JHR drivers hope for more of the same at the PPG 375

Juncos Hollinger Racing drivers Callum Ilott and Agustín Canapino are aiming to build on their impressive start to the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES as they make their final preparations for the second round of the season at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend (April 1-2).

Both drivers shone at the opening race on the streets of St. Pete earlier this month, with Callum scoring the team’s best-ever INDYCAR result with P5, while rookie Agustín kicked off his new open-wheel racing career in solid fashion as he raced to P12.

But the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway will present a totally different challenge this time out. The PPG 375 is the first of five oval races to be held in 2023 and while Callum has some experience on speedways where average lap speeds exceed 220mph, team-mate Agustín will be going into battle on the banked ovals for the very first time.

Callum Ilott, driver of the #77 JHR Dallara-Chevrolet, said:

“I’m excited to head to Texas this week. It was where I made my oval debut in INDYCAR, so I’m looking forward to it. I think this year we’ve stepped things up as a team, and as it was my first time last year, I’m sure I’ve stepped it up a bit as well. It should be a good challenge. I think we have some good speed with Chevy helping us on the straight line with extra power. This will be our first time on an oval with two cars, so I’m exciting to compare and hopefully learn as well. It will be a compact weekend, and that never makes things easy, but I’m hopeful we can perform well.”

Agustín Canapino, driver of the #78 Chevrolet-Dallara, said:

“I am very excited to have my first weekend on an oval and to take this opportunity. I have prepared myself as much as possible – taking part in the rookie test last week and completing 198 laps – and we are looking forward to having a good weekend together with the whole team. My main objective is to finish the race. I’m not too worried about the position I get as my final result. My big challenge is to see the checkered flag and be able to gather experience and continue to learn as an INDYCAR driver.”

JHR Team Principal, Ricardo Juncos, said:

“The first oval race of the season is always a big challenge for the teams because the car set-up and racing requirements are so different. But our results at St. Pete mean we arrive at Texas in good spirits and eager to put on another good show. Callum knows what’s required to be fast on a track like this and Agustín did a very good job when he tested on the track for the first time last week. Being able to work collaboratively across two cars was very useful to both drivers at St. Pete and I’m hopeful we can capitalize on that again this weekend.”

PPG 375 schedule
Saturday: Qualifying – 11.15-12.15 (CT). Final practice – 12.45-14.30 (CT).
Sunday: PPG 375 start – 11.00 (CT).