Strong Washington Charge Cut Short for Juncos Hollinger Racing
Juncos Hollinger Racing’s promising start to the Freedom 250 came to a premature end after both Rinus VeeKay and Sting Ray Robb were caught up in separate incidents during a dramatic afternoon on the streets of Washington, D.C.
VeeKay had been one of the early movers in the 147-lap race. Starting P17 on the alternate tire, the No. 76 Chevrolet quickly began climbing through the field following an opening lap caution, passing Foster for P16 on Lap 5 before getting by Dixon a lap later. He then passed Rosenqvist for P14 on Lap 9.
The second caution of the race, for debris at Turn 3, brought the field back together on Lap 19 and opened the first round of pit stops. VeeKay stayed out and moved to P13 before continuing his charge at the restart, passing Power at Turn 4 three laps later to take P12.
VeeKay pitted on Lap 37 for another set of alternate tires and, as the strategies began to cycle through, moved all the way into P2. He then passed Rahal to briefly lead the inaugural Freedom 250 on Lap 43 before his race started to unravel.
Just one lap later, it was over. Armstrong missed his braking point and hit Rasmussen, sending the No. 21 into the side of VeeKay’s car. The JHR driver had no chance to avoid the contact and the damage brought an impressive drive through the field to a heartbreaking conclusion.
Robb had started P22 on the primary tire in the No. 77 Chevrolet and gained two positions during the opening phase of the race. He made his first stop under caution on Lap 22, switching to the alternates as JHR split the strategies between the two cars.
Robb’s race came to an equally abrupt end on Lap 37 when Malukas crashed directly ahead of him on the racing line. With nowhere to go, Robb made unavoidable contact and was forced to retire.
The double retirement was a frustrating end to a weekend that had shown so much promise for JHR. VeeKay had made a strong start on Friday, becoming the first driver to dip below the one-minute mark around the new 1.7-mile circuit in opening practice, and carried that pace into Sunday as he raced from P17 into contention. The combination of a 17th place starting position in the No. 76 car – 1776 – ultimately proved less auspicious than hoped.
The on-track disappointment came at the end of an unforgettable first visit to Washington for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Staged as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the Freedom 250 brought racing into the heart of the nation’s capital, with the circuit running around Pennsylvania Avenue, the Smithsonian and the National Mall.
Race day delivered an event to match the spectacular setting. Military flyovers and a packed program of entertainment and ceremony formed a pre-race build-up that will stay long in the team’s memory. There were shades of the Indianapolis 500 in its scale, but the Freedom 250 established an identity of its own – a fitting tribute to America 250 and the culmination of a huge amount of work and vision.
Team Perspective
Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Chevrolet:
“We had a really good race going and we were looking strong. We moved forward pretty quickly and the car was good – the pace was there and the strategy was working well. We got up to the lead briefly and then everything started to go wrong.
“The next lap Armstrong hit Rasmussen and he came into me. There was nowhere I could go and that was it. It’s a shame because we’d made a lot of progress and there was a good result there for us. This has been an incredible event and a great job by the team, so it’s a really frustrating way to end the weekend.”
Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Chevrolet:
“Really unfortunate day. We were making progress, made up a couple of spots early and I felt like we were starting to get into our race. Then Malukas crashed right in front of me and I had nowhere to go. I was already there on the racing line.
“Obviously, a really disappointing way to end the race, especially at an event like this. It’s been really cool to be here racing in Washington and, as an American, definitely something pretty special to be part of. Just wish we could have stayed in it and seen what we could do. My thanks to the No. 77 crew – really great work all weekend.”
Dave O’Neill, Team Principal, Juncos Hollinger Racing:
“It’s incredibly disappointing to end such a spectacular event with both cars out of the race, particularly when we had shown good pace and both drivers were moving forward.
“Rinus drove a really strong race. He made up positions from the start and we were in a good place with strategy. Then Armstrong missed his braking point, hit Rasmussen and sent him into Rinus. There was nothing he could do. Sting Ray was equally unlucky. Malukas crashed directly in front of him on the racing line and left him with nowhere to go.
“It’s a very frustrating result, but we take heart from the pace we showed this weekend and the job the team did. We came to another completely new circuit, learned quickly and put ourselves in a position to race competitively. Our thanks to Orion180 and our other partners and guests for all the support.
“And finally, huge credit to everyone involved in the Freedom 250. What has been created here is really very special. The setting, the build-up and the atmosphere have made this a fantastic showcase for INDYCAR and a fitting celebration of America 250. It took a huge amount of work and vision to make this happen, and it’s an event that will go down in INDYCAR history.”