Tijmen van der Helm Bio
Tijmen van der Helm (born 26 January 2004) is a Dutch professional racing driver who currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with JDC-Miller MotorSports, driving a Porsche 963. He races under car number 44 and holds FIA Gold driver categorisation. Van der Helm is one of the emerging Dutch talents in international endurance motorsport, having worked his way up from karting through single-seater categories into prototype racing.
His career has taken him from junior karting series in the Netherlands and Europe, through Formula 4 and Formula Renault competition, to FIA Formula 3, and finally to the world of sportscar endurance. After stints in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series, he settled in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, where he has become a regular GTP-class competitor with JDC-Miller MotorSports.
Early Life and Background
Tijmen van der Helm was born on 26 January 2004 in Delft, a historic city in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. He grew up in nearby Den Hoorn, a small town in the same region, where he spent much of his childhood. The South Holland area has a strong motorsport culture, which gave young van der Helm early exposure to racing environments.
His introduction to motorsport came through his family, particularly his father Gerard, who competed in the Dutch Volkswagen Endurance Cup. Watching his father race helped spark van der Helm’s own interest in competitive driving and shaped his ambitions to pursue a professional racing career. This family connection provided a strong foundation for his early development behind the wheel.
Path to NASCAR
Van der Helm does not compete in NASCAR and has not followed a path toward any of the NASCAR national series. His career has been built through European and international open-wheel and endurance racing programs, including karting, Formula 4, Formula Renault Eurocup, FIA Formula 3, and several endurance championships. As a result, a NASCAR-specific progression section is not applicable to his biography.
Tijmen van der Helm Career
Early Career (2013–2020)
Van der Helm began his racing career in karting in 2013. His early karting results included third place in the 2013 Chrono Karting Winter Series in the Micromax category, a strong second-place finish in the 2017 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, and a victory in the junior category of the 2017 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. These results established him as a promising junior talent on the international karting scene.
He moved into single-seater racing in 2019, debuting in the Formula 4 UAE Championship with Xcel Motorsport, where he finished tenth overall with one win and three podiums. That same year, he raced in the Spanish F4 Championship with MP Motorsport, taking eight podiums and finishing fourth in the standings. In 2020, he competed in the Toyota Racing Series with Kiwi Motorsport, securing a race victory and a fourteenth-place championship finish, before also racing in the Formula Renault Eurocup with FA Racing, where he ended twelfth in points with one podium.
FIA Formula 3 Championship (2021)
Heading into 2021, van der Helm stepped up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship with MP Motorsport, where he partnered Alpine junior drivers Caio Collet and Victor Martins. The season proved challenging, as he was frequently outpaced by his experienced teammates and finished the year without scoring championship points. The campaign nonetheless provided valuable experience in a highly competitive international single-seater series.
Endurance Racing Debut (2021–2022)
Van der Helm made his endurance racing debut in 2021 at the Road to Le Mans event with Racing Spirit of Léman. In January 2022, he started the 24 Hours of Daytona before joining ARC Bratislava for the FIA World Endurance Championship, partnering Mathias Beche and Miro Konôpka. He competed in three of the first four rounds and finished fourth overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with TDS Racing before ARC Bratislava withdrew from the series.
During the same period, van der Helm raced in the European Le Mans Series with TDS Racing x Vaillante alongside Beche and Philippe Cimadomo. Competing in the Pro-Am category, the team finished fourth in class, with two best results of tenth place at the opening rounds leaving him twenty-second in the overall drivers’ standings.
JDC-Miller MotorSports Era (2023–Present)
Van der Helm joined JDC-Miller MotorSports in 2023, beginning with a fifth-place LMP3 finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Later that year, he was confirmed for JDC-Miller’s GTP program, partnering Mike Rockenfeller, with the team entering from round four of the IMSA season. The pairing achieved a best result of fourth place and finished ninth in the GTP standings. In 2024, he remained at JDC for a full season with Richard Westbrook, joined by Phil Hanson for the endurance events, scoring a podium at Indianapolis and ending tenth in the standings.
Ahead of the 2025 IMSA season, van der Helm signed a long-term contract with JDC-Miller MotorSports. Following Westbrook’s retirement, he was joined full-time by factory driver Gianmaria Bruni. The team finished sixth at a tumultuous 24 Hours of Daytona, but later results were modest, and van der Helm ended the year eleventh in the championship, once again last among full-time GTP competitors. In 2026, he returned to JDC and, alongside Laurin Heinrich, secured his first GTP victory at Laguna Seca, marking JDC’s first class win.
Driving Style and Strengths
Van der Helm has built his reputation on consistency and steady development across multiple disciplines. His background in single-seater racing has given him strong car control and race craft, while his endurance experience has taught him the importance of tire management, fuel strategy, and smooth stints over long runs. His partnership with experienced co-drivers such as Richard Westbrook, Gianmaria Bruni, and Laurin Heinrich has helped him refine his approach to multi-class prototype racing.
Notable Races and Milestones
His signature achievements include his 2017 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals victory in the junior category, a fourth-place finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022, and his first GTP-class victory at Laguna Seca in 2026 with JDC-Miller MotorSports. The Laguna Seca win marked a turning point in his IMSA career and validated the team’s long-term investment in his development.
Tijmen van der Helm Career Wins
Across his career, van der Helm has recorded victories in karting, junior single-seaters, and prototype endurance racing. His win portfolio reflects a steady climb from regional karting success to international prototype competition. The most significant of these is his first IMSA GTP victory at Laguna Seca, which confirmed his arrival as a winning driver at the top level of North American endurance racing.
IMSA SportsCar Championship Highlights
In the IMSA SportsCar Championship, van der Helm has recorded one career win, scored at Laguna Seca in 2026 with JDC-Miller MotorSports. He has also added three podiums across his GTP appearances, with consistent full-season campaigns in 2024 and 2025. His development from a part-season GTP entrant in 2023 to a long-term contracted driver reflects his growing role within the team.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of IMSA, van der Helm has wins in karting and junior formulae, including his 2017 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals title and a victory in the 2020 Toyota Racing Series. He also achieved a win during his 2019 Formula 4 UAE Championship campaign, establishing his credentials as a winner across multiple racing formats.
Tijmen van der Helm Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Van der Helm’s racing origins are closely tied to his father, Gerard van der Helm, who competed in the Dutch Volkswagen Endurance Cup. Gerard’s involvement in club-level endurance racing provided Tijmen with early exposure to motorsport and helped shape his ambition to become a professional driver. This family connection has been a consistent influence throughout his career development.
Personal Life
Public details about van der Helm’s personal life beyond his family racing background remain limited. He is known to have grown up in Den Hoorn, South Holland, and continues to pursue his professional racing career internationally. Further personal information is not widely documented in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Van der Helm entered the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship season as a full-time GTP driver with JDC-Miller MotorSports, sharing the Porsche 963 with veteran co-driver Gianmaria Bruni following Richard Westbrook’s retirement. The team opened the year with a sixth-place finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona, navigating a race defined by incidents and changing weather conditions. The result offered a solid foundation for the rest of the campaign.
As the season progressed, the team struggled to convert pace into strong finishing positions, with results after Daytona generally no higher than eighth place. The lack of standout single-race results meant van der Helm ended the year eleventh in the GTP drivers’ championship, finishing last among the full-time GTP competitors. The campaign highlighted the competitive difficulty of the GTP class and the steep learning curve against factory-supported lineups.
Despite the modest results, the 2025 season confirmed van der Helm’s long-term commitment to JDC-Miller MotorSports and provided valuable experience alongside a Porsche factory driver. His development continued into 2026, where his breakthrough GTP victory at Laguna Seca demonstrated the progress made during the 2025 campaign. The momentum from that win has positioned him as a key part of JDC’s future plans in the IMSA paddock.