STARTING POSITIONS 

20th: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 Chevrolet
21st: CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet

RACE: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey
TRACK: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
LOCATION: Monterey, California, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 11-turn, 2.238-mile natural road course
RACE LENGTH: 95 laps/212.61 miles

BROADCAST: Sunday – 3 p.m. PT, NBC

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 20 GUYCARE CHEVROLET

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet, Starting 21st: “We started on the back foot with not having much time in Practice 2. While we were sitting pretty good on the black Firestone Firehawks, we didn’t really get the red tire to work for us today. Kind of opposite of the other day where we felt like maybe we didn’t have a great balance on blacks, but then we were pretty good on red. We’ve got to go back and figure out what happened there. I have a good feeling in terms of the car balance now, we just need to be a little bit better on the reds in qualifying.”

OF NOTE: 

• Christian Rasmussen overcame an incident in Practice 2 this morning to qualify 21st for his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. After Rasmussen made heavy contact with the Turn 10 tire barrier on only his third lap of the session, the No. 20 GuyCare crew quickly went to work to repair the car for qualifying. Despite the limited track time, Rasmussen jumped right back in and turned the 11th-fastest lap in Round 1, Group 1. 

• Last September at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Rasmussen secured his third championship in four years. He finished second in Race 1 of the INDY NXT doubleheader, ensuring that all he had to do was start Race 2 in order to clinch the championship. Instead, he won the pole position, led every lap and earned his fifth victory of the year with a nearly 18-second lead. He joined ECR on the heels of his 2023 INDY NXT championship. 

• Rasmussen continues to improve and grow each race of his debut NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Less than one month ago, he drove from 24th to 12th in the Indianapolis 500 and was the highest finishing rookie in the field. On the tight Detroit street circuit, he turned in his best qualifying effort of the season and narrowly missed out on advancing to the second round of qualifications; on the four-mile Road America road course, he had worked his way into the Top 10 in only six laps. Rasmussen was on track for strong finishes in each before facing unfortunate circumstances in both events.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Starting 20th: “It has not been a straightforward weekend! Yesterday in practice, we had an engine issue; this morning, we were just really far outside of the window. We got it back to a very drivable car, but it’s not just quick enough at the moment. As a team, we are struggling a bit. The only way is forward! We’re always good in race trim, so we can move forward, but I’m looking forward to a race weekend where we have it just a little bit easier!”

OF NOTE: 

• Though Rinus VeeKay was quick in yesterday’s opening practice, his session ended early as he encountered an unforeseen engine issue. The No. 21 crew worked late into the night to change the engine and have the car ready for Practice 2 this morning. During qualifications, Veekay was forced to slow on one of his quick laps as the car in front of him worked to make a gap. He ended Round 1, Group 1 with the 10th-quickest lap, which translates into the 20th starting position in tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. 

• VeeKay has three previous NTT INDYCAR SERIES starts at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Last year, he turned Top 10 lap times in both practice sessions and started 6th. His strong start did not last long as he was struck by another competitor in Turn 2 of the opening lap and fell two laps behind the field. Undeterred, he managed to salvage an 18th place result. Prior to joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, VeeKay competed in the 2019 Indy Lights doubleheader (now INDY NXT) at the road course and won both races. 

• VeeKay’s last few events have included much adversity, but he has shown patience and perseverance of a veteran driver. Last month, VeeKay and the No. 21 crew rebounded from a crash in Indianapolis 500 qualifying to earn the 7th starting position. One week later, he raced his way through the entire field after a penalty dropped him to the back. He led eight laps and finished 9th, recording another Top 10 finish in the Indy 500. VeeKay was battling for 5th when he was spun by another competitor in the streets of Detroit and was solidly inside the Top 10 in Road America before a mechanical failure.