STARTING POSITIONS

18th: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 Chevrolet
21st: CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet

TRACK: Streets of Long Beach
LOCATION: Long Beach, Calif., USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit
RACE LENGTH: 85 laps/167.28 miles

BROADCAST: Sunday – 12 p.m. PT (USA Network, 12 p.m. ET)

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 20 GUYCARE CHEVROLET

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet, Qualified 21st: “Our balance on the black Firestone Firehawks was pretty good. When we switched to the green Firehawks, I couldn’t feel the car underneath me quite as well. It is unfortunate, we have had a strong weekend so far. We will focus on the positives and see what we can do about getting a little bit better on the greens. We’ll do our best to move forward during the race!”

OF NOTE: 

• The Long Beach street circuit is one of only a handful of courses on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar that Christian Rasmussen has never competed on in any racing category. He quickly acclimated to the historic track, turning the 9th-quickest lap of the field in the opening practice session yesterday afternoon. During qualifications, he finished Round 1, Group 1 in 11th and was not able to advance.

• Rasmussen is Ed Carpenter Racing’s newest driver, joining the team after winning the 2023 INDY NXT championship. He competes in the road and street course events in the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet and will transition to the team’s 3rd entry for the Indianapolis 500. The Dane is only the second driver in history earn a championship in each open-wheel junior category that currently feeds the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – USF2000 (2020), USF Pro 2000 (2021) and INDY NXT (2023). 

• 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. Additional clinics will open in select NTT INDYCAR SERIES race markets throughout the 2024 season. 

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Qualified 18th: “I think everyone hoped to be up there a bit further! We were pretty good on the black Firestone Firehawks, but we expected a bit more from the green tires. We have made good decisions so far and have a good plan for the race tomorrow. I look forward to passing some guys!”

OF NOTE: 

• The 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be Rinus VeeKay’s fourth. While VeeKay was confident in the No. 21 Chevrolet during both practice sessions, the volume of cars on the short circuit made it difficult to set a quick time. In this afternoon’s qualifications, he finished Round 1, Group 2 in 9th and did not continue on.

• Now in his fifth season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, VeeKay has stepped into a veteran role as Ed Carpenter Racing’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. The 23-year-old will be looking to build on strong start to his 2024 season. In the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which was also a street course event, VeeKay turned a solid qualifying effort into a Top 10 finish. 

• Raised in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout began karting in 2009 at the age of 8. With sights set firmly on the pinnacle of North American open wheel racing, he transitioned to the Road to Indy in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. He joined ECR for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, following a rapid ascent through the RTI which included 16 wins and 36 podiums in 48 races. After being named 2020 Rookie of the Year, VeeKay became an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner in May of 2021 with a victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.