Juncos Hollinger Racing quits Indy NXT 3 weeks before the 2025 season

Juncos Hollinger Racing has announced its exit from the 2025 Indy NXT season, the topmost rung of IndyCar's ladder series. The team's shocking move comes with only three weeks until the season opener on March 2 at St. Petersburg.

The Argentine-American team, co-owned by Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger, announced the move on its website and in official statements on its social media channels. In the online release on juncoshollingerracing.com on Thursday (Feb 13), they identified strategic reasons and resource rearrangement as the cause behind the move.

"Our commitment to excellence in motorsport requires us to make strategic decisions that align with our brand values. While we have made the difficult choice to pause our INDY NXT program, this decision allows us to concentrate our resources where they can be most effective," read their statement.

To avoid any speculations about its IndyCar commitment, JHR's statement included a strong commitment to its efforts in America's top open-wheel racing category.

"While stepping back from INDY NXT series temporarily, the team will continue to evaluate opportunities for future participation in the series. Juncos Hollinger Racing remains committed to its INDYCAR program and will announce future developments as they emerge," it read further.

This announcement leaves Miguel Maria Garcia, the Paraguayan driver JHR signed for the 2025 season in November 2024, without a seat. This development follows a disappointing 2024 Indy NXT season, during which the team couldn't field even one driver for a full season. Both drivers, Lindsay Marie Brewer and Ricardo Escotto, competed in less than half the calendar.

Conor Daly envisioned great success with "underdog" Juncos Hollinger Racing in IndyCar

Conor Duly during the NTT IndyCar Series GMR Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Juncos Hollinger Racing hasn't seen much success in IndyCar since its part-time debut in 2017. They go into 2025 with two new and promising drivers in veteran Conor Daly and youngster Sting Ray Robb.

Daly's signing gives him his first full-time seat after getting axed by Ed Carpenter Racing at the beginning of 2023. The move came after he gave JHR its first IndyCar podium with a strong performance at the Milwaukee Mile.

In August 2024, he assessed the team's chances well, calling them underdogs.

"For sure this team, I think it's looked at as an underdog, but I think there's a lot of great things going on in this race shop and with this group. It's a very exciting opportunity because I think there's a lot of great potential here, for sure," Daly said via Motorsport.

The Indiana native was a product of Juncos Hollinger Racing's junior series efforts. He dominated the 2010 Star Mazda Championship with seven wins in 13 races, eventually earning his way into IndyCar.