Juncos Hollinger Racing is making headway toward their first ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES podium result after a good performance at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday.
Romain Grosjean finished fourth in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, marking the team’s highest finish in its third full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Callum Ilott set the team’s previous best of fifth last September at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“It was a good race,” Grosjean explained. “I knew we had a quick racecar. It was primarily a physical race. Very difficult. I believe we did an excellent job all weekend. I am very proud of everyone. Fantastic job. “It was near the podium.”
Grosjean, who started seventh, battled with former Andretti Global colleague Alexander Rossi for the final podium slot. Rossi pushed his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet past Grosjean on Lap 71 of 95 to finish third.
“I was coming for Rossi,” Grosjean explained. “We’re friends, so it’s all good.”
Grosjean used the opposite tire strategy as Rossi and wanted to see the race finish green despite its chaotic nature. Instead, three cautions for nine laps during the final 20 circuits of the race denied Grosjean the advantage of using the harder and more durable Firestone Firehawk main tires versus Rossi, who used three laps older Firestone Firehawk alternate tires that wear faster.
“We will keep working,” Grosjean stated. “We keep getting better.”
Grosjean has three top-10 results in eight events in his maiden season with JHR, including two consecutively. On June 9, he finished eighth in the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, having started 14th. Sunday marked his third top-10 finish in four WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca starts for three different teams. His highest finish was third place with Dale Coyne Racing in 2021.
Rossi Gains Momentum with Podium
Rossi finished third in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, his best result in the last 21 races. His last podium finish was in the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2023.
“It was a good day for the organization,” Rossi said after seeing all three Arrow McLaren drivers finish in the top 12. “I believe our pace up front, pushing, was far better than what we could accomplish once it became a fuel race.
“Nonetheless, the crew did an excellent job overall in managing a challenging race with the strategy changing back and forth. With all of the restarts in the end, things got a little wild. Finally, we’ll take a lot of positives from this weekend and build on them heading into Mid-Ohio.
During the first pit sequence, Rossi was second among the top candidates for the race victory. Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske, the only driver in the top ten to start the race on Firestone alternative tires, pitted on lap 22. Rossi came into the pits two laps later.
That move paid off. Rossi’s No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet led after the opening pit sequence. He would stay there for the next ten circuits, stretching his lead to nearly five seconds over second-place Kyle Kirkwood.
On Lap 36, Luca Ghiotto crashed his No. 51 GAV Air Technology Honda for Dale Coyne Racing, resulting in the first caution of the afternoon. Rossi led 12 cars down pit lane on lap 37. Thirteen drivers, including race winner Alex Palou, remained on track.
Rossi did not retake the track position in the lead, but he stayed in contention for the podium, battling in the shadow of second-place finisher Colton Herta for the remainder of the event.
“I think we were able to just start strong this weekend,” added Rossi, who finished seventh in both practice sessions and fifth overall. “Obviously, qualifying was successful for us. We understand how essential qualifying is for achieving a solid result in this tournament. We knew we had a good shot today.
“I’m delighted we were able to manage the race and maintain a strong pace throughout. It was an enjoyable change of pace. Hopefully, it provides us with a solid basis and structure for the remaining road courses this year.”
The following race is on another natural road track for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. The 2025 Civic Hybrid will make its debut on July 7. Rossi has six top-10 results in his previous seven Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course outings, including a win in 2018 with Andretti Global and a 10th place finish last year in his maiden season with Arrow McLaren.
“I think it’s just understanding,” Rossi remarked about moving this finish forward. “You see why we are good. When you’re having a difficult day, it’s tempting to blame yourself. It’s a bit difficult to explain why we’re so good.”
Siegel is the biggest mover in Arrow McLaren’s debut.
Nolan Siegel overcame a spin in Turn 2 on Lap 41 to become the race’s top mover, moving from 23rd to 12th in his debut with the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
“Securing the biggest mover of the race, so overall I think it was a successful day,” Siegel explained. “It wasn’t easy, but everyone persevered and kept going throughout the run. We were able to make up a large number of spots by the end.
“I’m quite satisfied with the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The car was truly the best it had been all weekend, and it was quite quick throughout the day. A lot of this was due to the pit stops that the crew made and the plan that was implemented. I’m grateful to my staff and can’t wait to work with them again in the future.”
Siegel acknowledged Friday that defining a successful debut weekend would be difficult after being named the driver of this car earlier this week. He stated that as long as he knew the crew, the automobile, and how everyone performs, he would be satisfied with his accomplishment.
Overcoming such obstacles to finish in the top half of the 27-car field is a good start.
Rasmussen Continues To Learn.
Christian Rasmussen won his third championship in four years last September at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, claiming the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone title. This follows a 2020 championship in USF 2000 and a 2021 title in Indy Pro 2000.
Last year’s title paved the way for him to join Ed Carpenter Racing as a rookie NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver this season.
“I love racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca,” Rasmussen stated. “I have great memories, the latest being locking up the INDY NXT championship.”
Rasmussen created more memories during Sunday’s 95-lap race. He overcame a practice crash on Saturday to finish 13th the next day.
“We had a pretty good start,” added Rasmussen, who advanced five positions in the first three laps. “We were moving forward with the red (alternate) tires.” I believe what held us back was our use of black (primary) tires. Overall, we turned a chaotic race into a decent finish. I am pleased with that.”
Rasmussen noted his No. 20 Guy Care Chevrolet had enough speed to finish higher, but mistakes in the race sent him farther down the final order.
One mistake was his erroneous pit departure on his final pit stop on Lap 67, which resulted in a drive-through penalty.
His best two finishes came in the last four events. Rasmussen surged from 24th at the start of the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge to 12th, becoming the highest-finishing rookie in the 33-car field. A week later, on the tight Detroit street circuit, Rasmussen qualified 13th, his best ever. Rasmussen raced his way into the top ten at Road America in six laps.
Odds and ends.
Palou became the third NTT P1 Award winner to win five consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Palou has 25 top-three results in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2022, the most of any driver. Josef Newgarden and Will Power, both from Team Penske, are tied for second place with 17.
Palou leads the points standings at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the second time this season. Last year, he had a 74-point lead over Marcus Ericsson after eight races. This year, he leads Power by 23.
Honda has won five races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2019 following a 15-year sabbatical.
Louis Foster dominated the INDY NXT by Firestone competition this weekend. He completed a “grand slam” sweep of all performance categories. He led both practice sessions, won the pole for both races in qualifying, led all 70 laps combined in the two races, and set the fastest lap in each.
Following his weekend sweep, Foster increased his championship lead from 19 to 35 points over Jacob Abel. Andretti Global has won five out of seven races this season.
