Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) will return to Indy Lights in 2023 with two full-time cars, team officials announced Sept. 29.

After 14 years, the Road to Indy championship-winning team will end its highly successful Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires Championship team to focus on the development of the Indy Lights program.

“We are very excited to return to Indy Lights full time with two cars,” said Ricardo Juncos, JHR co-owner and team principal. “We have had great success in the past within the Indy Lights series but made the decision last year to focus on the expansion of our first full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES program during 2022, with the plan to rejoin the Indy Lights in 2023.

“Instead of running in three series and stretching our resources and personnel this year, we knew that we had to take the time to build the basis of our NTT INDYCAR SERIES before returning to the Indy Lights.”

JHR has competed in the Road To Indy ladder system since 2009, beginning its run in Indy Pro 2000 and then expanding to Indy Lights in 2015. The team won five Indy Pro 2000 driver championships and six team championships, recording 61 wins, 65 poles and 194 podiums during its 14-year run.

Spencer Pigot won the drivers’ championship for JHR in its first season of Indy Lights competition in 2015, and Kyle Kaiser also captured the drivers’ title for the team in 2017. JHR earned 18 wins, 18 poles and 51 podiums between 2015 and 2021.

“The roots and foundation of JHR come from where we started in Indy Pro 2000 14 years ago,” Juncos said. “When we first began, we did not have many of the resources that other teams had, but our passion and work ethic allowed us to create a philosophy to be successful. In just a short time we started to win races and became a multi-championship-winning team.

“Our driver development program expanded into developing young engineers and mechanics, in which we have promoted many team personal within over the past decade. I am proud of all we were able to accomplish with our Indy Pro 2000 team and will continue with those values and ethics as we focus on our Indy Lights program. I want to thank Dan Andersen and everyone and Andersen Promotions, Cooper Tires and all those who have supported us since our journey began.”

Drivers who have gone on to compete at a higher level after their tenure at JHR include 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers Tatiana Calderon, Conor Daly, Dalton Kellett and Rinus VeeKay. Other drivers who raced for JHR in Indy Lights besides Pigot and Kaiser include Peter Dempsey, Connor De Phillippi, Victor Franzoni, Rasmus Lindh and Sting Ray Robb.