Juncos Hollinger Racing ready for landmark Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.
Juncos Hollinger Racing heads to the heart of Washington, D.C. this weekend for one of the most anticipated events of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, as the series makes its first visit to the nation's capital for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
Staged as part of America's 250th anniversary year celebrations and against the backdrop of some of the country's most recognizable landmarks, the Freedom 250 represents a significant moment for IndyCar and a unique opportunity to showcase the series, its teams and partners to a new audience. For JHR, it also brings another exciting sporting challenge: a second completely new street circuit in as many weeks.
The team arrives in Washington on the back of another strong performance at Markham, where Rinus VeeKay reached the Fast Six for the third time in four races, qualified sixth, went second quickest in warm-up and battled hard through an unpredictable race to finish seventh. Sting Ray Robb climbed from 15th to 11th, securing his best result of the season, while another strong performance in pit lane underlined JHR's execution under pressure.
Those results continued an impressive run for VeeKay and the No. 76 Chevrolet. The Dutchman remains 10th in the championship heading into the final four events of the season, while JHR currently sits as the third-highest GM team in the standings.
Now JHR takes another step into the unknown. Having demonstrated at Markham how quickly the team can learn an unfamiliar venue, the objective is to repeat that swift adaptation on the streets of Washington.
There will be plenty happening off-track too. Over 100 JHR guests will be in Washington for one of the team’s biggest hospitality weekends of the season, while Orion180 takes over the No. 76 Chevrolet with a special Freedom 250 livery, alongside activations from Nuclear Clean Air Energy, RECapture and Thor Dynamics.
Team Perspective
Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Orion180 Chevrolet:
“I’m honored to race in D.C. this weekend. To be an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver in the one year we get to race around the National Mall is incredibly special.
“I’ve actually never been to the nation’s capital so I’m really enjoying everything so far. All the history, the beautiful buildings, and the museums, there’s something unique everywhere. I feel like every corner has a special backdrop.
“Thank you to Orion180 Insurance and all of our partners for helping us celebrate America’s 250th anniversary!”
Dave O'Neill, Team Principal, Juncos Hollinger Racing:
"This is going to be a very special weekend for IndyCar and we're incredibly proud to be part of it. Racing in Washington during America's 250th anniversary year, with some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks around us, gives the series a fantastic opportunity to reach new audiences and showcase the sport.
"Markham showed that we can get on top of a new circuit quickly and be competitive. We have to do the same again this weekend. Nobody has raced here before, so we’ll be learning every time the cars go out and it’s going to be important to make every lap count.
"There's also a huge amount happening away from the track. Orion180 has a special ‘Stars and Stripes’ takeover of the No. 76 this weekend, we have a lot of activation across our partner group and more than 100 guests joining us. It's one of our biggest commercial weekends of the season and an incredible platform for everyone associated with JHR.
"But when the cars roll out for practice, the objective is the same as always. We've been consistently fighting towards the front in recent races and we want to continue that here. It's another new challenge, on one of the biggest stages of the year, and we're ready for it."