Agustin Canapino has ended his partnership with the Juncos Hollinger team and will not compete in the 2024 IndyCar season. The accomplished Argentinian tin-top champion made the switch to IndyCar last year and impressed everyone with a 12th place finish in his debut race, proving that his skills were transferable despite his lack of experience in single-seaters. Throughout the 2024 season, Canapino had a rollercoaster ride and currently sits in 22nd place in the standings, with his best result being a 12th place finish in Detroit. Unfortunately, his season took a turn for the worse when an on-track incident with Theo Pourchaire led to Canapino receiving death threats from Argentinian fans.
This was not the first time such incidents occurred, as Canapino’s former teammate Callum Ilott also faced similar threats in 2023. As a result, Canapino stepped down for the next race at Road America, where he was replaced by Nolan Siegel. However, the team later reaffirmed their support for Canapino. Despite achieving a career-best qualifying position at Toronto, Canapino crashed out of the race, adding to a string of poor results at a crucial time in the pursuit of Leaders’ Circle prize money.
Now, Canapino and Juncos have mutually agreed to part ways. Canapino did not participate in a recent test at Gateway, with Conor Daly taking over the #78 car instead. With four of the final five races of the season being on ovals, Daly would be a strong candidate to fill in. Currently, Canapino’s #78 car is not in the top 22 in the entrant points standings for teams eligible for the Leaders’ Circle, which awards $1 million to the teams. Canapino’s strong performance at Laguna Seca last year helped secure the car a spot in the Leaders’ Circle top 22, but it faces tough competition to secure a spot again in 2024.
Photo from Agustin Canapino Instagram