The 25-year-old finished 14th in the standings with DCR last season, with a second-place finish in Toronto as his best result. He is now joining a team that finished as high as 18th in the championship standings with Conor Daly. However, VeeKay is confident that Juncos Hollinger Racing has more potential than it has shown so far in the IndyCar Series.
“I see a lot of ambition, a lot of good people with incredible track records working at the team, and I think the team is a lot better than what they have been able to show. So I think with me coming into the team, showing what I’ve done at Dale Coyne Racing last year, not only as a driver, but also in really leading the team into making the right decisions, altogether I think we can do really well,” he said in a virtual media roundtable.
Aiming for a “historic” 2026 with the Indy 500 in sight
Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
It is clear that both VeeKay and Juncos can benefit from the partnership. The Dutch driver has proven very consistent on street and road courses, while the organization owned by Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger has excelled on ovals in recent years. Even more, their performance in the 2025 Indy 500 with Daly, compared to VeeKay’s struggles with the DCR package in this year’s Greatest Spectacle in Racing, has him looking forward to 2026.
“I’m very excited, especially for the 500. It was an important factor in my decision—just to really have a good car for the 500. I can also bring some information and knowledge from the last six seasons to help the team,” he said.
“I’m optimistic. I think we can do very well. I can always say we have a shot at winning the 500. You never know what happens because Indy picks its winners, but I’m very motivated. I think we can have a historic season together.”
VeeKay also made his ambition clear beyond the Indianapolis 500: he wants to help build a top team with JHR, and he sees his signing as the first step in that direction.
“I always like to make it hard on everybody when I race. My goal is to make Juncos Hollinger Racing one of the top teams,” he said when Motorsport.com asked about the prospect of challenging the big names in IndyCar.
“Yeah, I think their first step in becoming one is signing me and really getting good results. I’m excited. I think we can do great, and I think they can give me a car that lets me be comfortable driving at the front.”
While it’s clear that turning Juncos Hollinger Racing into a top-tier organization won’t happen overnight, and the team has not disclosed the length of VeeKay’s contract amid expected movement in the driver market next season, the Dutch driver indicated he is thinking long-term.
“That’s one thing (the driver market for 2027), but for me it’s about a number of years where I really want to help this team get where they deserve to be and, yeah, work with them in the future and really hope to get them into one of the top teams.”
2025 with DCR was “probably my best year” in IndyCar
Rinus Veekay, Dale Coyne Racing
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen via Getty Images
Signing with Juncos so early in the off-season marks a clear difference from last time, when VeeKay only got his deal with Dale Coyne Racing in mid-February, just a couple of weeks away from the start of the season. It was a partnership that proved very beneficial for both parties, and VeeKay praised his former team ahead of his new challenge.
“For me it was a great year. Probably my best year in my IndyCar career. Giving me the opportunity, and I think the same the other way around. We needed to help each other. They came off a really rough season and, for me, the position I was in, we really needed each other.”
“I mean, what we’ve done together has been great. It’s been a lot of fun for me. I think I’ve driven the best season I could have, made minimal mistakes, and really mastered the IndyCar race craft. It’s been really good.”
“I think whatever the future holds, definitely the upcoming season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, I will benefit from what I’ve learned at Dale Coyne Racing.”
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