Rinus Veekay and Ed Carpenter Racing have decided to part ways with each other after failing to reach an agreement to negotiate a new contract. He’s now a free agent, meaning any one team does not retain him, and he’s free to decide on joining a new team should he receive any future offers. The 24-year-old NTT Series driver has had quite the career with the IndyCar NTT Series, ranking in the top 7 for all 5 Indianapolis 500 races over his career and 3 top 10 finishes.
Rinus Veekay’s History with Ed Carpenter Racing
24-year-0ld Rinus Veekay started his IndyCar career in 2020, and though his time with Ed Carpenter Racing has been topsy-turvy, there’s no questioning his growth over his five years with the team. Rinus Veekay had his best race of the 2024 season with the team at Iowa Speedway, qualifying fifth and pulling 13th place for overall points compared to drivers on other teams, but all good things end.
He graciously thanked Ed Carpenter Racing for allowing him to bring the team 16 wins and 36 podiums in 48 total races over his stint. The remainder of the 2024 season was a trying one for owner Ed Carpenter, who decided to run only in the Indianapolis 500 next year. Carpenter landed 31st in the standings during the season finale, but Rinus Veekay made things look more favorable for the 2025 season, running 300 points and ranking 14th in the final standings.
VeeKay state on social media, “We had some excellent success together, but as it happens in racing, we had some challenges too…but most importantly we always gave maximum and had fun…with a great team spirit…”
What The Split Means for IndyCar
Rinus Veekay was humble in his approach to the split, publicly praising Ed Carpenter on Monday via social media for his support and the opportunity to race. There’s speculation that he could grab a spot from PREMA, Chip Ganassi Racing, Rahal Lanigan Letterman Racing, Juncos Hollinger, or Dale Coyne. Still, the ball is in his court, and with the new season kicking off in March, he has plenty of time to decide.
However, the open entry with ECR due to the hasty split means another IndyCar team could lose a driver. The team plans to show the IndyCar community what they’re made of by winning races and bringing home more championships, so don’t be surprised if changes come to Ed Carpenter Racing during the 2025 season. Still, eyes will be on the open entry, and the prediction is that it could be an Andretti Global driver.
Final Thoughts
Rinus Veekay announced a mutual agreement with Ed Carpenter Racing to part ways after disagreeing on a new contract. During his stint with the team, the No. 21 driver ran 81 races over five years, which marked the beginning of his racing journey in the United States and transition to the Road to Indy. The driver has secured 16 wins and 36 podiums in 14 races. With the success he’s had over his time racing in the NTT Series and now that he’s a free agent, there’s no telling the moves he’ll make next, but he won’t be a free agent for very long.
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