INDIANAPOLIS — Juncos Hollinger Racing has added Agustín Canapino to their driver lineup for the upcoming NTT IndyCar Series season.
The 32-year-old will drive the team’s No. 78 Chevrolet alongside Callum Ilott. Canapino will be the first driver from Argentina to contest a full season in America’s premier open-wheel series since Juan Manuel Fangio II drove in the series 25 years ago.
Canapino is one of Argentina’s most successful drivers, and steps up to IndyCar after claiming 15 national championships in his homeland – winning multiple titles in the Super TC2000, Top Race V6 and Turismo Carretera categories.
Canapino has previous experience as a JHR driver, having raced for the Indianapolis-based team in 2019 when he formed part of its Cadillac DPi entry at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Canapino got his first taste of the current generation IndyCar when he successfully completed a private test with JHR at Sebring International Raceway in October.
“For me, this is a great opportunity, so I am very grateful to Ricardo Juncos, Brad Hollinger, and all the sponsors that are making this possible,” Canapino said. “I’m going to do my best in every moment to get the best possible results.
“I’m going in with my mindset on learning and going step-by-step, but I’m also focused on evolving throughout the season. The goal is to finish the races, get to know the car, and the circuits – especially the ovals.”
Ricardo Juncos, JHR founder and Team Principal is excited to expand JHR into a two-car IndyCar Series entry in 2023.
“To be able to communicate this news today is incredible for me and my team,” Juncos said. “It has been more than 20 years since I came to North American motorsports. It has been a long road of uninterrupted hard work in which I have been fulfilling different dreams, and to see this particular one becoming a reality is truly incredible.
“After a complete analysis of each of the driver options we had to drive our No. 78 car, we have made the decision that Agustín Canapino is the right choice. Both Brad [Hollinger] and I have full confidence in his ability.”