A chance meeting between Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger and a pair of VIP passes led to the circumstances that brought the two together as co-owners of an NTT IndyCar Series team.
Hollinger was on pit lane prior to the 2017 Indianapolis 500 with passes allowing only limited access. Juncos produced two suite passes so Hollinger and his friend could go to Juncos’ VIP suite, which were dutifully used. A connection was made.
Two years later, Juncos and his team conquered the world at Indianapolis by bumping Fernando Alonso and McLaren from that year’s Indianapolis 500. Juncos parlayed that experience into negotiations with a major sponsor for the 2020 IndyCar season.
While the IndyCar teams was in St. Petersburg, Fla., ready to kick off the 2020 season, however, the world came to a screeching halt. Between the pandemic and losing a six-figure dollar amount with its IMSA program, the organization’s target had shifted from racing in IndyCar to simply surviving.
Juncos had to lay off nearly all of his employees.
“We went from 45 people in 2019 to only five,” he recalled. “My two brothers, myself, a truck driver and a data guy.”
With that skeleton crew, Juncos had to assume old roles in preparing and engineering the cars Sting Ray Robb and Artem Petrov raced in what was then known as the Indy Pro 2000 championship. The pair won nine races en route to Robb earning the title and the organization claiming the team championship.
“That was good in a sense that I needed to prove myself on where I was on the technical areas and on development,” Juncos said. “Because we were racing against good drivers and good engineers as well and all that. And for us to dominate the way we did, it’s like, wow. Like that was good personally for me to experience that.”
Robb rejoined the team for Indy Lights in 2021 alongside a car that was shared by Toby Sowery and Rasmus Lindh. All the while, Juncos was looking at how to get back into Indy car racing after running the 500 in 2017, a partial season in ’18 and two races in ’19.
At the same time, Hollinger was looking to get into Indy car racing after selling his ownership stake in the Williams F-1 team.
“We agree with a lot of common philosophies and ideas,” Juncos said. “And then (Hollinger) said, ‘Well, let’s partner and let’s try to make it happen.’ So that’s where we are now.”
Returning to IndyCar required personnel, equipment and a driver looking for an opportunity to shine. Juncos had the personnel and equipment to compete in the final three Indy car races of 2021 and full time in 2022 with one car, but knew he needed a more solid foundation upon which to build a multi-car program for the future.
Juncos found more personnel and equipment in Trevor Carlin’s team. Carlin’s IndyCar effort did not provide the results the eponymous team owner was looking for and their team manager, Colin Hale, was available after the 2021 season.
In late 2021, Hale and Juncos had conversations that led to Hale arranging a call between Juncos and Carlin.
Juncos explained what he could offer Carlin’s people, so they could continue working in the U.S. after coming over from their U.K. base.
“We decided to purchase all the assets and all the equipment (Carlin) has and cars and stuff,” Juncos said. “And with that package, all the people get the chance and opportunity to continue in the United States with a different team name. So far, it’s been great and I think everybody from Carlin likes it.”
That purchase boosted Juncos’ personnel and equipment roster to make the foundation rock solid for what became a two-car team this season.
The last piece Juncos needed was a driver. That search centered on 2020 Formula 2 championship runner-up Callum Ilott, a relative unknown to those in American racing circles. The pairing of Juncos and Ilott was a match made in heaven. Ilott was under no illusions that the team was starting its IndyCar journey all over again.
There were glitches and growing pains as the team found its footing. Pit stops, strategy and mechanical processes needed refinement as the team began to set the building blocks in place to compete in IndyCar again.
Ilott’s patience paid off as the team punched above its weight through much of 2022. Ilott advanced to the second round of qualifying six times, culminating in a front-row starting position in the final race of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.