Top-10 Championship Finish Seals Standout Season for Juncos Hollinger Racing

Juncos Hollinger Racing brought its 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign to a close at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca today, with Rinus VeeKay securing P10 in the Drivers’ Championship after a race in which he again showed his ability to move through the field.

Starting P19 on the alternate tires, VeeKay began making progress immediately. After a full-course yellow on the opening lap, he passed Siegel for P17 before picking off Rasmussen on Lap 6 and Dixon on Lap 7, the latter with a move around the outside, to climb to P15.

VeeKay made his first stop on Lap 14, switching to the primary tire and rejoining in P21. He continued to make progress as the strategies unfolded, before returning to the alternates on Lap 33.

By Lap 46, VeeKay was in P14 and he set about attacking again. He passed Rasmussen, Armstrong and Collet on track, and gained further through the pit cycle, moving the No. 76 into the top 10 by Lap 50.

The ampm Chevrolet continued to push forward and ran as high as P7 during the second half of the race. With 20 laps to go, VeeKay was again P7 before making his fourth and final stop on Lap 76 for the alternate tires.

The strategy call was designed to give VeeKay an opportunity to attack during the closing stint, and the No. 76 returned to the track already ahead of Dixon. Contact between VeeKay and Dixon at the Corkscrew on Lap 82 spared both cars damage, and VeeKay crossed the line P16. His pace today was evident as he set the fastest lap of the race.

The result was enough to secure P10 in the Drivers’ Championship by nine points, the strongest campaign in JHR’s INDYCAR history.

Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 ampm Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“10th in the Championship! That was our goal coming into this weekend. It wasn’t our easiest race. We missed the balance a little bit in qualifying and, in the end, it was a track position race and we just couldn’t get too much done there.

“We had a little bit of an issue on the first pit stop where we didn’t get all the fuel in, so we had to adjust the strategy and go to a four-stop. I think we adjusted quite well and didn’t take too much risk.

“Just one of those weekends where we were a little bit behind. Not spectacular, but it was enough to get the job done and get 10th in the Championship.

“Looking back at that, an incredible job by the team, by the No. 76 crew, all the engineers, the mechanics, the guys doing pit stops and everyone who helped get me to 10th in the Championship, get us to 10th in the Championship. I think it’s great and I’m really happy for everybody and really thankful for all the hard work from everyone on the team.”

Sting Ray Robb’s race was compromised on the opening lap after he misjudged his braking at Turn 6 and made contact with Hauger, ending the No. 19’s race and bringing out the first full-course yellow.

Robb pitted under caution for a new front wing and switched from the alternate to the primary tire before later serving a penalty for avoidable contact. From there, the No. 77 OIKOS crew worked throughout the race to improve the balance of the car, making a series of front-wing adjustments during Robb’s five-stop strategy.

After switching back to alternates on Lap 48, Robb returned to the primary tire for his final stint on Lap 71 and ultimately brought the No. 77 home in P23.

The result meant Robb was unable to secure a place in the Leader’s Circle for 2027.

Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 OIKOS Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“Tough last race. I ran into the back of Dennis into Turn 6 when everyone checked up and it just caught me out. We had the stop-and-go penalty, repaired the front wing and just didn’t have a lot of pace to make it up. So, an unfortunate last race of the year.

“I think this has definitely been the cherry on top of what has been a disappointing season for me. I’m super thankful for everyone at JHR. They’ve all worked very hard. All the mechanics, the engineers and everyone else has put in a lot of time and effort to make it a good season, and it’s been a lot of fun. But not the results we needed, not the results we wanted.

“Thank you to OIKOS for being with us for this last race of the year, and hopefully we’ll be seeing everyone around soon.”

VeeKay’s P10 championship finish is the best in JHR’s INDYCAR history, surpassing the previous best of P16. His season highlights included a podium at Milwaukee, three fourth-place finishes and regular appearances at the front across ovals, street circuits and road courses.

The progress extended beyond the Drivers’ Championship, with JHR also fighting in the top 10 of the Firestone Pit Stop Performance standings all season, reflecting the ever-improving execution of the crew across the 18-race campaign.

Milwaukee provided the high point just one week ago, with VeeKay charging from P24 to P3 for his first oval podium and JHR’s second INDYCAR podium. The result returned him to the championship top 10 ahead of the season finale.

Dave O’Neill, Team Principal, Juncos Hollinger Racing:

 “To finish P10 in the Drivers’ Championship is a fantastic achievement for this team and something we can all be incredibly proud of. Our previous best finish was 16th, so that shows how far we’ve come and how much has gone into this season.

“We’ve also fought in the top 10 in the Firestone Pit Stop Performance standings all season, which is another important proof point of the progress we’ve made across the whole team.

“Today, Rinus made great progress from 19th and raced his way up to seventh. The final stint didn’t work out for us and we finished 16th, but setting the fastest lap of the race shows that the pace was there.

“Obviously, there’s disappointment with the No. 77. We wanted to get that car into the Leader’s Circle and we haven’t achieved that.

“Looking at the season as a whole though, there is so much to be proud of. We’ve had a podium, three fourth-place finishes, led races and shown we can fight at the front on every type of circuit. Rinus has had an outstanding season, and congratulations to him. Sting Ray has given everything throughout the year. Our thanks to both drivers and everyone in the team for their commitment and determination.

“I want to thank all of our partners who have supported us, invested in this team and come on this journey with us throughout the year. Our thanks also to Chevrolet for all the support they have given. And, of course, thank you to our fans, whose support means a huge amount to us.

“We’ve moved Juncos Hollinger Racing forward significantly in 2026. There’s plenty more we want to achieve, but for now we can enjoy what we’ve accomplished together this season.”