IndyCar: Juncos Hollinger Racing Abruptly Ends Driver Contract

Saajan Jogia | Aug 8, 2024

May 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indycar Series driver Agustin Canapino during the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) team and its driver Agustin Canapino have ended their association after one and a half years, with immediate effect. The sudden and unexpected news arrives in the backdrop of controversies that surrounded Canapino in recent months.

Although the split is officially characterized as mutual, the true reason behind Canapino's departure remains unclear. With five races remaining in the season, speculation points to ongoing controversies involving Canapino and his fanbase. These issues have previously created problems for other JHR drivers, leading to their departure from the team, and may have significantly influenced this decision.

One of the recent examples was from the Detroit Grand Prix, where Arrow McLaren substitute driver Theo Pourchaire made contact with Canapino. While all seemed fine on the track, Pourchaire received heavy criticism from the JHR driver's fan base, including death threats on social media. Arrow McLaren responded decisively to the incident by terminating its partnership with JHR, which had included prominent McLaren sponsorship on JHR's cars.

A similar incident dates back to 2023, when Callum Ilot made contact with his teammate Canapino at Long Beach and Laguna Seca. Ilott received feedback from Canapino's fans in the form of abuse that the JHR team chose not to address, leading to Ilot leaving the team.

The JHR team published a statement on the termination of the contract, which emphasized that both parties have mutually ended the agreement. As reported by PlanetF1.com, the report states:

“After a momentous rookie and second season in IndyCar, Juncos Hollinger Racing and Agustin Canapino have mutually decided to part ways.

“We commend Agustin for taking the leap into open wheel racing with us over the last year and a half, not only learning a completely new style of racing from his impressive and storied career, but also moving to the US and learning the language to join our series.

“Both Agustin and the team have worked tirelessly to learn, grow, and succeed throughout his time at JHR, and we are extremely proud of what we have achieved together.

“We thank Agustin for his time at Juncos Hollinger Racing and will be cheering him on as he continues his journey. Gracias, Agustin!”

It remains uncertain who will replace Canapino for the final five races of the IndyCar season. However, RACER reported that Conor Daly was spotted testing in Canapino’s car, suggesting that he is likely to take over reserve driving duties for JHR for the remainder of the season.