Juncos Hollinger Racing: Argentinian races his way to success in motorsports
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Championship-winning team Juncos Hollinger Racing is set for the Indianapolis 500.
Juncos Hollinger Racing isn’t your typical motorsports team. It’s led by Ricardo Juncos, a former race car driver from Argentina, who raced his way to success in Indiana.
“For us as a team, it’s very exciting to be back in the month of May because we are racing and the last time we did was in 2019, so it’s been three years,” said Ricardo Juncos, the president of Juncos Hollinger Racing.
In 2021, Juncos shared that in 2020 their efforts were derailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
His success comes after humble beginnings on and off the race track. After Argentina’s economy collapsed in 2001, Juncos lost everything, forcing him to chase his dreams in motorsports with only $400 in his pocket. Juncos landed his first job as a mechanic for a karting team in Miami.
Fast forward, Ricardo formed Juncos Racing and has won five Indy Pro 2000 championships as well as two Indy Lights titles.
In 2021, he grew into Juncos Hollinger Racing with business partner Brad Hollinger, hiring former Formula 2 driver Callum Illott. Enaam Ahmed and Reece Gold currently competes in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship with Juncos Hollinger Racing.
In 2022, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship returned with rounds 3 and 4 at Barber Motorsports Park. Gold claimed his first win of the season during Round 3, while Ahmed took home his second podium of the year finishing third in Round 3 of the Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of Alabama.
Juncos said, “United States welcomes you with open arms and that’s the way I feel, but as a Latino we know how much we suffer (and) how much sacrifice we have to make for everything we do back home.”
No matter the challenges, Juncos races on.
“When this country gives you the opportunities, we can make a small difference because in Latin America we have to do that to survive in every aspect not just in motor racing, just in general speaking,” Juncos said. “We get used to fighting for everything that we have to have because otherwise you don’t have it, so we’re constantly fighting, trying, inventing, looking other ways around to get the things done and when you bring that energy into country like that this that everything works much better, I think it’s a big plus.”
The team says they’re also counting on the Latino community to cheer them on.