Rinus VeeKay surged from 24th on the grid to third place in a 250‑lap, rain‑interrupted Race 1 at the Milwaukee Mile, marking the Dutchman’s second career podium in IndyCar.
A rain‑affected climb to the top three
The two‑part contest stalled under wet conditions, but VeeKay’s #76 Chevrolet found a clear swing of momentum in the closing stages. With only four laps remaining, he overtook Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin to secure the third‑place finish.
That finish was VeeKay’s first podium since his runner‑up run at Toronto last year driving for Dale Coyne Racing and the second overall for Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR). The team’s inaugural IndyCar podium also came at Milwaukee, when Conor Daly battled from 25th to third in 2024.
After the race, the driver described the stand‑still restart a day later with used tires as a “big shout‑out to the Chevy power and the crew,” and praised the cool weather that helped the car perform.
Team reaction and crew accolades
JHR Principal Dave O’Neill called the event “a fantastic result” and lauded VeeKay’s “outstanding” drive from 24th to third. He also highlighted the team’s familiarity with the track, noting that both JHR podiums at Milwaukee have come in similar, determined fashion.
O’Neill added that the win placed VeeKay back into 10th in the championship standings, meeting one of the team’s key objectives for the round.
Looking ahead to Laguna Seca
VeeKay’s doubleheader weekend pushed his tally to a season‑best eight top‑10 finishes, and the driver found himself back in the top 10 of the points standings. With one race left at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, he and JHR aim to finish the year in the top tier, a milestone that would set personal and team records.
Historically, VeeKay has finished as high as 12th in the standings (2021, 2022), while JHR’s best placement remained 16th under Callum Ilott in 2023.
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