Conor Daly is competing in his eighth IndyCar season, and has been as consistent as ever in his quest to break into the top finishing positions.
Daly is currently in his second season with the arrangement that sees him drive the US Air Force Chevy for Ed Carpenter Racing on the road courses and the Indy 500, and with Carlin for the year’s other oval events.
With 13 of the season’s 16 races spent with Ed Carpenter Racing, the small organization has become his home of sorts. And the arrangement is working well for both parties.
The team as a whole has been performing better than seasons past, with his team-mate Rinus VeeKay logging six top 10 finishes, including his maiden win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Daly has yet to produce comparable results, but he did earn his first ever pole last year at Iowa and led 40 laps in this year’s Indy 500 to the roars from his hometown fans.
Always the life of the paddock, and sporting a carefully curated mullet this year, Daly has been pleased with how his season has gone so far and feels he just needs to get a few things to line up for him to break into the top 10.
“There are so many things,” explained Daly at Road America. “If we just get a few things to line up – not all of them, just a few – we can easily be in the top 10.
“I don’t feel like we’re really searching for any golden changes that we need to make the car faster.
“We have been making those changes, and development-wise we’re going the right way for my driving style. Sometimes when you pit and make certain calls, it just doesn’t work out.
“We’ve been fast in the race and fast in qualifying, we just gotta get all those things to line up correctly.”
Daly’s next chance to break into the top 10 is at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, with the Honda Indy 200 taking place on July 4.
