Renger van der Zande Bio
Renger Adriaan van der Zande (born 16 February 1986) is a Dutch racing driver who currently competes for Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and for United Autosports in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He is the son of the 1978 National Dutch Rallycross Champion Ronald van der Zande. In 2016, van der Zande won his first major sports car championship with co-driver Alex Popow in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He resides in Amsterdam with his partner Carlijn and their daughter.
Over a career that began in Formula Renault 2000 and has stretched through single-seaters, GT racing, and top-tier prototype endurance events, van der Zande has built a reputation as a versatile and consistent driver. He carries FIA Platinum status and has tallied multiple wins, pole positions, and fastest laps in the North American endurance scene, making him one of the most experienced Dutch sportscar competitors of his generation.
Early Life and Background
Renger Adriaan van der Zande was born on 16 February 1986 in Dodewaard, a small town in the Netherlands. He grew up in a household with deep ties to motorsport, as his father, Ronald van der Zande, was a rallycross driver who won the 1978 National Dutch Rallycross Championship. That family connection gave Renger an early window into the world of racing and shaped his ambitions from a young age.
Surrounded by cars, drivers, and racing stories at home, van der Zande began his competitive path in karting before transitioning to single-seater racing as a teenager. His early progression through junior formulas in Europe was supported by his family’s encouragement and by the Dutch motorsport community, which has long produced drivers capable of competing at the international level.
Path to NASCAR
Van der Zande’s path to North American sportscar racing was built through a long apprenticeship in European single-seaters and GT categories. After winning the 2005 Formula Renault 2000 Netherlands championship with Van Amersfoort Racing, he sampled A1GP, the Formula Three Euroseries, the British Formula 3 Championship, the GP2 Asia Series, and the GP3 Series, gaining experience on circuits across Europe and Asia.
By the early 2010s, his career had shifted toward sportscars, with stints in the Porsche Supercup, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the American Le Mans Series. Those seasons prepared him for a full-time move to the United States in 2014, when he joined Starworks Motorsport for the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship. He has remained a leading figure in IMSA prototype racing ever since, establishing a foothold in endurance competition rather than pursuing a NASCAR career.
Renger van der Zande Career
Early Career (2004-2013)
Van der Zande’s single-seater career began in 2004 in Formula Renault 2000 categories in Germany and the Netherlands. He won the FR2.0 Netherlands title in 2005 with Van Amersfoort Racing, a result that opened doors to higher-profile championships. In 2006 and 2007, he represented the Netherlands in A1 Grand Prix, and he went on to race in the Formula Three Euroseries with Prema Powerteam across 2007 and 2008.
He also made a brief appearance in the 2008-09 GP2 Asia Series with Trust Team Arden, replacing Mika Mäki for a single round. After that, he moved to British Formula 3 with Hitech Racing, where he scored a debut win at Silverstone, and then joined the inaugural GP3 Series in 2010 with RSC Mücke Motorsport, earning a podium. The following year, he entered the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Persson Motorsport, recording a third-place finish at the Munich Olympic Stadium round. He rounded out this stretch by winning the 2013 BRL V6 championship with Teunissen Racing, racing in the International GT Open, the American Le Mans Series LMPC class with Mishumotors, and the Macau GT Cup.
IMSA SportsCar Championship Breakthrough (2014-2016)
Van der Zande moved to North America in 2014, joining Starworks Motorsport for the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship alongside Mirco Schultis. The pair won at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Road America, and Petit Le Mans, and added four more podiums. In Europe, he also won the 12 Hours of Zandvoort with Car Collection Motorsport in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
For 2015, he returned to Starworks in the IMSA PC class, scoring wins at Detroit and Watkins Glen on the way to a fifth-place championship finish. The breakthrough came in 2016, when he and co-driver Alex Popow won at Detroit, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park, and Austin to clinch the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship PC class title in the season finale at Petit Le Mans. That championship established him as a top-flight endurance driver and paved the way for a step up to the prototype class.
Visit Florida Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing Era (2017-2020)
In late 2016, it was announced that van der Zande would move to the prototype class in 2017 with Visit Florida Racing, paired with co-driver Marc Goossens. He later joined Wayne Taylor Racing, where he drove the team’s No. 10 Cadillac DPi entry across multiple full seasons. In 2020, he won Petit Le Mans in dramatic fashion, taking the lead after two front-runners collided in the closing minutes of the race.
Despite being told mid-season that he would be retained, van der Zande was informed of his release from Wayne Taylor Racing on 21 October 2020. His tenure with the team included high-profile endurance runs, including the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona, where he shared driving duties with Jordan Taylor, Fernando Alonso, and Kamui Kobayashi.
Chip Ganassi Racing Era (2021)
For 2021, van der Zande moved to Chip Ganassi Racing, racing the Cadillac DPi-V.R alongside Kevin Magnussen. The pair finished fourth in the IMSA standings that season. In parallel, he joined Inter Europol Competition in the LMP2 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, sharing the car with Alex Brundle and Jakub Śmiechowski, and reached the podium in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Acura Meyer Shank Racing Era (2022-Present)
Van der Zande is now racing for Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 93 Acura. He continues to be a fixture in endurance competition, and he has also returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with United Autosports, splitting his program between North American prototype racing and European endurance events. Across 123 IMSA starts, he has recorded 23 wins, 14 poles, and 20 fastest laps, a record that underscores his status as one of the series’ most consistent front-runners.
Driving Style and Strengths
Van der Zande is recognized for his smooth, mistake-free approach and his strength in long endurance stints, where tire management and consistent pace are critical. He has performed well on a mix of circuits, from flowing road courses like Watkins Glen and Road America to technical street layouts, and he has repeatedly delivered strong results in the closing hours of multi-day events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and Petit Le Mans.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his most memorable moments are his 2016 PC class championship with Alex Popow, his last-lap victory at the 2020 Petit Le Mans, and his appearance at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Fernando Alonso. Multiple IMSA wins, including signature performances at Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Road America, have helped define his reputation in North American endurance racing.
Renger van der Zande Career Wins
Van der Zande has built a deep résumé of victories in endurance and GT competition. His 23 career IMSA wins rank him among the most successful active drivers in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with consistent success across PC, DPi, and GTP class machinery. He has also won high-profile European endurance events, including the 12 Hours of Zandvoort, and has stood on the podium in the 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class.
IMSA SportsCar Championship Highlights
Van der Zande made his IMSA debut in 2014 with Starworks Motorsport and has gone on to record 23 wins and 14 poles across 123 starts in the series. His first major IMSA title came in 2016, when he and Alex Popow captured the PC class championship. He has since added victories in the DPi class with Wayne Taylor Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing, and currently races the No. 93 Acura for Acura Meyer Shank Racing.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside IMSA, van der Zande has collected wins in the BRL V6 championship, the British Formula 3 Championship, the International GT Open, the 12 Hours of Zandvoort, and the Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Sonoma. He has also recorded strong results in the FIA World Endurance Championship, including a class podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021.
| Series | Wins | Poles | Fastest Laps |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMSA SportsCar Championship | 23 | 14 | 20 |
Renger van der Zande Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Van der Zande comes from a motorsport family. His father, Ronald van der Zande, was the 1978 National Dutch Rallycross Champion, giving Renger a direct link to competitive racing from childhood. That background helped shape his path from karting through junior formulas and into professional sportscar competition.
Personal Life
Van der Zande resides in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He lives with his partner, Carlijn, and their daughter. He maintains an active presence on social media, including Facebook and Instagram pages under his name.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Renger van der Zande is racing for Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 93 Acura in the GTP class. The season features the full slate of IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, including the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Watkins Glen endurance race, and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
Van der Zande is also competing in the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans with United Autosports, splitting his program between IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship. His dual campaign keeps him engaged with two of endurance racing’s most demanding calendars.
With 23 IMSA wins, 14 poles, and a championship already on his résumé, van der Zande enters 2025 as a proven frontrunner. His mix of pace, endurance, and race craft positions him and the No. 93 Acura program as serious contenders across the year’s headline events.