Rinus VeeKay in the No.18 askROI Dale Coyne Racing Honda had a great first race with the team in Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding, the opening race of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
The Dutch driver who was the last driver to be confirmed for a full-time drive started the race from 12th place and came home in 9th place.
Speaking following the race, VeeKay said:
What a great first race with Dale Coyne Racing for me. It was a tough but good race—moving up from 12th to 9th was a solid step. My goals for this weekend were to get into the Firestone Fast 12 and finish in the top 10, and that’s exactly how it went. We had great teamwork, and there is always room for improvement because it’s still only our first weekend together. With time, we will get better. Thanks to Dale, the team, and Honda for their support this season, and thank you to askROI for their support for a second season in a row.”
NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Jacob Abel in the No.51 Abel Construction Honda says that he learnt a lot from his first race on the streets of St Petersburg.
“Well, my first race is done and over. I learned a lot this weekend, and we made some strides for improvement that we can continue into the coming events. I can’t thank the team, Dale, and everyone who helped me along the way enough. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m able to say I’m an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver. I look forward to learning and growing this season. We brought the car home in one piece and gained some spots from where I qualified. We can definitely grow from this performance”