FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 – SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2024

RACE: Bommarito Automotive Group 500
TRACK: World Wide Technology Raceway
LOCATION: Madison, Illinois, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.25-mile oval
RACE LENGTH: 260 Laps/325 Miles

PRACTICE: Friday – 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. CT (Peacock), 6:45-8:30 p.m. CT (Peacock)
QUALIFYING: Friday – 3:20-4:20 p.m. CT (Peacock)
RACE: Saturday – 5 p.m. CT (USA Network, Peacock)

ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 GUYCARE CHEVROLET

ED CARPENTER, No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet: “I am always excited to get back to Worldwide Technology Raceway.  The track has been such a great partner to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since they rejoined the schedule.  After having two sub-par outcomes at Iowa, I am looking forward to building momentum for the final stretch of races to close out 2024.” Courtesy INDYCAR Photo

OF NOTE: 

• Ed Carpenter is the only individual in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES who handles both the responsibility of driving the racecar while owning and operating his own team. Even now as he competes exclusively on ovals, he has 24 Top 10 finishes since starting Ed Carpenter Racing and has led at least one race for 15 of the last 17 seasons.

• As the last month of the 2024 season focuses heavily on ovals, Carpenter will compete in four of the final five races this year. Carpenter, who drives the No. 20 in the oval events, will take over from road and street course driver Christian Rasmussen. Rasmussen will conclude his rookie year next week on the road course at Portland International Raceway.

• Earlier this season, Carpenter competed in his 21st Indianapolis 500 and led the race for several laps. In his most recent race weekend at Iowa Speedway, he was plagued by misfortune. He was collected in multi-car accidents not of his own volition in both races of the doubleheader; Saturday’s incident occurred with only 22 laps remaining, Sunday’s took place on the white flag lap. 

• Carpenter has competed in each NTT INDYCAR SERIES event since it returned to WWT Raceway in 2017. The short oval is home to his most recent podium finish. In 2019, Carpenter worked his way through the entire field to earn a runner-up finish, missing the top step of the podium by a mere .0399 of a second.

• The No. 20 Chevrolet will compete in the colors of GuyCare for the entirety of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. GuyCare clinics provide discreet and confidential care, ensuring men’s health and well-being through proven therapeutic interventions and wellness programs. After successfully opening their first clinic in Salt Lake City, GuyCare is now expanding its service offerings nationwide through the launch of a Telemedicine program.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Chevrolet: “I am very happy that we had a few weeks off, but I am really excited to go racing again and start the final stretch of the season! Christian (Rasmussen) tested at WWT Raceway a couple weeks ago and was fast, so we should have strong cars right away. Having Ed (Carpenter) back in the No. 20 will be good, it is always fun to race with the boss. Hopefully we can keep our streak of Top 10 finishes on ovals going!“ Courtesy INDYCAR Photo

OF NOTE: 

• Born in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout began karting in 2009 at the age of 8. With sights set firmly on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he transitioned to the Road to Indy in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. Now in his fifth season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, VeeKay has stepped into a veteran role as ECR’s senior full-time driver. He has spent his entire career behind the wheel of the No. 21 Chevrolet and is the longest tenured full-time driver in the team’s history. 

• Prior to the Olympic break, VeeKay put together an impressive string of three Top 10 finishes in eight days. At Iowa Speedway, he drove from 13th to 5th in Race 1 to earn his first Top 5 finish since July of 2022. Race 2 saw him move up from his starting position of 15th to finish 9th. While VeeKay qualified 22nd the following week in the streets of Toronto, he gained 14 positions over the course of the race to finish 8th. 

• VeeKay has earned a the Top 10 of each oval race this season. At the Indianapolis 500, VeeKay and his No. 21 crew rebounded from a crash during his first qualification attempt and not being in the 33-car field to advancing the to the second day of qualifying and earning the 7th starting position. The following week, VeeKay raced his way through the entire field to finish 9th after a penalty dropped him to the back. His first Top 10 finish of the year was at the season opening street course race in St. Petersburg, Florida.

• When VeeKay competed in his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at WWT Raceway in 2020, the weekend was the best of his career to that point. He drove up to 6th in Race 1, which was his highest finish on an oval until the next day. At the start of Race 2, VeeKay went four-wide down the backstretch and gained seven positions in the first lap. He continued a spirited charge through the field for the duration of the event, eventually climbing to 4th place. In last year’s event, he narrowly missed out on a Top 10 finish and took the checkered flag in 11th.