Romain Grosjean and the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing workforce produced six visits to the highest 10 this season, double the quantity that JHR earned in another season because it joined the NTT IndyCar Sequence in 2017.
The Swiss-born Frenchman and the No. 77 crew additionally made vital progress in qualifying, the place the Chevy-powered entry began inside the highest 12 eight occasions — at practically half of the occasions — and delivered JHR’s finest end thus far with fourth at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. And it may not be sufficient for him to carry onto his seat.
Regardless of JHR’s uptick in competitiveness, which additionally included Conor Daly’s late-season help within the No. 78 Chevy that secured a $1 million Leaders Circle contract from sequence proprietor Penske Leisure, the Ricardo Juncos- and Brad Hollinger-owned outfit finds itself with two open seats and an overriding want to draw funding by way of paying drivers or any sponsorship it would procure to fill its openings.
For a paid skilled like Grosjean, the workforce’s monetary hardship has left the 38-year-old ready to listen to if JHR will take up his choice or transfer on and signal a brand new lead driver.
“It’s all price range,” Grosjean instructed RACER. “So proper now, I’ve bought nothing lined up. It’s what it’s. I feel final yr was in all probability certainly one of my finest seasons, and I could find yourself not being within the grid subsequent yr, simply because the advertising and marketing has been horrendous for IndyCar, the hybrid has introduced the prices to a stage that’s insufferable for groups, and that’s the best way it’s.
“I feel we constructed one thing good that I want to keep on, and so they want to keep on as effectively. However we’d like sponsors, so we’re actively looking for cash for the automotive, after which as soon as the automotive is funded, we are able to go racing.”
Drawing from the relationships he’s constructed all through his profession, Grosjean has been energetic over the primary two months of the low season in attempting to hyperlink enterprise contacts to JHR.
“I’m actively attempting laborious to search out companions for the for the workforce,” he stated. “I consider it as type of my obligation to try this and assist them. That’s the place we’re.”
Grosjean entered the world of IndyCar in 2021 with Dale Coyne Racing earlier than shifting onto Andretti International from 2022-2023 after which JHR in 2024. By coincidence, Coyne and JHR are the one groups with seats obtainable, and because of this, the strains of communication have been busy together with his former workforce proprietor concerning a possible reunion.
“I’ve by no means stopped speaking with Dale,” Grosjean stated. “I actually love him as an individual. I all the time be in contact, and I’m not a genius, however I feel there’s solely two groups left on the grid to have discourse.
“There’s quite a lot of work to be accomplished there at Dale’s workforce – the final two seasons have been a bit tough. But when we can not pull it off with Juncos, that shall be an choice as effectively. Get again at it and construct it from the place we had been earlier than, and hopefully do one thing good.”
