Indy NXT: Matthew Brabham joins Juncos Hollinger Racing for Iowa

The iconic Brabham name will make a sensational return to the open-wheel racing paddock this weekend as Matthew Brabham joins Juncos Hollinger Racing for the eighth round of the INDY NXT Series at Iowa Speedway.

The 29-year-old was a front-runner in the race for the Indy Lights title in 2022, winning two races and finishing on the podium seven times. His return to the official INDYCAR feeder series will be for one race only, and he replaces Matteo Nannini in JHR’s #75 machine.

The Australian-American, who is the son of long-time IndyCar racer Geoff, and the grandson of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jack, is looking forward to returning to open-wheel racing action after successfully turning his hand to endurance road racing in the US. He currently occupies P2 in the Trans Am Series points standings.

“I’m really grateful and excited to represent Juncos Hollinger Racing this weekend in Iowa,” he said. “Thank you to Ricardo [Juncos] and Brad [Hollinger] for the opportunity.

“It’s going to be challenging, having missed the INDY NXT testing and races this year. However, my confidence is high as I was definitely the guy to beat on all the ovals last year.

“There are a few tricks to Iowa that I hope I can capitalize on again. The new Firestone tires will change things up a little and there are a lot of unknowns, but we will do our best to make sure we have a great run at Iowa. It’s a great feeling to be back!”

Team Principal, Ricardo Juncos, is delighted to welcome an experienced driver like Matthew to the JHR ranks and he believes the Indy Lights race winner will give the whole team a boost as it races towards becoming a front-running outfit.

He said: “We came back to INDY NXT with the purpose of making our INDYCAR fortunes even better as the two series are intrinsically linked. But there are such limited testing opportunities in INDY NXT with the Firestone tires, so it’s crucial for us to be at every single race and to be as strong as possible in our first year back. We want to keep developing our whole racing program to be a top
team in 2024.

“Combining the technology and the simulation technology we have in our INDYCAR team with our INDY NXT program is really important and to have Matthew with us this weekend is an amazing opportunity. He will be a massive support to what we’re trying to achieve.

“We’ve known each other for more than 12 years, but we’ve never been able to race together until now. For me, it’s an honor to have him in the team. I’m good friends with his father Geoff and got to meet Sir Jack when Matthew was racing in PRO MAZDA.

“This is a one-off race in Iowa but I think Matthew’s presence gives us a mega opportunity for our development as we look to be the team we want to be next season.”