Rinus van Kalmthout crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. The Dutchman lost control of his car in the pit lane after about eighty laps due to a brake problem.
The 24-year-old ‘Veekay’ was having a good race when things went wrong for him. He came in for a regular pit stop, but locked one of his rear brakes and spun. He damaged his rear suspension, ending his race.
Afterwards, Van Kalmthout said that his brakes did not respond. “When I drove into the pits, I was going over 100 miles per hour. But when I tried to brake, nothing happened,” said ‘Veekay’.
“Then I pressed my brake as hard as possible, after which one of my rear wheels locked. Then it was over. There seemed to be no response from the brakes. I wouldn’t know what else I could have done. It’s a shame, because it was going well.”
Van Kalmthout was Having A Good Race
Van Kalmthout started from the back row, but worked his way forward thanks in part to an alternative strategy. Although he had started the race without too high expectations, he was in contention for a place in the top ten.
For Van Kalmthout, it was the sixth time he participated in the Indy 500. His best result was an eighth place in the 2021 edition. Last year he finished ninth. At that time, he was still driving for the Ed Carpenter Racing team.
This year Van Kalmthout is driving for the Dale Coyne Racing team. That is a team with considerably fewer resources than the team he drove for in previous years.
The Indy 500, one of the most prestigious races in the world, started around 1:15 PM (Eastern Time) after some delay due to rain. The race is still in progress.