Rinus VeeKay gears up for first appearance in 24-hour race

The motorsport season in the United States begins like never before with the famous 24 hour race at Daytona International Speedway, the Rolex 24. This race is part of the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, the championship also known as the host association. IMSA.

IndyCar driver VeeKay is one of the nine Dutch who appear at the start. The Hoofddorper, who now lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, traveled to Daytona, Florida, at the invitation of the successful DragonSpeed ​​team.

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VeeKay drives the car with the start number 81. He shares this car with Ben Hanley (36), Garrett Grist (25) and initiator Rob Hodes (60). Grist and Hodes resumed qualifying last Sunday – they led the No.81 Motul Pole Award 100 to 12th place overall, fifth in the LMP2 class. Racing Team Netherlands also rides in this category with Jumbo owner Frits van Eerd, VeeKay’s personal sponsor.

The legendary Daytona International Speedway oval is used for the 24 hour race in Daytona, Florida. The international horseshoe section (turns one through six) and the bus stop (turns eight through eleven) were added to give the whole thing a track racing look. So the so-called “Sports Car Course” is no less than 5.73 kilometers long, the winning LMP2 team is expected to cover over eight hundred laps.

The # 81 DragonSpeed ​​car has an honor to respect. Last year, this participation won the 24 Hours of Daytona in the LMP2 category. VeeKay’s teammate Hanley was among the winning quartet in 2020.

Photo credit: © Rinus VeeKay PR

VeeKay didn’t have much time to adjust to DragonSpeed’s Oreca 07-Gibson, but quickly found its way nonetheless. “Sure, you have to get used to it if you’re used to an IndyCar, but I like it. In the preparation I did about fifty laps. It’s not much, but it’s part of the deal: you share the car with three other drivers and they too want to prepare well. That is why you must share the available time. I feel comfortable in the car and can’t wait to make my endurance debut! “

Staying awake for twenty-four hours is of course not recommended, VeeKay knows that. “Several people advised me to get enough rest during the race. As a driver you will of course continue to follow the race, but you have no control over what your teammates are doing ”, VeeKay refers to the fact that biting your nails from the sidelines has little effect on what is happening on the track.

“The only thing you can control is your own performance,” continues the 20-year-old. “We depend on each other for the result, but I have confidence in Ben, Rob and Garrett. As a team we have the goal of finishing the race and given the training times we have a chance to finish on the podium. Of course, I would prefer to win the race, but I know it will be a wear and tear.

The Rolex 24 will be launched on Saturday evening at around 9.45 p.m. Dutch time. The arrival is logically exactly 24 hours later, Sunday evening. The race can be followed in its entirety via Ziggo Sport Racing.

[Bron: Ingezonden persbericht]