early Pace for Juncos Hollinger Racing Goes Unrewarded at Phoenix

Juncos Hollinger Racing showed encouraging early pace throughout the weekend at Phoenix Raceway as the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned to the Arizona oval for the first time since 2018.  That promise carried into the opening stages of the Good Ranchers 250, where Rinus VeeKay charged from eighth to fifth in the first few laps before an incident later compromised his race, while teammate Sting Ray Robb fought throughout the 250-lap contest as the team battled a challenging afternoon on the tight tri-oval.

The weekend got off to a positive start as teams spent Friday reacquainting themselves with the circuit following several changes to the layout, including the relocation of the start/finish line. Both drivers enjoyed an encouraging opening practice session, with VeeKay finishing eighth.

The team maintained solid momentum through the remaining practice sessions, with the No. 76 Chevrolet showing particularly strong pace over longer runs, topping the charts over a comparable stint in final practice.

That form continued into qualifying, where VeeKay secured eighth on the grid, while Robb and the No. 77 Goodheart Animal Health Centers Chevrolet qualified 12th after a strong performance early in the session.

With both cars starting inside the first six rows, attention turned to the 250-lap race. At the drop of the green flag, VeeKay made an excellent start, climbing to fifth on the first lap as the field charged through the initial corners of the tri-oval, completing four passes in the opening stages of the race. Robb held position in 12th as the field settled into its early rhythm.

An early caution on Lap 11 brought the field back together before contact on the restart between VeeKay and Palou compromised the No. 76 Chevrolet’s race. The team worked quickly in the pits to repair the car and send VeeKay back out, but the incident left him several laps down for the remainder of the race. Robb continued to battle through the long green-flag runs and multiple pit cycles as the race unfolded.

At the checkered flag, Robb finished 21st, four laps down after four stops, while VeeKay crossed the line 22nd, five laps down following four stops.

Sting Ray Robb, driver of the No. 77 Goodheart Animal Health Centers Chevrolet: “It was a really tough day today. We had our best qualifying result to date but we weren’t able to convert it, which is frustrating. Every stint we struggled quite a bit and we deserved a lot more than this result. We’ll take the positives from the weekend, especially our qualifying performance. A huge thanks to the team for being so consistent with the pit stops. Now we look ahead to Arlington.”

Rinus VeeKay, driver of the No. 76 ARCO Chevrolet: “Not the day we were looking for. We started eighth, had a great starting position, moved up to fifth, but on the restart I had a run on Palou to the outside and we ended up making contact.  It’s really unfortunate because we picked up some damage there, lost four laps and we were on the back foot for the rest of the race.”

He continued: “Even after the contact the car still felt good and I think we could have had a strong run at a top five this weekend, so it’s a tough one to swallow. The good thing is we’re racing again in a few days and I’m excited to get to Arlington for the first race there. A great job by the team to scramble all race and get everything fixed.”

Dave O’Neill, Team Principal of Juncos Hollinger Racing: “It’s frustrating because we had the ingredients for a strong result this weekend. Unfortunately, the contact on the restart put the No.76 on the back foot, but the crew did a great job in the pits changing the suspension and nose to get the car back out there. From that point it was about finishing the race and doing what we could.”

He added: “The No. 77 also showed good pace in the opening stint but struggled as the tires dropped away later in the run. It’s a shame we couldn’t realize the promise we showed during the test here two weeks ago, but the early signs for the season are still encouraging. Our thanks to ARCO for coming on board here.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season continues next weekend with the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. Catch the action live on FOX at 12:30 PM ET!