RACE RESULTS

17th: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
24th: CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet

NEXT RACE: Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 11 (NBC, 3 p.m. ET)

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 20 GUYCARE CHEVROLET

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet, Finished 24th: “It was a day of missed opportunities. We were running pretty good and fighting our way through, we had some good passes on track and were moving forward. Then I was shoved into the grass for the first time, which cost me a lot of positions. We had a good-timed yellow which helped us for sure and we again moved forward. Until I was shoved off track again. From there, it was just reset and try to fight our way back as much as we could. Then I made my own mistake at the end with just a few laps to go. Just an unfortunate day.”

OF NOTE: 

• Christian Rasmussen started 14th in today’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. He gained three positions in the opening lap before settling into 12th. Just a few turns before making his first pit stop, he was bumped off-course by another competitor and dropped all the way back to 26th. 

•  Undeterred, he began to fight his way forward once again. By pitting on Lap 46 and staying out under the next caution 10 laps later, he vaulted forward and engaged in several spirited battles. He set his fastest lap of the race on Lap 71, when he was running in 4th. 

•  On Lap 73, Rasmussen came in for his final scheduled pit stop. He cycled out into 15th before once again being run off-track on Lap 78. This time he fell to 22nd, but was able to gain back a position almost immediately. With four laps to go, the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet spun and the engine stalled, dropping Rasmussen one lap behind the field. He took the checkered flag in 24th. 

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Finished 17th: “That was a tough race. I did pass a lot of cars on track! But it was unfortunate in the end, I think we did not maximize our potential today. We will take a look at everything together as a team and make sure we stick what we learn in our back pocket. We will come back better from this and hopefully get a bit more luck in a few weeks.” Courtesy INDYCAR Photo

OF NOTE: 

• Rinus VeeKay knew the No. 21 Chevrolet was quick after setting the fastest lap in Practice 2 at Barber Motorsports Park. However, in qualifying he was sidelined with an electrical issue and was unable to set a fast lap. He started last in today’s 27-car field but did not stay there for long. 

• By the fourth lap, he was up nine positions. On Lap 5, he had to serve a drive-through penalty and dropped back to last again. He was able to complete the penalty before the first full-course caution on Lap 6, which allowed him to catch the rear of the field. He made his first pit stop under the caution and mounted another charge forward. 

• In just six laps after the restart, VeeKay had made up all of the positions he lost from the penalty. He reached the Top 10 by Lap 30 and cycled as high as 3rd before his second pit stop on Lap 34. Another stop came under caution on Lap 56, followed by a top off on fuel on Lap 68. Though he dropped back to 22nd with the green flag stop, VeeKay was not done making up positions and gained five more by the checkered flag. He finished 17th in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.