than nine Dutch will be competing this year at the start of the race. VeeKay went to Daytona, Florida, at the invitation of the successful DragonSpeed ​​team, to drive the 81st car. Along with Garrett Grist, Ben Hanley and initiator Rob Hodds, the Dutchman hopes to do well in the next 24 hours. They started from fifth.

Just like Jumbo Frits owner van Eerd, VeeKay rides in the LMP2 category. If the 20-year-old’s team wins in this category, they will have completed more than 800 laps on the legendary elliptical, which is 5.73 kilometers long. Last year, the number 81 DragonSpeed ​​car won the 24 Hours race, so VeeKay has to work hard. The Dutchman did not have much time to train, but nevertheless he completely trusted him. “It takes some getting used to if you’re used to IndyCar, but I love it. In preparation, I drove about fifty laps. That’s not much, but it is part of the deal: You share the car with three others and they also want to prepare well,” says Van Kalmuth GPFans.

But how does such a 24 hour race work? It is of course not recommended to stay awake all this time, but due to all the adrenaline, it is also difficult to get enough rest. In any case, VeeKay will make every effort to follow all advice received. “Several people advised me to take a break during the race. As a driver, you will of course continue to follow the race, but you have no control over what your teammates do. The only thing you can control is your performance. We depend on each other for the result, but I trust me.” Ben, Rob and Garrett.

Mazepin may not be driving under the Russian flag in next season’s F1Read more

The endurance race started at 9:45 pm Dutch time and will be announced on Sunday evening at the same time. You can watch the entire race via Ziggo Sport Racing.