The Dutchman Rinus van Kalmthout suffered a broken collarbone during a training ride in a bike path fall. Ed Carpenter Racing’s only full season driver was hospitalized and treated by IndyCar medical staff. While the racing driver has already been operated on to put his collarbone back together, he has not been medically cleared to drive his # 21 Sonax Chevrolet this weekend at Road America.
VeeKay has proven itself reasonably reliable in the IndyCar space in just a season and a half. Last year the youngster managed some impressive points runs in a mediocre team. In 2021 he again beat his weight class well after winning the Indy Road Course event last month. Add a top ten place in Indy and a second place in Detroit and he got good points. Before the crash, VeeKay was fifth (at the same time as Simon Pagenaud) in the championship standings, with 243 points, just one reputation behind leader Pato O’Ward’s 299 points.
This incident caused something like a game with musical chairs in the IndyCar paddock. VeeKay will be temporarily replaced by Arrow McLaren SP reserve driver Oliver Askew, who entered the second race of the Belle Isle Grand Prix last weekend in his old McLaren seat after Felix Rosenqvist’s serious fall in race one. Coincidentally, Rosenqvist will continue to sit out for the Wisconsin lap, and his place this time will be taken by former Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen.
With eight laps remaining in the season, it’s not impossible for VeeKay to make a comeback when he can get back in the car on July 4th in Mid Ohio. Without the people in front of him not scoring any points in the championship, it will be a tough road. He’s had a tough year, but will an injury reduce his drive? For my part, I hope not. I like the kid for some reason.
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