Juncos Hollinger Racing has announced that it will part ways with Argentinian driver Agustin Canapino, who will leave the team with five races remaining in the 2024 season.
The team released a statement saying, “After a significant rookie and second season in IndyCar, Juncos Hollinger Racing and Agustin Canapino have reached a mutual agreement to part ways.
“We applaud Agustin for taking the plunge into open wheel racing with us over the last year and a half. He has not only adapted to a completely new style of racing but has also embraced living in the US and learning the language to compete in our series.”
“Both Agustin and the team have dedicated themselves to learning, growing, and achieving success during his time at JHR, and we are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
“We express our gratitude to Agustin for his contributions at Juncos Hollinger Racing and will continue to support him as he moves forward in his career. Gracias, Agustin!”
The 34-year-old driver experienced a challenging sophomore season, marked by off-track issues that led to him missing the Road America race in June, citing mental health reasons.
Canapino became embroiled in controversy due to his social media interactions, which included a statement denying that his supporters threatened other drivers, following a collision with Arrow McLaren’s Theo Pourchaire in Detroit.
This led to the dissolution of a strategic partnership between Juncos Hollinger Racing and Arrow McLaren, established in October 2023.
Will Power, Team Penske Chevrolet, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Honda, Agustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, Patricio O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Start
Photo by: Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images
This incident marked the third time a driver reported social media harassment following an interaction with Canapino, with Callum Ilott sharing his experiences from their time as teammates during the 2023 season.
After the collision with Pourchaire, Canapino issued a statement condemning online abuse while returning to competition following a race suspension.
He participated in the subsequent five races but did not finish higher than 18th place, with a first-lap exit due to contact with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon in Toronto serving as his final appearance with the team.
When interviewed by Autosport regarding his season in Toronto, Canapino expressed optimism, stating he felt he was in a “good position to finish the year” alongside teammate Romain Grosjean.
“This year has shown significant improvement for both the team and myself,” he said, highlighting top-10 qualifying results at Iowa and Toronto. “Unfortunately, I experienced some bad luck throughout the season.”
A multi-time champion in Argentine touring car racing, Canapino’s time with Juncos Hollinger Racing ends after 28 races, with his best finish being 12th place.
He also claimed 10th place in the main event of the non-points exhibition at The Thermal Club in March of this year.
No announcement has been made regarding his replacement for the remaining five races of the season.
