Robb signing a push for “Stability” for Juncos Hollinger Racing, says staff principal O’Neill

There’s a clear plan for Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) and the latest signing of Sting Ray Robb is simply the beginning. Robb, 23, was introduced final week as a part of JHR’s 2025 driver lineup, which is able to mark his third staff in as a few years within the IndyCar Sequence. He spent this previous season with A.J. Foyt Racing, accumulating his first profession prime 10 at Gateway en path to ending twentieth within the championship standings. A rookie marketing campaign in 2023 happened through Dale Coyne Racing. 

JHR Crew Principal David O’Neill, who joined the staff in Might after starring in earlier roles similar to the previous sporting director and staff supervisor of Haas F1 Crew, informed Motorsport.com that Robb is a key part of the imaginative and prescient for the longer term. 

“The bit for us as an organization, which I want to transfer the corporate ahead, is to have some type of stability inside,” O’Neill stated. “Clearly, so as to do this, he has introduced cash. I suppose there is no secret there, but additionally we have now to make the corporate perform accurately. It may possibly’t simply be funded by one man. We’re making an attempt to make it work correctly. 

“We additionally wish to make it possible for the second driver, which there’s three or 4 that we’re speaking to, is somebody that we are able to put within the automobile on the Indianapolis 500 and stand an opportunity of successful, and likewise carry stability to the staff in street programs, but additionally carry stability to the engineering division. So, have an honest standards there with the 2 totally different drivers that we will introduce to the staff.”

Whereas O’Neill wouldn’t go into specifics on the drivers in consideration for the second seat to associate alongside Robb, it’s believed the candidates are Conor Daly, Romain Grosjean, and Rinus VeeKay. 

Will Energy, Crew Penske Chevrolet, Patricio O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, podium

Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Pictures

Daly was a late version to JHR in 2024, becoming a member of after the staff parted methods with Agustin Canapino and helped vault the entry again into the highest 22 within the standings and incomes $1 million for ending within the Leaders Circle. In the meantime, Grosjean came to visit to the group this previous season and confirmed flashes of brilliance, even vaulting them to a team-best fourth-place end result at Laguna Seca. And VeeKay grew to become one of many extra shocking names to affix the record of free brokers, particularly after having spent his complete IndyCar profession — 5 years — so far with Ed Carpenter Racing. Nonetheless, there may be historical past between the Dutchman and JHR as the 2 united to win the 2018 Indy Professional 2000 title earlier than ending because the championship runner-up in Indy NXT the next season. 

Though filling the second seat is excessive on the precedence record for O’Neill, he delved again into Robb’s outcomes from this previous season and never solely in contrast them to Santino Ferrucci, his former teammate at Foyt, however Canapino as effectively.

“The principle factor is that when you have a look at final yr’s outcomes after which additionally, splitting from the aspect, we do not actually know the way good Ferrucci is,” O’Neill stated. “We have now to imagine that he is excellent from the outcomes, definitely on the ovals. 

“So, assuming they’ve the identical automobile, there may be positively a distinction there. However the bit I might like to return to is that when you have a look at Sting Ray’s outcomes, technically he was faster than Canapino, outcomes clever, over the course of the yr. He had three mechanical failures to my data, which might’ve put him straight within the 22, and he was 5 factors exterior the twenty second place. So, when you’re on the lookout for consistency, the very first thing I suppose you search for is to ensure you have two drivers that may end inside the sub twenty second place.

“He positively did not have the consistency that we can provide him and likewise the data of the engineering division, the consistency inside the pit stops that we can provide him. So, we figured that, sure, there’s a bit of little bit of threat there, but when we are able to put our arm round him and get him snug within the staff, I feel that he can produce first rate outcomes race by race. What first rate outcomes means is making an attempt to get into the highest 10, for positive, however persistently ending inside the prime 15 is the place we’d set our sights on to place the championship collectively.”

Uniquely, this transfer to JHR is a reunion for Robb. He first joined the staff for the 2019 season in Indy Professional 2000, inserting fourth within the total standings earlier than two gained seven races en path to the championship the next yr. He moved as much as Indy NXT with JHR in 2021 and positioned eighth within the standings earlier than switching to Andretti International the subsequent season, the place he gained one race and ending runner-up within the championship. 

Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Racing

Picture by: Artwork Fleischmann

That historical past collectively is a part of what staff co-owner Ricardo Juncos expressed to O’Neill, additional noting how the sturdy outcomes weren’t essentially on the spot however clicked as Robb gained extra expertise.

“Not solely has he gained the championships, however he has taken three years to get there to win the championships,” O’Neill stated. “Now, I am not saying he’ll win the IndyCar championship, however what I can say is that he is there to provide some first rate ends in yr three, which he is going into with our automobile, which I feel is is healthier than higher than the automobile he was driving final yr.”

General, the components that O’Neill needs to determine is having a pair of drivers that carry a degree of funding that may assist increase the ground of JHR, particularly with the opportunity of a brand new automobile being launched to the IndyCar Sequence by 2027. 

Whereas this doubtless means a extra cautious strategy because the staff builds a extra agency infrastructure throughout engineering and different departments, the main focus is extra on the long-term way forward for the group.

“The principle factor is to stabilize the system, perceive why we had been nearly as good as we had been, but additionally have a bit of little bit of a glide path into how we’re going to sort out the brand new automobile,” O’Neill stated.

“We have to take a breath as a staff at that time to provide you with some type of construction. The very first thing we’d look into the construction is placing somebody in place to grasp how we’re going to sort out the brand new undertaking and likewise all of the totally different dimensions the brand new automobile brings to us and disciplines that we have now to study. So yeah, stabilizing but additionally making an attempt to maneuver ahead on the identical time at an honest tempo — not a foolish tempo — but additionally structuring the brand new automobile and facility to have the ability to facilitate that new program.” 

And with that plan, there may be little purpose to maneuver add a 3rd entry unique to the Indy 500 and prolong the staff past its sources. 

“Whereas it might be nice to run three vehicles, I do not assume it is value stretching a staff for that to earn a few hundred thousand {dollars},” O’Neill stated. “It is extra smart to hold on as we’re constructing the staff now. Two or three years down the street, yeah, possibly, possibly it will be value doing. However getting one other 10-12 folks in the home, letting out the secrets and techniques that we have now, I do not assume is well worth the achieve, when you get what I imply. Plus, the factor that put the top to all of it was that GM simply did not have that additional engine for us to take.”

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