Rinus VeeKay joins Juncos Racing for 2018 Pro Mazda campaign (Update)
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| Rinus VeeKay |
UPDATE Here is a little factoid for you. VeeKay's official name is Rinus Van Kalmthout. His parents and his management, think Americans are stupid and won't be able to pronounce his name, and therefore Rinus would not stand a chance to make it in the USA using his real name. Fellow Dutchman Arie Luijendijk became Arie Luyendyk … that makes sense as it's close to his real name, but Rinus VeeKay? VeeKay = Vee is from the V of Van, and Kay is the K of Kalmthout … and now you know the whole story.
11/28/17 Juncos Racing announced today the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda championship runner-up, Rinus VeeKay will join the team for the 2018 Pro Mazda Presented by Cooper Tires championship. VeeKay is the first driver to join the reigning 2017 Pro Mazda champion team.
Rinus VeeKay, 17, of Hoofddorp, Netherlands recently completed a very successful run in the USF2000 championship, picking up one pole, three wins and 12 podiums within 14 races in his rookie season. VeeKay’s most notable weekend during the 2017 year came at Road America where he captured his first pole and swept the weekend taking both wins. VeeKay finished the season second in the championship, only seven points behind the champion.
"I feel very honored that I am able to join such a successful top team," said VeeKay. "They have a very professional attitude and the connection we had during the test was excellent from the very first moment. I really felt at home with the team. When I visited Juncos Racing I was thrilled with their state-of-the-art facility. Everything was very clean and organized, just like a Formula 1 operation."
VeeKay made his first run with Juncos Racing back in October during a two-day test in the new PM-18 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Team Owner Ricardo Juncos is confident the young 17 year old is a strong figure for the 2018 Juncos Racing Pro Mazda driver line-up.
"I am thrilled to announce Rinus (VeeKay) is joining Juncos Racing for the 2018 Pro Mazda season," said Juncos. "We first worked with Rinus back in October testing at Mid-Ohio and were very pleased with him all around. He was very fast on track, and had a great professional approach when working with the crew and engineers. Rinus showed he will be a top contender on track and he is going to be an incredible asset to our Pro Mazda line-up this coming year. I want to thank Rinus and his family for the opportunity to add him to our program and look forward to a great year as we go for another championship!"
The 2018 Pro Mazda Championship kicks off March 9th – 12th on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.