Conor Daly Bio
Conor James Daly, born on December 15, 1991, in Noblesville, Indiana, is an American-Irish professional racing driver. He competes in the IndyCar Series driving the No. 76 Chevrolet for Juncos Hollinger Racing. Over the course of his career, Daly has also raced occasionally in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, along with stints in the GP2 Series, ARCA Menards Series, Nitrocross, and the Road to Indy ladder.
Across open-wheel and stock car divisions, Daly has built a reputation as a versatile driver who can adapt to many different racing formats. He holds dual American and Irish citizenship and is recognized both for his racing results and for his public advocacy work tied to Type 1 diabetes awareness.
Early Life and Background
Conor James Daly was born on December 15, 1991, in Noblesville, Indiana. He is the son of former Formula One, CART, and IMSA driver Derek Daly, which gave him an early and direct connection to professional motorsport. Daly’s stepfather is Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles, further embedding the family in American racing culture.
At the age of ten, Daly began competing in karting, and in 2006 he won the World Karting Association Grand Nationals. The following year he progressed to car racing and began racing cars full-time in 2008 in the Skip Barber National Championship, where he won first place with five victories in 14 races while also competing in Formula Ford. In 2010, he was the runner-up at the RoboPong 200 all-star kart event at New Castle Motorsports Park alongside teammate Graham Rahal.
Daly was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 14 while preparing for his start at Skip Barber School. Although he did not often speak about his diagnosis publicly early in his career, he later became an advocate and was sponsored by Lilly Diabetes at the 2016 and 2018 Indianapolis 500s.
Path to NASCAR
Daly’s move toward NASCAR began in 2018 when he announced his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Road America, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing with sponsorship from Eli Lilly and Company. The connection was personal: Daly and full-time Roush Xfinity driver Ryan Reed are both Type 1 diabetics, which helped bring the deal together. Plans changed when Lilly withdrew from the race after resurfaced comments from his father Derek.
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 at Las Vegas in 2021 in the No. 44. In September 2022, he announced on Twitter that he would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut for The Money Team Racing at the Charlotte Roval, then confirmed a part-time Cup schedule with the team for 2023.
His biggest NASCAR milestone came in February 2023, when Daly made the Daytona 500 starting lineup after finishing seventeenth in Duel 2 of the Bluegreen Vacations Duels. He finished 29th out of 40 cars and became the 62nd driver to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
Conor Daly Career
Early Career (2009–2012)
In 2009, Daly competed in the Star Mazda Championship for Andersen Racing and finished third in points with a win at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He returned the following year with Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he became series champion after finishing in the top four in each of the 12 races, clinching the title at Mosport International Raceway on August 28, 2010. He set a series record with nine poles and seven wins along the way.
In 2011, Daly competed part-time in Indy Lights with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, scoring a win at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. That same year he joined Carlin Motorsport for the GP3 Series, then switched to Lotus GP for 2012 and took his maiden GP3 win in the second race at Barcelona. He also won the 2012–13 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship in India, claiming four wins and two further podiums.
Indy Lights and GP2/GP3 Breakthrough (2011–2014)
Daly stayed in GP3 for 2013 with ART Grand Prix, capturing one win at the Valencia Street Circuit feature race and placing third in the championship. He also returned to Indy Lights for a one-off appearance at Houston in 2013 with Team Moore Racing, finishing third.
In 2013, Daly made his GP2 Series debut with Hilmer Motorsport at Sepang International Circuit, finishing seventh in the sprint race for two championship points. He returned to GP2 in 2014 with Venezuela GP Lazarus for 18 of 22 rounds, posting a best finish of seventh place in the sprint race at the Hungaroring.
IndyCar Part-Time Rides (2013–2015)
Daly drove in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 for A. J. Foyt Enterprises, finishing 22nd. In 2015, he subbed for Rocky Moran Jr. at the Long Beach Grand Prix with Dale Coyne Racing, then entered the 2015 Indianapolis 500 with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in the Smithfield Foods “Fueled by Bacon” special, retiring before the green flag due to mechanical failure. He later replaced the injured James Hinchcliffe for three rounds, finishing sixth at the second Detroit race.
IndyCar Full-Time and Career Highs (2016–2023)
In 2016, Daly raced the full IndyCar season for Dale Coyne Racing, leading 56 laps across five races and finishing second in the first Detroit race for his first IndyCar podium. In 2017, he moved to the No. 4 at A. J. Foyt Enterprises. After losing that ride, he ran the 2018 Indianapolis 500 with Dale Coyne Racing in a car sponsored by the United States Air Force, and in 2019 he joined Andretti Autosport for the Indianapolis 500, finishing tenth, before also substituting for Max Chilton at Carlin on ovals.
On December 9, 2019, Ed Carpenter Racing signed Daly to contest the twelve road and street circuit races in the No. 20 for the 2020 IndyCar Series season, with Carlin later adding him for the remaining oval races, giving him full-time status. He claimed his first IndyCar pole position at the first race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader, the first pole for Carlin as an IndyCar team. At the 2021 Indianapolis 500, Daly and teammate Rinus VeeKay dominated the first half of the race and led 72 of the first 102 laps; he finished thirteenth while leading forty laps, the most of any driver in the race.
In 2022, Daly ran full-time in the No. 20 for Ed Carpenter Racing, with a best result of fifth at the IMS Grand Prix on May 14, and finished 17th in points. In June 2023, following a 15th-place finish at Detroit, Ed Carpenter Racing parted ways with Daly, and Ryan Hunter-Reay was announced as his replacement the next day.
Juncos Hollinger Racing Era (2024–2025)
Daly ran the No. 24 entry for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports at the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Starting 29th, he finished tenth on an alternate pit strategy, led 22 of 200 laps, and gained 19 positions to become the race’s biggest mover. After substituting for Jack Harvey at Dale Coyne Racing for the second Iowa race, Daly was announced on August 14, 2024, as the replacement for Agustin Canapino at Juncos Hollinger Racing for the rest of the season. He earned his second career IndyCar podium and Juncos Hollinger’s first at the first Milwaukee Mile race on August 31, 2024, finishing third.
On December 18, 2024, Juncos Hollinger Racing confirmed Daly would compete full-time for the team in the 2025 IndyCar Series, originally in the No. 78 he drove at the end of 2024. The car number later changed to No. 76 after the gas station brand 76 signed on as a sponsor.
Driving Style and Strengths
Daly has shown particular strength on road and street circuits, where his open-wheel background translates into consistent lap times and smart tire management. His oval performances have improved steadily, highlighted by leading forty laps at the 2021 Indianapolis 500 and a major climb through the field at the 2024 Indianapolis 500. His ability to switch between IndyCar, NASCAR stock cars, and endurance formats points to a driver with broad race craft and a strong feel for adapting strategy to different series.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his second-place Detroit finish in 2016 for his first IndyCar podium, his first IndyCar pole at Iowa in 2020, leading the most laps at the 2021 Indianapolis 500, and his comeback drive to tenth at the 2024 Indianapolis 500. On the stock car side, becoming the 62nd driver to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500 in 2023 stands as a defining crossover milestone.
Conor Daly Career Wins
Across open-wheel and stock car series, Daly has built a varied win ledger. His most prominent title came in the Star Mazda Championship in 2010, when he set a series record with nine poles and seven wins. He has also added victories in Indy Lights, GP3, and the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship.
IndyCar Series Highlights
While Daly has yet to win an IndyCar Series race, he has recorded two career podiums and one pole position. His first podium came with a second-place finish in the first Detroit race of 2016, and his second arrived with a third-place run in the first Milwaukee Mile race on August 31, 2024, which was also the first podium for Juncos Hollinger Racing. His lone IndyCar pole came at the first race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader in 2020, the first pole for Carlin as an IndyCar team.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond IndyCar, Daly captured the 2010 Star Mazda Championship with Juncos Hollinger Racing, scoring seven wins and nine poles, and won the 2012–13 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship in India. He also won at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in Indy Lights in 2011 and added a GP3 victory in Barcelona in 2012, followed by another GP3 win at the Valencia Street Circuit in 2013.
Conor Daly Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Conor James Daly is the son of Derek Daly, a former Formula One, CART, and IMSA driver whose career gave Conor a direct path into motorsport. His stepfather is Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles, keeping the family closely tied to the IndyCar community. His 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 works as a data engineer for Juncos Racing.
Personal Life
Daly is a Type 1 diabetic, diagnosed at age 14, and has used his platform to raise awareness around the condition. He appeared on the 30th season of The Amazing Race alongside fellow IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi, with the pair finishing in fourth place. He also co-hosts the motorsport podcast Speed Street with Chase Holden, produced in partnership with Dirty Mo Media, where he interviews drivers and industry figures across IndyCar, NASCAR, and beyond.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 IndyCar Series campaign is Daly’s first full-time season with Juncos Hollinger Racing after being confirmed for the seat in December 2024. Driving the No. 76 Chevrolet with sponsorship from the 76 gas station brand, he carries the momentum of his Milwaukee podium in 2024 into a fresh program alongside teammate Sting Ray Robb.
Across the season, Daly has continued to deliver the road-course consistency that has defined his IndyCar career, while working to translate oval speed into stronger overall results. The Juncos Hollinger technical alliance has given him a stable engineering environment, allowing him to focus on maximizing qualifying pace and converting race-day execution into top-ten finishes.
Looking ahead, the partnership between Daly and Juncos Hollinger Racing is built around steady progression rather than immediate title contention. With a full season of data behind him and the No. 76 program now established, the goal for the rest of 2025 is clear: consistent top-ten runs, occasional podium challenges, and laying the groundwork for an even stronger 2026 campaign.
