Verstappen - and Holland - cheering on VeeKay's Indy 500 effort
With his son flying the flag for Holland on the international stage in Formula 1, Jos Verstappen says he’ll be following another young star from the Netherlands, Rinus VeeKay (photo above), as he takes the start in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 from an impressive starting position of fourth.
The Dutch teenager, top qualifier among the 17 Chevy-powered cars in the field of 33, has captured the attention of many back home, including the former F1 driver, whose own 22-year-old prodigy, Max, has legions of racing fans waving the orange flag.
“I think it will be exciting Sunday,” Verstappen told RACER. “With his (limited) experience, I must say he did a very good job in qualifying. He gets a lot of attention here. He's in the newspaper, he's on television, because I think in Holland, racing is growing (in popularity). We have a lot of media attention. And man, I think he gets a lot of attention.”
It’s hard to say how many of Holland’s 17 million residents will be tuning in to see VeeKay go for victory in the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevy, but he can count on at least one: “I'll be watching him,” said Verstappen emphatically.
Marshall Pruett
The 2026 season marks Marshall Pruett's 40th year working in the sport. In his role today for RACER, Pruett covers open-wheel and sports car racing as a writer, reporter, photographer, and filmmaker. In his previous career, he served as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager in a variety of series, including IndyCar, IMSA, and World Challenge.
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