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Agustin Canapino will return to the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevy at the next NTT IndyCar Series race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and complete the season in the car. The decision come…
Agustin Canapino will return to the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevy at the next NTT IndyCar Series race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and complete the season in the car. The decision comes after the Argentinian was removed from the No. 78 prior to last Friday’s opening practice session at Road America in the wake of recent issues and replaced by rookie driver Nolan Siegel. On the heels of the third social media incident in 14 months in which a small group of Canapino’s fans sent death threats and other hateful messages to IndyCar competitors who clashed with their hero, the 34-year-old maintained an unflinching and largely unsympathetic stance towards the recipients, the latest being Arrow McLaren rookie Theo Pourchaire, who hit and then passed Canapino at the Detroit Grand Prix two weeks ago. Arrow McLaren severed its business relationship with JHR in reaction to Canapino’s dismissive online conduct towards the matter. Canapino used the forced absence to better understand and embrace the cultural differences that exist in the U.S. The greatest progress Canapino made in his time away from racing came through accepting something he’d been steadfast in refusing: In the same way an American racing full-time in Argentina would be expected to adapt their cultural sensibilities to better align with the spirit and sensitivities of their host country, Canapino acknowledged he’d been holding firm to his Argentinian sensibilities in the U.S. Canapino expressed his understanding and growth from the experience, emphasizing the importance of respecting cultural and social differences while condemning abuse and hate on social media. JHR team principal David O’Neill described the process they went through at Road America and the meetings earlier this week to determine how to move ahead.
