JHR hoping for repeat of INDY road course form in Alabama

Callum Ilott and Agustín Canapino will take on the first road course of their 2023 NTT INDYCAR season this weekend as the series moves to Barber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.

With 17 turns, 80 feet of elevation and a race distance of 90 laps to cover, the permanent circuit will provide a stern test for both Juncos Hollinger Racing drivers who will carry additional Racing for Children’s branding on their cars this weekend. But it also provides an opportunity to bounce back from a challenging weekend on the streets of Long Beach last time out.

Callum heads into this weekend’s event buoyed by his strong performance at Barber in 2022. The Briton qualified in P11 and showed impressive pace before a spin dropped him down the order. For rookie team-mate Agustín, the 2.3-mile track represents yet another new challenge that he’ll hope to overcome with his trademark confidence.

Both men will be keen to get back on the point-scoring trail this weekend as they look to establish some valuable momentum in the run up to next month’s Indy 500. Callum currently sits P10 in the points after three races, while Agustín is P18.

The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix weekend will also host round two of the INDY NXT series for JHR’s junior drivers Reece Gold and Matteo Nannini. Both men have been out of the cockpit since the beginning of March when they took part in the season-opener at St. Petersburg. Matteo finished P8 and Reece P15 in Florida.

Callum Ilott said:

“Barber was the first weekend for us last year where it started to really click, and we really started to show our pace. It’ll be nice to go into the weekend with a baseline which we know works and I’m confident that we can do a great job there. It’s one of my favourite tracks on the calendar, and after Long Beach it will be great to restart and do a great job. It’s a cool place, a cool environment and a cool track.”

Agustín Canapino said:

“We go to our first road course of the year this weekend and I am really excited about that because I did a test on that type of circuit a month ago. I’m expecting Alabama will test my physical conditioning in a different way, but I will do my best as always to finish the race, keep learning and improving, and try to recover our bad weekend in Long Beach.”

Ricardo Juncos said:

“I’m hoping Barber is going to be positive for us, because last year was when we started making a difference in comparison with the first three races, and the whole team started to click. We were looking strong, and we were fast. That was the first weekend we felt good and through the last year we have improved a lot as well, so I’m looking forward to seeing if we can replicate or beat that performance this weekend.

“At Long Beach we made some mistakes in communication, more than anything, and we’re going to try to fix some of those things as we go. We’re going to be challenged in Barber because it’s a difficult track and very demanding for both drivers. But we’re all determined to do our best performance and continue developing as a team.”

Matteo Nannini said:

“Barber is the second race of the season and another new challenge for me. I’m determined to push my limits and have a successful weekend. Barber is a difficult track to master, with lots of fast corners and high elevations. It will be important to maximize our practice sessions and be ready for qualifying.”

Reece Gold said:

“I am looking forward to getting back on track at Barber Motorsports Park. After a disappointing first race, I’m eager to show what we are capable of. I have won at Barber in the past and love driving there. Thanks to The Ticket Clinic and Juncos Hollinger for making it all possible and supporting me on my journey.”