Rinus VeeKay in the No.18 askROI Dale Coyne Racing Honda had a fantastic Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday. The Dutch driver started the 90-lap race from fifth place, battled for a podium all race long, and came home in fourth place, just missing out on a podium finish. Speaking following the race, VeeKay said:
“That was a great day started 5th, finished 4th. We were battling some pretty big hitters out there. That was a great day. I think we had a really good call staying out long on the second stint; we had some really good laps at the end of that stint. The reds hung on really well for us. I got really close to 3rd place only three tenths of a second off at the end. So close, but we did a really good job as a team this weekend to regroup after Practice One. With the threat of rain, we kept everything clean and clear and had a great qualifying, and it translated to a great race. Super grateful for Dale Coyne Racing and askROI for making everything possible for me to be in the car. Also, huge thanks to Honda for giving me the great drivability. Now driving a Honda, I see why everyone loves the drivability of the Honda cars. Looking forward to keeping this up into the Indy GP and the Indianapolis 500.”
Jacob Abel in the No.51 Abel Construction Honda ended the race in 27th place, and speaking following the action, he said:
“It’s fun to be driving an INDYCAR in May for the first time in my career. This weekend was tough we never had the pace on the reds and that hurt us as the weekend progressed. We never seemed to find the sweet spot that I know we can. Looking forward to Indy, it’s a track I have a lot of experience at on the road course, so I think we can have a pretty productive race there and continue to learn.”