Siegel to replace Canapino at JHR for Road America

Nolan Siegel will drive Juncos Hollinger Racing’s No. 78 Chevy in place of Agustin Canapino for this weekend’s IndyCar race at Road America. The one-race change comes in reaction to death threats made by some of Canapino’s fans towards Arrow McLaren’s Theo Pourchaire after Pourchaire hit Canapino’s car during last weekend’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

Citing a backlash of his own, the JHR team says Canapino “will be taking a leave of absence for this weekend’s Xpel Grand Prix. The growth of online abuse and harassment resulting from the events of this week have led to a very difficult experience for Agustin, the team and the entire IndyCar fan base, and the safety of Agustin and the rest of the competitors has to be considered first and foremost. Abuse, hatred, and harassment in any form is a detriment to this sport, and we must prioritize the mental and physical well-being of both our drivers and our competition.”

Team co-owner Brad Hollinger shared his thoughts on the situation.

“Online abuse is unacceptable, and we need to ensure that our drivers are prepared both mentally and physically when they get in the car,” Hollinger said. “We are saddened by the events that led to this scenario.”

This will mark Siegel’s second appearance in a points-paying IndyCar event after contesting the non-championship race at The Thermal Club and the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Arrow McLaren announced yesterday that it had severed a commercial partnership with Juncos Hollinger in response to the incident.