Riley Beggs, the Mackay-born refueller whose 'straight in, no kissing' helmet became one of the breakout images of the 2025 Bathurst 1000, has moved to America full-time, swapping Matt Stone Racing for Juncos Hollinger Racing in the IndyCar Series. The 110th Indianapolis 500 on May 24 will be his first race weekend in the new role.
Beggs's path into top-tier motorsport is the kind of story Australian categories love to tell. He started in 2021 on a work experience placement at Matt Stone Racing's Townsville workshop, picking up odd jobs before climbing the ranks of the team's pit crew. By the time the 2025 Bathurst 1000 came around, he had become one of the more recognisable refuellers in pitlane, partly because of the bright phrase printed across the visor of his helmet and partly because of the speed of the work itself.
"I've always wanted to go to America to do IndyCar or NASCAR, but I just didn't know who to ask," Beggs told V8 Sleuth in confirming the move. The breakthrough came through a Supercars paddock contact who had previously worked in the IndyCar pit lane and made the introduction to Juncos Hollinger Racing. A trial at the team's Milwaukee mile event in 2025 was enough to convince crew chief Ricardo Juncos to offer Beggs a full-time deal.
The Mackay refueller has been quietly grinding through the off-season. He spent the Australian summer racing Hyundai Excels at Queensland Raceway, with the same 'straight in, no kissing' line painted across the windscreen of his car, before flying out to Indianapolis in late April for Juncos Hollinger's Indy 500 build-up. He worked the team's Long Beach and Barber pit stops in March in a coaching capacity before being formally announced.
"I'm excited for my first full-time event, being the Indy 500," Beggs said.
For Juncos Hollinger, Beggs's signing is part of a wider Australian colour to the team's 2026 season. The squad has long had links to Australian motorsport through team principal Ricardo Juncos's history of running Australian drivers in junior categories, and the team's Indianapolis assault this year is being led by Conor Daly and Romain Grosjean. Beggs is expected to slot into the right-rear position on the pit crew during stops, with the refuelling duties he has trained for in Supercars likely to be re-tooled for the IndyCar fuel rig system.
The move also closes a gap in Matt Stone Racing's Bathurst-winning crew. Team principal Matt Stone confirmed during the 2026 Tasmania Super440 build-up that the squad had supported Beggs's move and would be looking to promote from within rather than replace externally. "He's a great kid, this is a massive opportunity for him, and we're proud he started here," Stone said in early May.
The Indianapolis 500 itself is shaping into one of the more open editions in recent memory, with practice times this week showing four manufacturers inside the top ten and rookies including Mick Schumacher and Pato O'Ward's recent test driver Theo Pourchaire pushing for fast laps. For Beggs, the entry-level milestone is sweetened by the venue: from a Townsville workshop in 2021 to the bricks of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in five years, with a viral helmet picking up the slack in between.
