rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
The NTT IndyCar Series’ annual Content Day was last week, where drivers walked around in their firesuits and spoke with various media outlets to help kickstart the season.
While it may sound tiring, Juncos Hollinger Racing’s most recent full-time hire, Conor Daly, had a fresh perspective.
“Well, honestly, it’s nice to be back,” Daly began. “I think a lot of drivers are like, ‘Oh, this is tough.’ But you don’t realize how much you miss it until you don’t have an opportunity to do it.
“I think it’s important to appreciate it, and it’s cool to be here. It is a long day, but it’s cool to be here and just chat with everyone.”
This year will be Daly’s first full-time season in the IndyCar Series since 2022 with Ed Carpenter Racing. His ride with ECR came to an end following the first Detroit Grand Prix in 2023.
Since then, he’s competed in a wide variety of series. From the NASCAR Xfinity Series to Nitrocross, Daly’s driven it all — all while keeping his focus on returning to the American open-wheel series again.
He’ll have that opportunity with JHR, who he ironically has a winning track record with dating back to 2010 when he scored USF Pro 2000 title with the team.
Many things have changed in 15 years, however, the team’s key pillars remain as committed as ever.
“Brad (Hollinger) has been super supportive of us as a group, and then Ricardo (Juncos), I mean, Ricardo is like… that guy would die for this team,” Daly said. “That guy loves what he’s doing. He wants this group to be successful as much as possible.
“Bringing in Dave O’Neill, too, Dave O’Neill is very experienced. He’s a great guy. David Brown, as well, who I’ve met, who I believe was my dad’s (Derek Daly) mechanic in Formula 1 in 1982 at Williams, which is crazy. I don’t know if that’s a confirmed fact, but I’m sure that makes them feel experienced.
“But yeah, it’s a good group, and there’s a lot of young guys there, too, that I think are extremely, extremely talented mechanics and chief mechanics. The youth and the energy in that team is really, really strong,” Daly continued.
“It just feels like a great growing environment and a team that obviously, it takes a while to find success in this sport. Like any new team that’s come in, it takes you some time. We’re working our way there, and I’m excited to be a part of the journey.
“We’ve got to get them… let’s try to win the Indy 500 this year together. That would be a great start. Then go from there.”
Daly, who’s not afraid to hop in at a minutes notice for a team when needed, had that opportunity with JHR last year after Augustin Canapino was relieved of driving duties.
Daly made the most of his five-race schedule as the Indiana native snagged his first podium finish finish (third) since 2016 at Belle Isle (Detroit, Mich.) at the first Milwaukee Mile race in Wisconsin.
The result earned JHR its first podium finish.
It was that moment that Daly believes earned him a full-time ride.
“I think it’s the only reason why I’m here, honestly,” Daly admitted. “That’s it. It’s a results-based industry. It’s an industry that we showed a lot of other speed in other places, but even the 10th place in Nashville that I thought was one of our best races in a long time, we qualified sixth, finished 10th, that’s not really what matters.
“You’ve got to get trophies. You’ve got to be up front. You’ve got to be doing stuff that makes people take a second look, take a third look even.
“Even still, there was times where, thankfully that I’m there, our engineering group, they’re like, Portland we were pretty fast too but no one will know because we got wrecked and we missed a session,” Daly continued.
“But in the race I think they were actually more impressed than they thought, because everyone thinks I’m just an oval guy. So it was just nice to at least show them that, too, because we’re going at this for the whole thing.
“We want to go at this every weekend and try to get podiums every weekend.”
