The highest profile free agent in the NTT IndyCar Series will be staying put as Rinus VeeKay and Ed Carpenter Racing have agreed to a new multi-year contract.
The talented 21-year-old from Holland will remain in the No. 21 ECR Chevy — the only car and team he’s known since joining IndyCar in 2020 — as teammate to Ed Carpenter and Conor Daly.
“I am very excited to continue with Ed Carpenter Racing for what will be my fourth year in the NTT IndyCar Series,” said VeeKay. “Ed Carpenter gave me the opportunity to drive for the team when I came out of Indy Lights and has let me showcase my talents in an Indy car ever since.
“The continuity at ECR is great — there have barely been any changes in my time here and it’s very nice to have the same group of people around me all the time. We have been stepping up our game every season and with the support of Todd Ault and BitNile, we can really move forward as we head into 2023.”
Although VeeKay is known to have drawn interest from a few teams as he entered the final year of his contract, a wide array of options began to narrow as some of the higher-placing teams went in different directions to fill their vacancies.
VeeKay became an IndyCar race winner in 2021 on the Indianapolis road course and had added two pole positions and four podiums to his growing record of achievements. Currently holding 11th in the drivers’ championship at 282 points, VeeKay could easily vault into the top 10 with a strong run in the four remaining races; Arrow McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist sits eighth at 299 points.
