"Feels like a return home": Rinus Veekay emotional after replacing Conor Daly at Juncos Hollinger Racing 

Juncos Hollinger Racing has officially announced the signing of Rinus Veekay to replace Conor Daly in the 2026 IndyCar season. Reports of the Dutch driver joining the Argentinian-American team had been doing the rounds for a few weeks.

However, it wasn't the first team he was linked to after he rejected a contract offer from Dale Coyne Racing for 2026 in August. Reports claimed that Veekay would replace Team Penske-bound David Malukas at AJ Foyt Racing. However, that fell through after the arrival of a new development - AJ Foyt Racing was interested in signing 2025 Indy NXT runner-up Caio Collet.

On Tuesday, October 14, Juncos Hollinger Racing confirmed the signing of Rinus Veekay.

"I’m excited to officially announce my move to Juncos Hollinger Racing,” Veekay said via RACER. "This is a team with real momentum, high ambitions, and a clear vision for the future. There’s a shared determination to compete at the highest level, and I’m confident that together we can achieve great things."

Rinus Veekay at the NTT INDYCAR Series BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland - Source: Getty

The 25-year-old raced for Juncos Racing in 2018 and 2019, winning the Indy NXT title in the latter year. Recalling that journey and looking forward to the reunion in IndyCar, Rinus Veekay added:

"Signing with Juncos Hollinger Racing also feels like a return home – Juncos Racing gave me my start in the Pro Mazda Championship (now USF Pro 2000) in 2018, and we continued together in Indy Lights (now Indy NXT) in 2019, winning 13 races and a championship title together. I believe this is the right environment for me to continue growing as a driver."

Veekay displaces Conor Daly as the veteran and the lead driver on the team. He will drive alongside Sting Ray Robb, who is under contract with JHR for 2026.

Veekay's signing leaves only two empty seats on the 2026 IndyCar grid - one each at AJ Foyt Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. Caio Collet is expected to occupy the former, and racing veteran Romain Grosjean, the latter.

Juncos Hollinger Racing expects 'quick results' with Rinus Veekay on board

Rinus Veekay sprays celebratory champagne on the podium at the NTT INDYCAR Series Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto - Source: Getty

Juncos Hollinger Racing is a core part of IndyCar's charter system, but it is a relatively new team on the block. Rinus Veekay has one additional year of IndyCar experience over the team itself. JHR has won championships in the junior categories, but has yet to win a race or even secure a pole position in IndyCar.

However, it expects a swift turnaround with Veekay, who is a race winner in the premier American open-wheel racing series, having won at the IMS road course with Ed Carpenter Racing in 2021.

"Reuniting with Rinus feels like a natural continuation of the success we’ve shared in the past," said Team Principal Dave O'Neil. "As Juncos Hollinger Racing enters its fifth full IndyCar season, and with Rinus bringing six seasons of IndyCar experience at just 25 years of age, we believe this reunion will deliver results quickly. He brings the ideal combination of speed, consistency, race craft, and experience that we’re looking for." "Rinus will be a key part of a refreshed driver line-up that reflects our ambitions and long-term vision. We’re working hard to assemble the right mix of talent to elevate our competitiveness, and we’re confident that Rinus will play a central role in that progress," he added.

Juncos Hollinger Racing struggled in the 2025 IndyCar season. Barring Conor Daly's supreme oval performances, it didn't have much to show for its efforts. Contrarily, Rinus Veekay earned a shocking podium with Dale Coyne Racing in Toronto, among other impressive results this year, which increased his 'stock' in the driver market.

The Dutch driver finished in an impressive 14th place in the standings with DCR, a supposed backmarker, while Daly could only manage P18, and Sting Ray Robb finished in a lowly 25th place, out of the Leaders' Circle.

Edited by Yash Kotak