Agustin Canapino has developed a massive following in his native Argentina, which grew after his move to IndyCar earlier this year.
The 33-year-old performed admirably in his rookie season alongside Callum Ilott at Juncos Hollinger Racing, finishing 12th on his debut in St. Petersburg.
The Argentinian became the first driver from his country to race at the Indy 500 since 1940.
Despite the series hosting full-time drivers from 12 different countries this year, IndyCar only ventures outside the United States of America once on its 17-race schedule, to Toronto in Canada.
The championship has previously raced in places such as Brazil, Australia Japan, and interest from Argentina has gathered momentum.
Juncos’ full-time entry on the grid and Canapino hitting the ground running in IndyCar have been the driving force behind the push for the series to make the trip to South America.
Canapino would be delighted to race in his home country and said to Pit Debrief: “Oh my God! I can’t imagine that. Honestly, if it’s happening, I am excited about the situation.
“Imagine you can come here with the fans and the people, and I am driving a car trying to do a good job. It would be nice, but it’s still a work in progress. We need more time to know if it is happening or not.”
The IndyCar driver returned to his native Argentina earlier this year for a Turismo Carretera race at the former F1 venue, the Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez in Buenos Aires.
Canapino received a warm reception from his home crowd after his admirable performances on the world stage in IndyCar.
He said: “It’s amazing. Honestly, everybody here is already happy with my situation in IndyCar. Everybody is enjoying it a lot.
“They allowed me to feel that because I didn’t think that in America because I am pretty far from my home. Now when I come back, I can feel this love and this feeling with the fans. I am enjoying the moment here with the fans, my family, and my friends.
“I love it. I love it because it’s my place. It’s the place I love it. I have a lot of friends here. I’m sharing the time with fans.
“It’s really crazy — many, many hours with the fans. Everybody is pleased here.
“I have two more races to go. But I am enjoying this moment a lot. At the same time, I am working hard to prepare for next year.”
Canapino finished 3rd ten days ago and will make two more appearances before focusing on next year.
The Argentinian begins his second season in IndyCar at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 10th, alongside former F1 driver Romain Grosjean, who is switching from Andretti for 2024.
Photo credit: Penske Entertainment | Karl Zemlin
