Juncos Hollinger Racing returned to permanent road course competition in Round 4 of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, racing at the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park circuit.
The race marked the team’s first outing on a traditional road course this season, following a mix of street circuits and oval racing across the opening three rounds. Over the 90-lap contest, Rinus VeeKay recovered well from a mid-race setback to finish 14th, while Sting Ray Robb brought the No. 77 Chevrolet home in 22nd.
Barber Motorsports Park, with its 17 flowing turns and significant elevation change, once again presented a technical challenge for drivers and engineers alike. With overtaking opportunities limited, strategy and tire management played a key role throughout the race.
How the Race Unfolded
Juncos Hollinger Racing lined up with Rinus 16th and Sting Ray 25th.
At the start, the team split strategies, with VeeKay starting on the Firestone primary (black) tires, while Robb opted for the alternate (red) compound.
In the opening laps, VeeKay was involved in a close battle with O’Ward, briefly moving ahead before settling into position as the field found its rhythm.
As the first round of pit stops began to unfold, VeeKay made early progress, climbing to 12th by Lap 16, before moving into the top ten shortly after as strategies began to cycle through the field.
Robb was the first of the two to pit, stopping on Lap 14 to switch to the primary tire, rejoining in 24th position.
As the stint developed, VeeKay cycled as high as sixth before making his first stop on Lap 23, completing a strong opening phase.
Running in traffic, the No.76 car was involved in contact in Turn 5 on Lap 35 after riding the apex curb while making a move on Rossi, resulting in a spin. Both drivers continued, with VeeKay dropping to 19th as a result.
Robb completed his next stop on Lap 40, continuing on the primary tire as the race moved into its second half.
Recovering well from the earlier setback, VeeKay worked his way back through the field, climbing to 10th by Lap 43.
With the primary tire proving to be the preferred choice across the field, strategy converged through the middle phase of the race.
VeeKay made further stops on Laps 48 and 66, completing a three-stop strategy of primary, primary, alternate and primary tires for the run to the finish.
Robb completed his final stop on Lap 65, maintaining his primary tire strategy through the closing stages.
Continuing his recovery in the final stint, VeeKay passed Rosenqvist on Lap 67 for 13th before moving ahead of Grosjean to take 12th, maintaining strong pace through to the closing stages.
At the checkered flag, VeeKay finished 14th, while Robb brought the No. 77 Chevrolet home in 22nd, finishing ahead of Hauger, Schumacher and Foster.
Team Perspective
Rinus VeeKay, No. 76:
“It was a decent race today. We did what we could on strategy to move forward, but with no yellows and the high downforce on a high-speed track, it was really hard to make moves and get close enough to pass.
“Unfortunately, I had a spin around lap 35. I was really trying to get that spot to get into clear air, but just got a little bit too close and lost a few positions there. We had a really good recovery after that.
“Not the result we were looking for, but it comes back to qualifying. That’s where we need to find more pace on the alternates.
“The car felt great in the race and I think we did a great job, so I’m excited for Long Beach and to go for another top ten there.”
Sting Ray Robb, No. 77:
“It was an ‘okay’ day today. In a race that ran all green, it’s just difficult to move forward, with not a lot of opportunity without restarts or yellows.
“We moved up a few spots, but it was tough for everyone. It was a physical race, with everyone running at full pace the whole time, so it really comes down to the pace you have and how you can pass.
“I’m hoping that at Long Beach we can repeat what we did last year, roll off strong and move back up in the points.”
Dave O’Neill, Team Principal, Juncos Hollinger Racing:
“We showed some really encouraging pace today. That has been the case through the weekend but it was particularly strong today as we saw with Rinus working his way back through the field. The car was in a good window and we were able to make progress across each stint, which is a positive step for us on a road course.
“We’ll take a lot from this weekend in terms of what we’ve learned and how the car performed across the race distance.
“This weekend felt like a fitting tribute to George Barber (Jr) and everything he built here. Barber Motorsports Park is a special place for everyone in INDYCAR and as ever, it’s been a pleasure racing here.”
