Juncos Hollinger Racing will field a second full-time entry in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, team officials announced Sept. 7.
Callum Ilott will drive the No. 77 JHR Chevrolet, and the driver of the No. 78 JHR Chevrolet will be announced later.
JHR is the only full-time single-car team in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this season, but Ilott has qualified in the top 12 five times, with a best of seventh at the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Honda Indy Toronto. British driver Ilott’s best finish this season is eighth at the GMR Grand Prix.
“To be able to announce this today and make this a reality is incredible,” said JHR co-owner and team principal Ricardo Juncos. “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.
“We wanted to start this year with one car, to start the protocols and procedures for the team. Our philosophy that we work with is a little bit different than the standards, 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 (Hollinger) and I planned from the beginning, and to do what is the best in terms of development, technical, marketing and everything else.”
Just over one year ago, Ricardo Juncos partnered with Brad Hollinger to form Juncos Hollinger Racing. The two met during the 2017 Indianapolis 500 and formed a friendship over the next few years. Both Juncos and Hollinger saw an opportunity to combine their passion for motorsports, which led to the formation and partnership of Juncos Hollinger Racing.
“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.
“Callum is an exceptional young driver who has exceeded all expectations in only his first year of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. 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 toward our ultimate goal of winning NTT INDYCAR SERIES team and driver’s title.”