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

There’s a clear plan for Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) and the current 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 can mark his third crew in as a few years within the IndyCar Collection. He spent this previous season with A.J. Foyt Racing, accumulating his first profession high 10 at Gateway en path to ending twentieth within the championship standings. A rookie marketing campaign in 2023 happened by way of Dale Coyne Racing. 

JHR Group Principal David O’Neill, who joined the crew in Might after starring in earlier roles corresponding to the previous sporting director and crew supervisor of Haas F1 Group, instructed Motorsport.com that Robb is a key part of the imaginative and prescient for the long run. 

“The bit for us as an organization, which I wish to transfer the corporate ahead, is to have some type of stability inside,” O’Neill mentioned. “Clearly, with a view to do this, he has introduced cash. I assume there is no secret there, but additionally we have now to make the corporate perform appropriately. It will possibly’t simply be funded by one man. We’re attempting to make it work correctly. 

“We additionally wish to guarantee that the second driver, which there’s three or 4 that we’re speaking to, is somebody that we will put within the automotive on the Indianapolis 500 and stand an opportunity of profitable, and in addition convey stability to the crew in street programs, but additionally convey stability to the engineering division. So, have a good standards there with the 2 totally different drivers that we’ll introduce to the crew.”

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, Group Penske Chevrolet, Patricio O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, podium

Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photographs

Daly was a late version to JHR in 2024, becoming a member of after the crew 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 visiting to the group this previous season and confirmed flashes of brilliance, even vaulting them to a team-best fourth-place outcome at Laguna Seca. And VeeKay grew to become one of many extra shocking names to hitch the listing of free brokers, particularly after having spent his whole IndyCar profession — 5 years — up to now with Ed Carpenter Racing. Nonetheless, there’s 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 listing 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 team-mate at Foyt, however Canapino as properly.

“The principle factor is that for those who take a look at final 12 months’s outcomes after which additionally, splitting from the aspect, we do not actually understand how good Ferrucci is,” O’Neill mentioned. “We’ve to imagine that he is superb from the outcomes, definitely on the ovals. 

“So, assuming they’ve the identical automotive, there’s undoubtedly a distinction there. However the bit I would like to return to is that for those who take a look at Sting Ray’s outcomes, technically he was faster than Canapino, results-wise, over the course of the 12 months. He had three mechanical failures to my information, which might’ve put him straight within the 22, and he was 5 factors exterior the Twenty second place. So, for those who’re searching for consistency, the very first thing I assume you search for is to be sure you have two drivers that may end inside the sub-Twenty second place.

“He undoubtedly did not have the consistency that we may give him and in addition the information of the engineering division, the consistency inside the pit stops that we may give him. So, we figured that, sure, there’s somewhat little bit of danger there, but when we will put our arm round him and get him snug within the crew, I feel that he can produce first rate outcomes race by race. What first rate outcomes means is attempting to get into the highest 10, for positive, however persistently ending inside the high 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 crew for the 2019 season in Indy Professional 2000, putting fourth within the general standings earlier than profitable seven races en path to the championship the next 12 months. He moved as much as Indy NXT with JHR in 2021 and positioned eighth within the standings earlier than switching to Andretti World the subsequent season, the place he gained one race and completed runner-up within the championship. 

Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Racing

Photograph by: Artwork Fleischmann

That historical past collectively is a part of what crew 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 mentioned. “Now, I am not saying he’ll win the IndyCar championship, however what I can say is that he is there to supply some first rate leads to 12 months three, which he is going into with our automotive, which I feel is best than higher than the automotive he was driving final 12 months.”

General, the method that O’Neill needs to ascertain is having a pair of drivers that convey a stage of funding that may assist elevate the ground of JHR, particularly with the potential of a brand new automotive being launched to the IndyCar Collection by 2027. 

Whereas this probably means a extra cautious method because the crew builds a extra agency infrastructure throughout engineering and different departments, the main target is extra on the long-term way forward for the group.

“The principle factor is to stabilize the system, perceive why we have been nearly as good as we have been, but additionally have somewhat little bit of a glide path into how we’re going to deal with the brand new automotive,” O’Neill mentioned.

“We have to take a breath as a crew at that time to give you some type of construction. The very first thing we might look into the construction is placing somebody in place to grasp how we’ll deal with the brand new mission and in addition all of the totally different dimensions the brand new automotive brings to us and disciplines that we have now to be taught. So yeah, stabilizing but additionally attempting to maneuver ahead on the similar time at a good tempo — not a foolish tempo — but additionally structuring the brand new automotive and facility to have the ability to facilitate that new program.” 

And with that plan, there’s little purpose to maneuver so as to add a 3rd entry unique to the Indy 500 and prolong the crew past its sources. 

“Whereas it could be nice to run three automobiles, I do not assume it is price stretching a crew for that to earn a few hundred thousand {dollars},” O’Neill mentioned. “It is extra smart to hold on as we’re constructing the crew now. Two or three years down the street, yeah, perhaps, perhaps it will be price doing. However getting one other 10-12 individuals in the home, letting out the secrets and techniques that we have now, I do not assume is well worth the acquire, for those who get what I imply. Plus, the factor that put the tip to all of it was that GM simply did not have that further engine for us to take.”

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