Canapino splits with Juncos Hollinger Racing

08/07/2024 01:00 PM

Agustin Canapino's time as an NTT IndyCar Series driver has come to an end.

The seven-time Argentinian touring car champion, who impressed the racing world with his rapid adaptation to a new and daunting form of racing upon joining Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2023, has reached an agreement with the team to vacate the No. 78 Chevy with immediate effect. He is expected to resume his touring car career in Argentina, and his replacement for the final five races of the season has not been named.

The decision comes after a string of poor results for Canapino, which has placed the No. 78 entry in jeopardy of failing to land one of IndyCar's $1 million Leaders Circle contracts. Presently 23rd in an entrants' championship where only the top 22 in the final standings are awarded contracts, Canapino's run from Mid-Ohio through the doubleheader in Iowa to latest race in Toronto delivered results of 22nd, 27th, 25th and 26th in the 27-car fields.

Of note, the No. 78 failed to finish the last three races, which widened its gap to making it inside the top 22 in the entrants' championship. Canapino's last race for JHR also demonstrated the 34-year-old's growth as he qualified a career-best 10th before making contact with Scott Dixon in the race, hitting the wall, and retiring.

“After a momentous rookie and second season in IndyCar, Juncos Hollinger Racing and Agustin Canapino have mutually decided to part ways,” read a statement issued by the team.

“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 U.S. 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!”

In 2023, and while facing the same Leaders Circle concerns, Canapino put in a stirring performance at the last round in Laguna Seca, where his 14th-place finish was enough to ensure the No. 78 secured a $1 million contract. Largely bereft of sponsorship this season, JHR's need to earn another contract for the No. 78 is more pressing than ever. Teammate Romain Grosjean and the sister No. 77 Chevy are safely in the top 22.

With four of the five remaining races held on ovals, IndyCar veteran and oval specialist Conor Daly was drafted in to test in Canapino's place last Thursday at World Wide Technology Raceway and is expected to be atop the team's list of drivers to move the No. 78 into Leaders Circle contention. Free of other racing conflicts, the short ovals at WWTR and the doubleheader at Milwaukee, along with the season finale on the 1.33-mile Nashville Speedway oval, would be a natural fit for Daly's expertise.

The departure of Canapino brings an end to one of IndyCar's most fascinating and occasionally turbulent stories.

A total open-wheel novice, Canapino didn't spend a year learning in Indy NXT, but rather, went straight to IndyCar as part of a plan — a long-held dream — fashioned by Juncos to bring the touring car legend to America. Although the wave of sponsorship from Argentinian sponsors never materialized to the degree that was desired, JHR ran Canapino through a rookie campaign that featured remarkable 12th-place finishes on his debut in St. Petersburg and again at Texas Motor Speedway at his first oval race.

The fairytale start took an ugly turn at the next race when some of Canapino's fans went on the attack against his teammate Callum Ilott, harassing the Briton and his family with menacing direct messages and death threats. A second incident, this time to close his rookie year at Laguna Seca, ultimately broke the relationship between JHR and Ilott who split with the team and was replaced by Grosjean.

A fresh start with the Swiss-born Frenchman gave JHR a clean slate to work from in 2024, and while Canapino's results in his sophomore season were slightly improved, the greater issue was the ongoing lack of sponsorship to fund both cars. Leaving the Indianapolis 500 at the end of May, Grosjean was 16th in the drivers' championship, Canapino was 20th, and the potential for improvement was high.

Unfortunately, rocky times returned at the next race in Detroit, where Arrow McLaren's Theo Pourchaire hit Canapino's car. Pourchaire, who was penalized by IndyCar for the incident, went on to finish 10th to Canapino's 12th, and a repeat of the 2023 online attacks from his fans — this time aimed at the Frenchman — sparked a spiraling situation that would eventually result in Arrow McLaren severing its business relationship with JHR due to Canapino’s poor handling of the situation. JHR also pulled Canapino from the car hours before the start of practice at the next event in Road America.

Having refuted Pourchaire's claims of receiving death threats and stoked some of the boorish behavior while responding to some of the critical social media posts aimed at the Arrow McLaren driver, the team saw a concerning change in Canapino's demeanor at Road America, and did a deal to put Nolan Siegel in the car. Sidelined, Canapino spent the next few days rethinking his approach to what took place with Ilott and Pourchaire, showed contrition to the team and fans of the series, and was allowed to continue for the rest of the season.

Due to the persistent fundraising struggles, Canapino was not expected to return to the No. 78 in 2025. And with the heightened need to improve its point hauls to lock in $1 million from the series for the car next year, the call was made to make the change now, try to address its Leaders Circle issue, and entertain options for who — likely among candidates who bring funding — might drive the car on a full-time basis next year.