Photo: Gavin Baker Photography / Road to Indy
Juncos Hollinger Racing will return to Indy Lights next year with two cars, but will be leaving Indy Pro 2000 at the same time.
The team raced in Indy Lights in 2012, then again from 2015 to ’19. The series did not run in 2020, but Juncos was on the grid the year after. However it has not been present this year for a variety of factors.
During its time on the grid it won titles with Spencer Pigot (’15) and Kyle Kaiser (’17), and now returns to the series for 2023 as a full-time entrant with two cars.
“We are very excited to return to Indy Lights full time with two cars,” said team principal Ricardo Juncos.
“We have had great success in the past within the Indy Lights series but made the decision last year to focus on the expansion of our first full-time IndyCar program during 2022, with the plan to rejoin the Indy Lights in 2023.
“Instead of running in three series and stretching our resources and personnel this year, we knew that we had to take the time to build the basis of our IndyCar before returning to Indy Lights.”
Juncos has raced continually in IP2000 since 2009, running champions Conor Daly (2010), Spencer Pigot (2014), Victor Franzoni (’17), Rinus VeeKay (’18) and Sting Ray Robb (2020), and winning the teams’ title in 2014, ’15, ’18, ’19, ’20 and ’22.
There have been 61 race wins and 65 pole positions for the team over 14 seasons, in addition to the 18 wins and 18 poles it claimed in Indy Lights.
“The roots and foundation of Juncos Hollinger Racing comes from where we started in IP2000 14 years ago,” added Juncos.
“When we first began, we did not have many of the resources that other teams had, but our passion and work ethic allowed us to create a philosophy to be successful. In just a short time we started to win races and became a multi-championship-winning team. Our driver development programme expanded into developing young engineers and mechanics, in which we have promoted many team personal within over the past decade.
“I am proud of all we were able to accomplish with our IP2000 team and will continue with those values and ethics as we focus on our Indy Lights programme. I want to thank Dan Andersen [Road to Indy promoter] and everyone and Andersen Promotions, Cooper Tires, and all those who have supported us since our journey began.”
The Juncos team first expanded into IndyCar in 2017, contesting only the Indianapolis 500, then the next year it ran an incomplete season with a single car. For 2019 that scaled down to just two appearances, once again including the Indy 500, then at the end of last year it began a programme with the Ferrari-backed Callum Ilott who became its first full-time driver for 2022 and twice finished in the top 10 as well as qualifying second for the Laguna Seca season finale.