Siegel entered car #78 immediately after getting out of his NXT vehicle on Friday. Juncos Hollinger Racing made an announcement just before the start of the first practice session that Nolan Siegel would be driving car #78 in the IndyCar race this weekend at Road America.
Siegel is replacing Agustin Canapino, who was involved in an unfortunate situation last week related to threats made by his fans towards Theo Pourchaire. The handling of this situation has been a major focus in recent days, including Canapino’s liking of social media posts that seemed to encourage the threats and his own post downplaying the idea of his fans threatening other drivers.
Arrow McLaren expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation and ended their business relationship with JHR a few days ago. With Canapino being removed from the car just an hour before the start of practice, the consequences are becoming increasingly serious.
The JHR statement read: «Nolan Siegel will be driving car #78 in place of Agustin Canapino, who will be taking a break for this weekend’s Xpel Grand Prix. The online abuse and harassment that arose from the events of this week have created a very challenging situation for Agustin, the team, and the entire IndyCar fan base. The safety of Agustin and the other competitors must be the top priority. Any form of abuse, hate, and harassment is detrimental to this sport, and we must prioritize the mental and physical well-being of our drivers and competitors. Juncos Hollinger Racing is working closely with IndyCar to promote a more inclusive community for our fans, drivers, and team members, aiming to make IndyCar a welcoming sport for all.»
Brad Hollinger, co-propietario de JHR, también emitió una declaración afirmando: «El abuso en línea es inaceptable, y debemos asegurarnos de que nuestros pilotos estén mental y físicamente preparados cuando estén detrás del volante. Estamos entristecidos por los eventos que llevaron a esta situación».
No hubo declaraciones de Brad Hollinger o Ricardo Juncos la semana pasada, siendo esta última la primera cita atribuida a ellos. Canapino está presente en la pista este fin de semana y fue visto filmando videos promocionales y firmando autógrafos en el área de paddock el viernes. Aparentemente, él planeaba correr hasta la tarde del viernes.
Siegel comenzó su fin de semana participando en el entrenamiento libre de IndyNXT y corrió hacia el garaje de JHR tan pronto como terminó con su otro vehículo. No está claro en este momento si Siegel competirá tanto en la carrera de IndyNXT como en la de IndyCar este domingo, aunque se cree que participará en ambas.
