Looks like Arie Luyendyk Jr. would be ok if his kids stayed in his lane — and he’s even giving them the green flag.
“I always had a love/hate relationship with my career,” The Bachelor alum, 42, shared in a response to a fan asking whether he wants his kids to be racecar drivers via his Instagram Story on Saturday, October 7. “Lots of pressure and expectations but at the same time the most incredible experiences came from racing. It’s an amazing adventure if you have the passion to see it through.”
He continued: “If they want to drive I will back them 1000%.”
Racecar driving is rooted in the Netherland native’s blood. His father, Arie Luyendyk, won the Indianapolis 500 race in both 1990 and 1997.
Arie, for his part, participated in a variety of racing series including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona. He also competed in the Indy Lights Series and was a test driver in the A1 Grand Prix for the A1 Team The Netherlands.
Arie made his Bachelor Nation debut when he vied for Emily Maynard’s eye on season 8 of The Bachelorette, where he ended as her runner up. Five years later, he went on to be named the lead of season 22 of The Bachelor.
At the end of his season, he gave his final rose to Becca Kufrin but broke things off with her to pursue his runner-up, Lauren Luyendyk (née Burnham). The pair wed in January 2019 after he proposed to her during the After the Final Rose special in March 2018.
Four months after tying the knot, Arie and Lauren, 31, welcomed their first daughter, Alessi Ren. (Us Weekly broke the news in November 2018 that the pair were expecting their first child together.)
“We have a healthy, BEAUTIFUL baby girl 6lbs, 13oz 20cm long,” Arie wrote to his Instagram Story at the time. “Mommy and baby are doing great, we are so incredibly happy.”
In May 2020, the couple revealed via a YouTube video that Lauren had suffered a miscarriage.
“We were planning to share our journey through pregnancy with you, but unfortunately we didn’t get the happy story we had hoped for,” they shared at the time. “We decided to share this part of our journey with you, because well, we share everything with you! But also because we hope that by talking about this we can make other couples going through these times a little less lonely.”
They went on to expand their brood in June 2021, welcoming twins Senna and Lux.
“@Luyendyktwins are here. Momma and babies are doing great, and everything went smoothly. Spending time cherishing these moments, thank you all for all the support,” Arie wrote via Instagram Story at the time.