Conor Daly

2.1. Childhood and Family Connections

Conor James Daly was born on December 15, 1991, in Noblesville, Indiana, United States. He is the son of former Formula One, CART, and IMSA driver Derek Daly, who is originally from Ireland. His stepfather is Doug Boles, the president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Due to his father's heritage, Daly holds dual American and Irish nationality. His first cousin, Nicola Daly, is an Ireland women's field hockey international who earned a silver medal at the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup and also works as a data engineer for Juncos Racing. At the age of 14, Daly was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a condition he has openly managed throughout his racing career. Another notable IndyCar driver, Charlie Kimball, also lives with diabetes.

3.1. Karting

Daly began competing in karting at the age of 10. In 2006, he won the World Karting Association Grand Nationals. His transition to car racing began in 2007, and by 2008, he was racing full-time in the Skip Barber National Championship, where he secured the season championship with five wins in 14 races. During this period, he also competed in Formula Ford. On October 10, 2010, Daly finished as runner-up at the RoboPong 200 all-star kart event held at New Castle Motorsports Park, teaming with fellow driver Graham Rahal. They were outpaced only by the team of Jay Howard and Bill McLaughlin Jr., while Will Power, the 2010 IndyCar Series runner-up, and ALMS driver Simon Pagenaud finished fourth.

3.2. Star Mazda Championship

In 2009, Daly competed in the Star Mazda Championship with Andersen Racing, finishing third in the points standings with a victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He returned to the series in 2010, driving for Juncos Hollinger Racing (then Juncos Racing). That year, he dominated the championship, securing the title before the final race at Mosport International Raceway on August 28. He finished in the top four positions in all twelve races, setting a series record with nine pole positions and seven wins.

3.3. Indy Lights

In 2011, Daly participated part-time in the 2011 Indy Lights season with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. His standout performance came with a victory at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He made a one-off return to Indy Lights in 2013, competing in the Grand Prix of Houston for Team Moore Racing, where he finished third.

3.4. GP3 Series

Alongside his Indy Lights commitments, Daly competed in the 2011 GP3 Series season with Carlin Motorsport. For the 2012 GP3 Series season, he continued in GP3, driving for the Lotus GP team. He achieved his maiden GP3 victory in the second race of the season at Barcelona. During the second race at Monaco, an accident involving Dmitry Suranovich launched Daly's car into a catch fence, resulting in a red flag. In 2013 GP3 Series season, Daly remained with ART Grand Prix, securing one win at the Valencia Street Circuit feature race and ultimately finishing third in the championship standings.

3.5. GP2 Series

Daly advanced to the GP2 Series (now the FIA Formula 2 Championship) in 2013, competing in the season-opener at Sepang International Circuit with Hilmer Motorsport. He finished seventh in the sprint race, earning two championship points. In 2014 GP2 Series season, Daly contested 18 of the 22 rounds with Venezuela GP Lazarus. His best result was a seventh-place finish in the sprint race at the Hungaroring.

4.1. Part-time Appearances (2013-2015)

Daly made his IndyCar Series debut in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 with A. J. Foyt Enterprises, finishing 22nd. In 2015, he stepped in for Rocky Moran Jr. at the Grand Prix of Long Beach with Dale Coyne Racing. He returned to the Indianapolis 500 that year with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, driving the Smithfield Foods "Fueled by Bacon" special, but was forced to retire before the green flag due to a mechanical failure. Following an injury to James Hinchcliffe during practice for the Indy 500, Daly substituted for him in three rounds, achieving his first career top-ten finish (sixth place) in the second race at Detroit.

4.2. Full-time with Coyne and Foyt (2016-2017)

In 2016, Daly secured a full-time drive for the 2016 IndyCar Series season with Dale Coyne Racing. During this year, he led 56 laps across five different races and achieved his first career IndyCar podium with a second-place finish in the first race at Detroit. For the 2017 IndyCar Series season, Daly moved to A. J. Foyt Enterprises to race the number 4 car on a full-time basis.

4.3. Return to Part-time (2018-2019)

Daly lost his full-time seat with Foyt for the 2018 season but was signed by Dale Coyne Racing for the 2018 Indianapolis 500. His No. 17 car, fielded in conjunction with Thom Burns Racing, was notably sponsored by the United States Air Force. In 2019 IndyCar Series, Andretti Autosport signed Daly for the 2019 Indianapolis 500, where he achieved a strong tenth-place finish. He later replaced Max Chilton at Carlin for the Texas Motor Speedway race, finishing 11th, and continued to replace Chilton in the remaining oval races, securing a sixth-place finish at Gateway. On August 29, 2019, it was announced that Daly would replace Marcus Ericsson for the Portland round, as Ericsson was on reserve driver duty for Alfa Romeo in Formula One at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix. Daly also returned to Andretti Autosport for the season finale.

4.4. Split Schedule with Carpenter and Carlin (2020-2021)

On December 9, 2019, it was revealed that Daly would contest the 12 road and street circuit races in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing entry for the 2020 IndyCar Series season. He was also contracted to compete in the 2020 Indianapolis 500 in an additional Ed Carpenter Racing entry. This arrangement meant Daly would drive for Ed Carpenter Racing on road and street courses, and for Carlin Motorsport on oval tracks. On March 10, 2020, Carlin announced they had signed Daly to compete in the remaining oval races in their No. 59 entry, effectively giving Daly full-time status for the 2020 season through a split-schedule arrangement.

Daly finished sixth at the 2020 season opener at Texas Motor Speedway. He earned his first IndyCar Series pole position at the first race of a doubleheader at Iowa Speedway, marking Carlin's first pole as an IndyCar team. During the 2021 Indianapolis 500, Daly and teammate Rinus VeeKay demonstrated strong performance, leading 72 of the first 102 laps. Despite leading the most laps of any driver in the race (40), damage to Daly's nose cone from an accident involving Graham Rahal on lap 119 hindered his ability to challenge for the lead, and he ultimately finished 13th.

4.5. Full-time with Carpenter (2022-2023)

In 2022, Daly competed full-time in the No. 20 car for Ed Carpenter Racing. His best result that year was a fifth-place finish at the IMS Grand Prix on May 14, and he concluded the season 17th in points. In June 2023, following a 15th-place finish at the Detroit round, Ed Carpenter Racing and Daly mutually decided to part ways. His replacement, Ryan Hunter-Reay, was announced the following day.

4.6. Post-Carpenter and Juncos Hollinger (2024-Present)

For the 2024 Indianapolis 500, Conor Daly raced the No. 24 entry for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in collaboration with Cusick Motorsports. Starting from 29th position, he utilized an alternate pit strategy to climb to a tenth-place finish, leading 22 of the 200 laps and earning the distinction of being the race's biggest mover.

Later in 2024, Daly substituted for Jack Harvey in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing entry at the second Iowa race. On August 14, he was announced as Agustin Canapino's replacement at Juncos Hollinger Racing for the remainder of the season. On August 31, Daly achieved his second career IndyCar podium finish, placing third at the first Milwaukee Mile race, which also marked the first podium for Juncos Hollinger Racing. On December 18, 2024, Juncos Hollinger Racing confirmed that Conor Daly would compete full-time for the team in the 2025 IndyCar Series, piloting the number 78 car he drove at the end of the 2024 season.

5.1. Formula One Testing

In May 2012, Conor Daly had the opportunity to serve as a test driver for the Force India Formula One team. He performed a straight-line aerodynamic test at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, England. This experience provided him with valuable insight into the pinnacle of motorsport.

5.2. MRF Challenge

Daly competed in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship in India during the 2012-13 season. He performed exceptionally well, claiming four victories and two additional podium finishes, ultimately winning the championship title.

5.3. NASCAR

On May 11, 2018, Daly announced his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, scheduled for August at Road America. He drove the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing, with sponsorship from Eli Lilly and Company. The sponsorship aimed to highlight both Daly and his teammate, Ryan Reed, who are both Type 1 diabetics. However, before the race, Eli Lilly withdrew its sponsorship after it was discovered that Daly's father, Derek Daly, had used a racial slur during an interview in the 1980s. This incident sparked significant controversy and discussions about accountability and legacy within motorsports.

In 2020, Daly joined Niece Motorsports to make his Truck Series debut, competing in the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the team's No. 42 truck. He had a $1 bet with Niece teammate and iRacing rival Travis Pastrana on the race outcome, which Daly won by finishing 18th. Daly returned to Niece Motorsports for the Las Vegas race in 2021, driving the No. 44 truck.

In September 2022, Daly announced his NASCAR Cup Series debut for The Money Team Racing at the fall Charlotte race. On December 5, 2022, The Money Team Racing co-owner Willy Auchmoody indicated that Daly would return to the team for a part-time Cup Series schedule in 2023, driving the No. 50 car. Daly successfully qualified for the 2023 Daytona 500 by finishing 17th in Duel 2 of the qualifying races, despite facing handling issues. This achievement made him the 62nd driver to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. He finished 29th out of 40 cars in the Daytona 500, completing 206 of the 212 laps. In 2023, he also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Alpha Prime Racing and Emerling-Gase Motorsports, and in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Niece Motorsports. In 2024, Daly continued his NASCAR efforts, participating in the Xfinity Series with Sam Hunt Racing, the Craftsman Truck Series with Niece Motorsports, and made an appearance in the ARCA Menards Series with Rette Jones Racing, achieving an eighth-place finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

5.4. IMSA SportsCar Championship

Daly has also competed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. In 2014, he participated in the PC class with RSR Racing. In 2015, he drove for Performance Tech Motorsports in the PC class, securing three podium finishes. He later returned to the series in 2017 with Starworks Motorsport in the PC class.

5.5. Nitrocross

In the 2023-24 season, Daly became involved in the Nitrocross Championship, competing in the Group E category for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He finished the season 13th in the points standings.

7.1. Career Summary

7.2. American Open-wheel Racing Results

7.3. Complete GP3 Series Results

7.4. Complete GP2 Series Results

7.5. Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship Results

7.6. NASCAR

7.7. ARCA Menards Series

7.8. Nitrocross