Juncos Hollinger expanding to two cars for 2023 IndyCar season

09/07/2022 10:00 AM

Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger have been busy in recent months putting together a plan to expand their NTT IndyCar Series team to two entries starting in 2023, and with the final pieces having been assembled, the Juncos Hollinger Racing team will add a second full-time car alongside the No. 77 Chevy driven by Callum Ilott. Juncos Hollinger Racing expects to test a few drivers in the coming months before deciding on who will pilot the No. 78 Chevy. “To be able to announce this today and make this a reality is incredible,” Juncos said. “We have stood by our words from the beginning that we would continue to grow and expand and that is what we are doing. For us, expanding to a two-car team is very exciting to announce, but was also our plan for the past year since we joined the NTT IndyCar Series full time.” With its rookie driver, JHR has made the Firestone Fast 12 qualifying group on five occasions this season, with Ilott going on to produce five top 12 finishes for the smallest team on the grid. “We wanted to start this year with one car, to start the protocols and procedures for the team,” Juncos said. “Our philosophy is that we work with is a little bit different than the standard, so we wanted to make sure we implanted our plan the right way by focusing on one car before we expanded. We are doing exactly as we planned and will continue with our two-car team for the foreseeable future starting in 2023. We are going to keep building this team the way Brad and I planned from the beginning, and to do what is the best in terms of development, technical, marketing, and everything else.” It was with the arrival of Hollinger last year where new investments in the team’s stability and growth became possible. “We are very excited to be entering the next season with our second entry,” Hollinger said. “Ricardo, Callum and the entire team have done an exceptional job this year, by exceeding the objectives we set for ourselves for the first full year of running in the NTT IndyCar Series. Now, we are scheduled to expand the team which will give us a significant competitive boost for the 2023 campaign. Having a second car enables the team to meaningfully enhance our data analytics, as well as test varying track setups and race strategies. The advantages of a multiple-car team are immense.” Along with one or two IndyCar veterans, drivers from Formula 2 and Indy Lights are expected to be among the final candidates for the second seat. “Callum is an exceptional young driver who has exceeded all expectations in only his first year of the NTT IndyCar Series,” Hollinger said. “By pairing him with an accomplished teammate will serve to advance his performance even further. Our goal is straightforward, to be at the point of the arrow. Clearly, Ricardo has demonstrated his ability to assemble a winning team. This past weekend Juncos Hollinger Racing won the Indy Pro 2000 team championship for the sixth time, and the team has also won in the Indy Lights Series in the past as well. Our 2023 game plan is a great step forward towards our ultimate goal of winning NTT IndyCar Series teams’ and drivers’ title.”