‘It Feels Like Coming Home’: Rinus VeeKay Gets Emotional After Replacing Conor Daly at Juncos Hollinger Racing for the 2026 IndyCar Season, Leaving Fans Excited for a Breakout Season
In the high-stakes world of the NTT IndyCar Series, where driver moves can reshape entire seasons, few announcements carry the weight of nostalgia and promise quite like the one from Juncos Hollinger Racing on October 14, 2025. Rinus VeeKay, the 25-year-old Dutch sensation known for his blistering speed and unflappable poise, has signed on as the team’s lead driver for 2026, stepping into the void left by Conor Daly. The news, delivered with a press release that evoked the warmth of a family reunion, has ignited a firestorm of excitement among fans, who see VeeKay’s return to his racing roots as the spark for Juncos Hollinger’s ascent to podium contention.
VeeKay’s voice cracked with emotion during a candid Instagram post following the announcement, a moment that humanized the prodigy who burst onto the IndyCar scene as its 2020 Rookie of the Year. “Signing with Juncos Hollinger Racing also feels like a return home,” he shared, his words laced with gratitude and a hint of vulnerability. “Juncos Racing gave me my start in the Pro Mazda Championship in 2018, and we continued together in Indy Lights in 2019, winning 13 races and a championship title together.” For VeeKay, whose real name is Rinus van Kalmthout, this isn’t just a contract—it’s a full-circle story. The team that launched him from a promising European karting talent into America’s open-wheel elite now offers a canvas for his next chapter. “After winning 13 races and a championship together in the Road to Indy, we have reunited again, this time in IndyCar,” he added. “Big thanks to Brad [Hollinger] and Ricardo [Juncos] for making this become reality.”
The move replaces Conor Daly, the affable American veteran who piloted Juncos Hollinger’s No. 78 entry through much of 2025. Daly, known for his oval mastery and infectious energy, delivered flashes of brilliance, including a career-best 10th at the 2024 Indianapolis 500 with the team. Yet, Juncos Hollinger, entering its fifth full IndyCar season, sought a driver with VeeKay’s blend of experience and upside. “I am happy for Rinus,” Daly told RACER magazine shortly after the news broke, his characteristic optimism shining through despite the personal blow. At 33, Daly now navigates an uncertain offseason, eyeing potential returns to Dale Coyne Racing—where VeeKay spent 2025—or an Indy 500-only deal with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Fans, while heartbroken for their “Smiley Riley,” quickly pivoted their cheers to VeeKay, flooding social media with memes of his Toronto podium and chants of “VeeKay to Victory Lane.”
VeeKay’s journey to this emotional homecoming has been a testament to resilience. After five seasons with Ed Carpenter Racing, where he notched his lone IndyCar win at the 2021 Grand Prix of Indianapolis and three top-10s at the Indy 500, VeeKay sought fresh horizons. His 2025 stint with the underfunded Dale Coyne Racing was a revelation. Thrust into a car that hadn’t seen a podium in two years, the Hoofddorp native delivered two top-fives, including a heart-stopping second at the Honda Indy Toronto—his best finish since that 2021 triumph. He edged out the field with a daring overcut strategy, only narrowly missing the win to Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren. Finishing 14th in the championship with 33 top-10s across 97 starts, VeeKay’s stats scream untapped potential: two poles, five podiums, and the distinction of being the youngest front-row starter in Indy 500 history.
For Juncos Hollinger, VeeKay represents more than a seat-filler; he’s the cornerstone of an ambitious rebuild. Team principal Brad Hollinger and co-owner Ricardo Juncos, who nurtured VeeKay’s early career, view this as a “natural continuation” of their shared legacy. “Reuniting with Rinus feels like a natural continuation of the success we’ve shared in the past,” Hollinger said. “As Juncos Hollinger Racing enters its fifth full INDYCAR season and with Rinus bringing six seasons of INDYCAR experience at just 25 years of age, we believe this reunion will deliver results quickly.” Dave O’Neill, the team’s principal, echoed the sentiment: “We’re fully focused on building a program capable of sustained high performance in the years ahead. We have exciting plans across every area of the team—on and off the track—and bringing Rinus onboard is a major step in that direction.”
The excitement bubbling from the IndyCar paddock is palpable, with analysts and insiders hailing VeeKay as the “missing piece” for a team that’s shown oval prowess but struggled on road and street courses. Juncos Hollinger already boasts Sting Ray Robb in its second seat, creating a dynamic duo of youth and aggression. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) erupted with predictions: “VeeKay + JHR = multiple wins in ’26,” one user posted, while another quipped, “Conor’s out, but Rinus is in—IndyCar’s about to get faster.” Dutch supporters, long starved for a homegrown hero since Max Verstappen’s F1 dominance, see VeeKay’s move as a beacon. “My fellow Dutchie has earned a well-deserved seat,” wrote one enthusiast. “Let’s take that Indy 500 win!”
As the 2026 season looms—kicking off March 1 on the streets of St. Petersburg—VeeKay’s emotional return stirs visions of glory. By the third round in Arlington, Texas, he’ll mark his 100th IndyCar start, a milestone ripe for celebration. With Juncos Hollinger’s growing infrastructure and VeeKay’s raw talent, whispers of a breakout year aren’t hyperbole; they’re expectation. In a series defined by redemption arcs, VeeKay’s homecoming feels poetic—a driver, a team, and a fanbase united in the chase for checkered flags. If Toronto was a tease, 2026 could be the symphony. And for VeeKay, it starts with the simple, stirring truth: it feels like coming home.
