INDIANAPOLIS, In. – Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 ARCO Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) arrived at the Milwaukee Mile looking for a breakthrough on an oval. He left with something more valuable: proof that he and Juncos Hollinger Racing can run with the front of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
VeeKay delivered one of the weekend’s most impressive drives Sunday, charging from 24th on the starting grid to finish third in the rain-delayed opening race of the Milwaukee doubleheader. He followed that performance with a seventh-place finish in Race 2, giving the Dutchman two top-seven results and his strongest oval weekend of the 2026 season.
For VeeKay, the third-place finish was his first career INDYCAR oval podium.
For Juncos Hollinger Racing, it was another important step for a team still establishing itself among INDYCAR’s established powers.
And for a driver who had spent much of the season searching for consistency, Milwaukee offered a glimpse of what might be possible when everything comes together.
“Milwaukee” was supposed to be a weekend built around speed. Instead, it became a test of patience.
The first race was interrupted by rain after 90 of its scheduled 250 laps Saturday, forcing INDYCAR to postpone the conclusion until Sunday. The race eventually resumed before Race 2, creating an extraordinary schedule in which the field effectively had to complete two races in one day.
VeeKay had already been dealt a difficult hand.
After qualifying, he was forced to start Race 1 from 24th, putting the No. 76 Chevrolet deep in the field. Rather than becoming trapped in traffic, VeeKay steadily worked his way forward.
By the time the checkered flag fell, he was third — just 2.864 seconds behind winner Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet).
That made the result more than another good finish.
It was a statement.
From the back to the podium
VeeKay’s drive was especially significant because of the caliber of the competition around him.
O’Ward controlled the race for Arrow McLaren, while Scott McLaughlin and the Team Penske operation were among those fighting at the sharp end of the field. Yet VeeKay’s Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet continued to move forward as the race unfolded.
The result also gave JHR its second INDYCAR podium at Milwaukee. Conor Daly had finished third for the team in the first race of the 2024 Milwaukee doubleheader, making the historic Wisconsin oval something of a happy hunting ground for the organization.
For VeeKay, though, this was different.
He had never stood on an INDYCAR oval podium before.
The 25-year-old had shown flashes of speed on ovals throughout his career, but Milwaukee provided the combination of pace, execution and race management necessary to turn that potential into a result.
It was also a continuation of encouraging speed shown earlier in the season. VeeKay entered Milwaukee with three top-five finishes in 2026 and had been quick during the series’ July test at the Milwaukee Mile.
That speed finally translated when it mattered most.
Another top-seven finish
There was little time to celebrate.
With Race 1 completed, the teams immediately turned their attention to the second 250-mile contest.
VeeKay started 12th and again moved forward, eventually finishing seventh. Pato O’Ward won that race as well, completing an extraordinary doubleheader sweep in which he won both races on the same day.
O’Ward’s achievement grabbed the headlines. He became the first INDYCAR SERIES driver since Rick Mears in 1981 to win two series races on the same day. Meanwhile, Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) used the weekend to secure his fifth INDYCAR championship.
But behind those headline moments was VeeKay quietly putting together the kind of weekend that can change the trajectory.
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