Canapino returns to Juncos Hollinger Racing IndyCar drive
Agustin Canapino will return to his IndyCar Series drive with Juncos Hollinger Racing at the next round at Laguna Seca and for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The decision comes after the 34-year-old Argentine driver sat out last weekend’s race at Road America, with mental health cited following a controversial week.
A collision earlier this month in the Detroit Grand Prix between Canapino and Arrow McLaren rookie Theo Pourchaire sparked vile remarks on social media aimed at the 20-year-old Frenchman. The situation escalated further when Canapino ‘liked’ several controversial posts on social media and made a statement rejecting claims that his supporters threatened rivals.
It led to the termination of Arrow McLaren and JHR's strategic alliance last Thursday, which originally formed last October. Additionally, Canapino took a leave of absence and the team leaned on Indy NXT regular Nolan Siegel to substitute at the 4.014-mile, 14-turn road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
In confirming the news, team founder Ricardo Juncos said: “We are a team with shared goals and objectives, and will always focus on prioritizing and supporting what our drivers need. From now on, our focus is on Laguna Seca and the rest of the 2024 season.”
Canapino made the following video statement on X:
In an exclusive interview with Autosport, the co-owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing, Brad Hollinger, explained why Canapino will return for the remainder of the season.
“I think that evolved over the weekend," Hollinger said. "He took a giant step back, did a lot of self-introspective reflection, and had further conversations with David [O’Neill, team principal], Ricardo [Juncos, co-owner], myself.
“It was quite evident that he had cleared his head. He was thinking very clearly and very rationally and not emotionally. That makes a huge difference.
“It's like writing a letter that you shouldn't send until the next day, if at all. There was a dramatic difference in his affect in every way. He said, 'Look, I want to race for this team. I love the team and I can make a significant contribution from now until the end of the season. I fully understand that we are a team, we are a company, and the team and the company has to come first. I want to be part of that team.'
“That was music to my ears and made me feel really comfortable that his head is very much in the right direction.”
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