Conor Daly Bio
Conor James Daly (born December 15, 1991) is an American-Irish professional racing driver. He competes in the IndyCar Series driving the No. 76 Chevrolet for Juncos Hollinger Racing. He also competes occasionally in the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series, and has previously raced in the GP2 Series, GP3 Series, ARCA Menards Series, Nitrocross, and the Road to Indy ladder.
A versatile driver who has tested a Formula One car, Daly has built his career on a foundation of junior single-seater success before moving into the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. He is recognized as one of the few modern drivers to have competed in both of those crown-jewel events.
Early Life and Background
Conor James Daly was born on December 15, 1991, in Noblesville, Indiana, in the United States. He holds American and Irish citizenship, a heritage that reflects his family ties to international motorsport.
He is the son of former Formula One, CART, and IMSA driver Derek Daly, which gave him early exposure to professional racing. His stepfather is Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles, further embedding the family in the fabric of American open-wheel racing.
At the age of ten, Daly began competing in karting, and in 2006 he won the World Karting Association Grand Nationals. He progressed to car racing in 2007 and began racing cars full-time in 2008 in the Skip Barber National Championship, winning first place with five wins in fourteen races, as well as competing in Formula Ford. On October 10, 2010, he finished runner-up at the RoboPong 200 all-star kart event at New Castle Motorsports Park with teammate Graham Rahal.
Path to NASCAR
Although Daly built his reputation in open-wheel racing, his path to NASCAR began in 2018 when he announced he would make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Road America. The deal was supported by Eli Lilly and Company, and connected Daly with full-time Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed through their shared experience with Type 1 diabetes.
In 2020, Daly joined Niece Motorsports to make his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the team’s No. 42 truck, finishing eighteenth. He returned to Niece Motorsports in 2021 for the February Las Vegas race, this time in the No. 44. In September 2022, Daly announced on Twitter that he would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut for The Money Team Racing in the fall Charlotte race.
Conor Daly Career
Early Career (2008–2012)
Daly’s junior career began in earnest in 2008 with the Skip Barber National Championship, which he won with five victories. In 2009, he competed in the Star Mazda Championship for Andersen Racing and finished third in points, winning at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He returned to the series in 2010 with Juncos Hollinger Racing, becoming series champion after finishing in the top four in each of twelve races and clinching the title at Mosport International Raceway on August 28, 2010, while setting series records of nine poles and seven wins.
In 2011, Daly competed part-time in the Indy Lights series with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, scoring a win at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also raced in GP3 in 2011 with Carlin Motorsport. For 2012, he continued in GP3 with Lotus GP, taking his maiden GP3 win in the second race at Barcelona. In May 2012, he performed a straight-line aero test for Force India at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, England, providing his only direct taste of Formula One machinery.
IndyCar Breakthrough (2013–2017)
Daly drove in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 for A. J. Foyt Enterprises, finishing twenty-second. In 2015, he subbed in for Rocky Moran Jr. at the Long Beach Grand Prix with Dale Coyne Racing, then returned for the 2015 Indianapolis 500 in the Smithfield Foods “Fueled by Bacon” special run by Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, where a mechanical failure forced him to retire before the green flag. He later replaced the injured James Hinchcliffe for three rounds, finishing sixth at the second Detroit race.
In 2016, Daly raced the full IndyCar season for Dale Coyne Racing, leading 56 laps at five different races and finishing second in the first race at Detroit for his first career IndyCar podium. For the 2017 season, he raced the No. 4 car for A. J. Foyt Enterprises. He lost his ride with Foyt for 2018 but was signed by Coyne for the 2018 Indianapolis 500, where his No. 17 car, fielded with Thom Burns Racing, was sponsored by the United States Air Force. In 2019, Andretti Autosport signed Daly for the Indianapolis 500, where he finished tenth, and he replaced Max Chilton at Carlin for the Texas Motor Speedway race, finishing eleventh, with a best oval result of sixth at Gateway.
Juncos Hollinger Racing Era (2024–Present)
In 2022, Daly ran full-time in the No. 20 for Ed Carpenter Racing, recording a best result of fifth at the IMS Grand Prix on May 14 and finishing seventeenth in points. In 2023, following a fifteenth-place finish at the Detroit round, Ed Carpenter Racing parted ways with Daly, and Ryan Hunter-Reay was announced as his replacement.
After substituting for Jack Harvey in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing entry at the second Iowa race, Daly was announced as Agustin Canapino’s replacement at Juncos Hollinger Racing for the remainder of the 2024 season on August 14. He achieved his second career IndyCar podium, and the first for Juncos Hollinger Racing, at the first Milwaukee Mile race on August 31, finishing third. On December 18, 2024, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced that Daly would compete full-time for the team during the 2025 IndyCar Series, piloting the No. 78 he drove at the end of 2024. It was later announced he would drive the No. 76 car after signing the gas station brand 76 as a sponsor.
Driving Style and Strengths
Daly has shown particular strength on road and street circuits, where his open-wheel background gives him confident race craft. He has earned IndyCar podiums at Detroit and Milwaukee, and his willingness to alternate pit strategy paid off with a top-ten Indianapolis 500 finish in 2024, where he gained nineteen positions. His ability to adapt between single-seaters, sports cars, and stock cars has made him a reliable substitute and fill-in driver across multiple series.
Notable Races and Milestones
Daly became the 62nd driver to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, having made the 2023 Daytona 500 starting lineup with The Money Team Racing in the No. 50 car. He also led the most laps of any driver in the 2021 Indianapolis 500, pacing forty laps, and was the 2010 Star Mazda Championship title holder. In 2024, he was the biggest mover at the Indianapolis 500, climbing from twenty-ninth to tenth.
Conor Daly Career Wins
Conor Daly has accumulated victories across karting, junior open-wheel, and stock car competition. His championship-winning form in the Star Mazda Championship, combined with wins in the GP3 Series, Indy Lights, and the MRF Challenge, established him as a versatile talent before his transition to IndyCar.
IndyCar Series Highlights
Daly scored his first career IndyCar podium with a runner-up finish in the first race at Detroit in 2016, leading 56 laps across five races that season. He added a second career podium, and the first for Juncos Hollinger Racing, with a third-place finish at the first Milwaukee Mile race on August 31, 2024.
Other Wins and Performances
Daly won the 2012–13 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship in India with four wins and two further podiums. In GP3, he won at Barcelona in 2012 and at the Valencia Street Circuit feature race in 2013, placing third in the championship that year. He also took an Indy Lights victory at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2011.
Conor Daly Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Daly is the son of former Formula One, CART, and IMSA driver Derek Daly, and the stepson of Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles. His cousin, Nicola Daly, is an Ireland women’s field hockey international who won a silver medal at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup and works as a data engineer for Juncos Racing.
Personal Life
Daly was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 14. He was sponsored by Lilly Diabetes during the 2016 and 2018 Indianapolis 500s. He appeared on the 30th season of The Amazing Race, teaming with fellow IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi, where they finished in fourth place.
2025 Season Performance
Conor Daly enters the 2025 IndyCar Series as a full-time driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, behind the wheel of the No. 76 Chevrolet, with 76 signed as a sponsor. The move to a full-time seat followed a strong late-2024 run that included a podium at Milwaukee and a top-ten Indianapolis 500 finish.
Daly’s 2025 role gives him the chance to build on a podium finish from 2024 and a string of consistent oval and road course results. Working alongside his Juncos Hollinger Racing engineers, he will look to translate his road and street circuit strength into a full-season challenge and add to his career IndyCar podium tally.
As the season progresses, Daly’s versatility across ovals, road courses, and street circuits will be a key asset, and his prior Cup Series and Xfinity experience should help him manage traffic and long-run pace. The partnership with the 76 brand also brings renewed commercial momentum to the program as the team aims to climb the championship standings.