Catching up with Conor Daly

BRUCE:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN Sports Ticker, Sports Illustrated, Auto Week and Speed Sport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy as we continue our fourth season of giving the IndyCar fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NTT IndyCar Series and the drivers and teams that compete in the Indianapolis 500. One of the great things about the IndyCar off-season is it gives us a chance to go behind the scenes and have deep dive interviews with some of the most important people in the series. It's a chance to develop a greater knowledge and understanding of what is happening at the race shops. Today we catch up with Conor Daly, who finished the season with Juncos Hollinger Racing in the 2024 IndyCar Series season. Daly wasn't a full-time IndyCar driver in 2024, but was able to compete in 7 of the 17 races on the IndyCar Series schedule. He started 29th and finished 10th after leading 22 laps in the 108th Indianapolis 500 for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. He was a fill-in for Dale Coyne Racing in the Hy-Vee One-Step 250 at Iowa Speedway in July before finishing the season with five races for Juncos Hollinger Racing. The highlight was a third place finish from a 25th place starting position at the Milwaukee Mile on August 31st. Daly also drove in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20th, three races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and one ARCA Series race in 2024. I caught up with Connor Daly for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. You can call some guys IndyCar drivers, you could call some guys stock car drivers, or you could just call guys race drivers. Our next guest on Pit Pass Indy is a race driver. It's Conor Daly. This year alone, Conor's driven in the IndyCar Series, ARCA, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and most recently over the weekend, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Connor, you got to take a little bit of pride in being able to drive different vehicles in one season.

CONOR:

Well, I mean, I'm obviously, you know, very lucky to get to do those things. I mean, realistically, it's not the, uh, you know, it's not the ideal situation that we'd like to be in, you know, by my, my goal is to still be a, you know, full-time IndyCar driver, but this year we for sure had to kind of take a little bit more of a creative approach to the budget that we had available to us and the situation that we had. And, uh, you know, polka dot being our main sponsor at the Indy 500. Uh, we also built in a couple other races, um, you know, in other series with that program. And, uh, realistically it was only supposed to be, you know, Indy 500, two truck races and one Xfinity race. Um, but then it looks like I've done a lot because we were able to have, you know, one other sponsor fund, another truck race, and then, you know, finish out the IndyCar season. So it's been. It's looked like more than it really was, but, um, but it was, it was a lot of fun. And honestly, the races that we did have this year, it felt like, you know, we got a lot of really quality races out of, uh, you know, the, the ones that we did have. So, um, you know, I learned a lot this year for sure. Um, and, and it was very cool to be able to participate in a lot of different, uh, series and, and also get some good results in the series. You know, the Xfinity race at Indy was, was, was one of my most fun races of the year. Uh, and it was really fun to be competitive in that series. Um, and, uh, and yeah, to get to raise the Arctic car at mid Ohio was an interesting one, but, uh, you know, still kind of getting in the top 10 there was, was nice as well. So yeah, a bit of a weird year for sure, but, but learned a lot.

BRUCE:

I was going to ask you about that ARCA race because that seemed to be one of the more creative schedule things for Connor Daly. And the fact was not only were you driving the ARCA series, but you were going to do it at MidOhio. It seems that the MidOhio is a course that you throw an IndyCar driver out there at an IndyCar. He loves racing at MidOhio. But if you throw a NASCAR driver or an ARCA driver out there, they love it too. What is it about that course that is so much fun for a race driver?

CONOR:

I mean, I think it's just a, it's a great track, right? A historic American, you know, motor racing road course. Uh, I think everyone, I haven't heard many people who don't like it, but, uh, but yeah, it was, it was a random opportunity and, uh, appreciated, you know, the chance to get to go out there. Uh, you know, we had a bit of a, a chassis, uh, a structural integrity failure, uh, as we were in the race. So we kinda didn't really get the best out of it ourselves, but. Um, but, uh, but we, you know, still came out with way with a decent result and, and, and, and enjoyed a new race series. So, and got to race with Marco Andre there. So, yeah, it was, uh, it's been a weird, a weird one for sure this year, but. Thankful for the chances that we have had to go out and compete in different, uh, in a different series and thankful that we were also able to kind of, you know, put out some strong, some strong tape as the NFL and NBA players would say. And yeah, we'll see what happens going forward.

BRUCE:

Your lone NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the season was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when NASCAR returned to the oval after spending the last several years running on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. We all know how near and dear that place is to your heart. How cool was it to be able to, I don't want to say that the brickyard 400 was the first race back on the oval for NASCAR, because that was on Sunday. Your race was actually the first one back on the oval since 2020. Yeah.

CONOR:

I mean, it was honestly so much fun. Uh, it was a way more fun race than I thought it was going to be. And everyone actually going into it said it might be a terrible race because we weren't really sure what the package arrow wise and power wise. Um, you know, we're going to do, but it was a, you know, a race that saw us, you know, actually qualify pretty well. And that was the first time I ever qualified in a stock car on an oval, you know, just a one lap kind of showdown, which was kind of an interesting one. And, um, you know, very little practice before that as well. But, um, but yeah, we went from, you know, both spectrums of the event, we went from being involved in the turn, you know, the lap one accident with four or five different cars to then. put duct tape on the car, fixing it enough to drive it all the way inside of the top 10 and then up to like fifth or sixth for a while. And, um, you know, how to have a great event with, with Sam Hunt racing there and Polka as well. So it was, it was truly enjoyable. And, uh, you know, we almost had two top 10s in, in both the Indy 500 and then did ask our weekend as well. Sadly, we just missed out on top 10, but still to finish 13th, there was really fun. And, um, yeah, just enjoyed the heck out of it.

BRUCE:

The only NASCAR series that you didn't get a chance to run in was the NASCAR Cup Series. The previous year you ran in two races in that series. I know that you want to do it with a competitive team. Did you have any discussions with any NASCAR cup series teams in 2024? Um, honestly, not really.

CONOR:

I, I, I, I just don't, it's not really where, you know, I deserve to be or need to be, uh, you know, unless it's a, you know, a proper situation. Um, I talked to Justin Marks, oddly enough, a lot throughout this year, mainly just for advice. And I think he's been really interested in, you know, what the IndyCar series is about as well. And he's been a great resource to kind of just, just to ask questions and see what he's got, you know, on the business side and, and just from the competition side as well, he's obviously got an incredible NASCAR cup series team. But, but you know, we haven't really been talking about me driving on their car is just more so as just kind of uh, you know, the business of the sport in general. So, um, yeah, that, that's pretty much it. I'm, I'm still very focused on, you know, if you asked me in July, what was I going to try to do for the future? I was solely focused on trying to be an asphalt driver. And then obviously, you know, the IndyCar series finished the way it did. And we had, you know, pretty awesome run to finish out the year with with with Hunkus Hollinger that uh you know we're back to being an you know back to trying to be an IndyCar driver so it's uh you never know what happens day-to-day in this life.

BRUCE:

How important was the Juncos Hollinger opportunity? Because at that point, the only race you were guaranteed was the Indianapolis 500. You did that for Dreyer and Reinbold, Cusick Motorsports. You came back at Iowa to run a race for Del Coin Racing. To be able to get a chance to run five races for Juncos Hollinger, I know it came in a unique situation because they needed a driver after releasing Augustin Canepino, but they look to you and they've had success with you in the past. So how important was that to get another opportunity with them?

CONOR:

I mean, honestly, it really kind of changed my, the, the whole direction of my career and my, my, uh, my attitude towards the series really. Um, because obviously, you know, I, I don't have a ton to, uh, you know, I don't have a ton to write home about currently in the IndyCar series. You know, my time with ECR was, was dismal. And, uh, you know, there was, there was nothing other than, you know, obviously some really good runs at the Indy 500. Um, and a few other things that, you know, if you really look at it, you know, real folks will be able to see some, uh, you know, real fans who dive deep into the numbers. We'll see some good performances here and there, but all my other performances came with basically other teams, uh, you know, with Carlin and, um, with some other groups as well. So I, I, I just, you know, it's in a tough spot to be in. So I, I still feel like I have a lot to prove. know, what we did in Milwaukee, what we did in Nashville, what we were, you know, on pace to do at St. Louis, you know, I think was, was, was really strong for certainly even a, almost a fairly new team still with, with JHR. and a team that certainly doesn't have the wind tunnel time or the development that other teams have had, I felt really, really good about it. And it made me just super excited to be a part of IndyCar again, because when you show up and you're fighting the top 10, within, you know, a couple of races when you're on the podium within three races of being with the team, you know, that's, that's gotta say something.

BRUCE:

And so, you know, I'm, I'm hoping it counts for counts for something more as we, as we continue through the off season, of course, that finish at Milwaukee that you're referring to was a third place finish in the first race of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee mile two fifties. It just seemed to be a fitting place for Connor Daly to have a breakout race, flat oval, the Milwaukee mile, traditional track. In a lot of ways, you had to feel like if you were going to have a breakout race, if it wasn't going to be in the Indianapolis 500, that was a good place to do it.

CONOR:

Well, you know, what's funny is that it really didn't seem like it after practice and qualifying. I mean, I, we were not necessarily super thrilled with, with, with the package that we had. And we just happened to make the right adjustments, as it is for motor racing. You and the engineers, you've got to work together to put together the best package you can for the race. And we did. We did that. And the team gave me the ability to drive confidently. And, um, and to drive, you know, to the front and that's, that's the goal. So I was very, very excited to, you know, to, to be able to do that for them, you know, to see the emotion in Ricardo's face and the whole team. afterwards. But yeah, if you would have asked me before the season, Milwaukee definitely wouldn't have been my prediction of where we would have been on the podium. But afterwards, I certainly thought it was slowly moved up my list of favorite racetracks.

BRUCE:

You started 25th in that race and a lot of people went into that race first time back in Milwaukee in over a decade. A lot of people went into that with the package, with the hybrid assist, with the extra weight on the car, thinking there wasn't going to be much passing, and then all of a sudden it ended up being a spectacular oval race. Were you surprised yourself just how good a race it was with the added weight of the hybrid assist on the car that IndyCar was able to put on at the Milwaukee mile?

CONOR:

I was very impressed, honestly. I think it's just it just comes down to finding the right package. You know what I mean? Like if IndyCar You know, they, they obviously need to do the same kind of testing and research at Iowa. So we can kind of get that race back to where it used to be. Um, you know, I do believe we have the ability to make that race, you know, an incredible event again. Um, but it, but it takes some time to take some testing and, uh, you know, there were some testing done in Milwaukee and there was a lot of people, a lot of drivers that were nervous that it was going to be a, uh, not a great rate. But, you know, when we got out there, it was kind of the same thing with Nashville, very hard to see that was going to be a good race. And it actually ended up not being a, a bad event at all. So, you know, it just goes to show you that we're not, you really never know what can happen in racing. Um, but, uh, I would say, you know, when we show up to Milwaukee next year, we don't change a single thing. You know, the tire has to be the exact same tire. Uh, you know, the, the event has to be the exact same, uh, you know, style. I would say maybe hopefully we can make it to the race one is when the sun is setting and you can't see anything in turn three and four. But, um, but yeah, either way, I think there's a, there's a good package there. We've all got some experience now. And, um, you know, with that experience, everyone's going to show up there faster next year. And with more of you know, more of a dialed in car, but, you know, hopefully the racing can be, you know, similarly, similarly good.

BRUCE:

Do you think a lot of people were jumping the conclusions too soon on the hybrid assist and what it could do for IndyCar?

CONOR:

Well, I don't necessarily know if the hybrid is the, is anything that has done something like, you know, has done, has been the trick. It certainly doesn't add, you know, a ton to the race. I don't think, I think it's something that everyone is using every single lap and it's a very small amount. I think the weight adding to the car is definitely still a challenge, but obviously we know that we have to use it and if they, you know, as we go and as the, you know, both the manufacturers learn more and as the series learns more, it can only get better. So, You know, I'm not necessarily going to be negative about it. I just, I don't, I don't think it's credit to that, but I think it's, I think everyone, you know, everyone I think was for sure. Uh, like, okay, thank God this was good. This is a good race because a lot of us were thinking, well, with the weight of the car, it certainly changed the balance, not for the positives. Um, but obviously it created still some, uh, you know, the, the overall package ended up still being a good, a good race package.

BRUCE:

But do you think it's a credit to the teams and the engineers in the IndyCar series that they were able to overcome adversity that came with the extra weight?

CONOR:

Yeah, I mean, honestly, there's a lot of smart people in our series. So, you know, they they work their way around them. We figure Yeah, that's all credit to the smart people in our sport, for sure.

BRUCE:

So going to the Indianapolis 500, every year one of the biggest crowd ovations is for you. You're very popular there. What do you see as being the biggest reasons why you're so popular at the Indianapolis 500 and you're really so popular in IndyCar?

CONOR:

Well, I feel like I just, I just try to be myself. And, and also, you know, if, if there, if, if I was, if I never got any results ever, then it's probably harder to support someone, but like, you know, we were very successful growing up and then was, was kind of, you know, one, one of the championships on the way up and immediately an IndyCar got, you know, got onto the podium and found some success and have still been able to, in the right situation, you know, deliver some results that people can get excited about. And obviously at the Indy 500, I mean, I feel like I've at least had one or two cars that we had the opportunity to potentially win that race and run at the front. And we did run at the front and we've run at the front now several times in a row. So when that happens, that's I think what drives the people that support me. And I'm just thankful to get to interact with our great fan base. I think we've got some amazing people that support our sport and we've still got a large group of people that We still need to be introduced to, you know what I mean? And hopefully the new Fox deal, uh, you know, can help out with that. And, and hopefully, you know, a lot of the stuff that we're doing as a series, you know, on the promotional side and, and, and Roger with everyone at Penske entertainment, um, incredible sport that we do have, um, you know, in, in North America and hopefully more, you know, around the world. But, uh, yeah, it means a lot to have the support and it's cool to be able to, you know, that that's why you want to win the, and not only for yourself, of course, but for those that, uh, you know, that cheer and that by the merge every year, we'll be right back to pit pass Cindy after this short break.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Here is the second part of my exclusive interview with Conor Daly. You also have a unique race day tradition of going to the snake pit and to be able to walk out onto that stage in your driver uniform with a lot of people who frankly have come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that day for the snake pit activities, not so much the race, but how important is that to draw a connection with those fans who now know, well, there's Connor daily. He's cool. He came out to the snake pit, you know, Hey, let's go see what he does in the race.

CONOR:

I mean, I think it's awesome. It's very unique just because I mean, I like that, you know, I like that style of music. I love a lot of the artists that, uh, that are there. And, uh, it's also probably a lot of folks that, you know, just bought tickets for. the race purely to go to the snake day. And you're like, well, maybe, like, maybe we do want to actually watch this race or more of the race. So, um, so it's cool to be able to just, just let people know that, Hey, I'm like a, just pretty much an own person. Like everyone else out here just wanted to hear some incredible music, but also I'm about to go compete in the greatest motor race in the world. And some of the most physically and mentally demanding sports that there is. And, uh, and, and yeah, to be able to relate to people that are there in the crowd, like, Hey, I love this stuff too, is, uh, is really cool. And, and hopefully it obviously creates some, uh, you know, also some respect from some high level, you know, basically celebrity musical performers that are there as well. Knowing like, Hey, well, this is kind of crazy that there's a driver that comes over and says, what's up to us before, uh, you know, before we go out there and perform.

BRUCE:

What's the logistics of that? Like, because that stage is all the way over in turn three. I imagine you're on a golf cart of some type and there's still people that are coming into the track to go watch the race. And then all of a sudden they hear this golf cart coming. They turn around and there's a race driver in his uniform right behind him. What does that whole getting from point A to point B like at that point. And also how anxious are you that you're not late to your next pre-race drivers introduction or something?

CONOR:

Honestly, it's been kind of a tradition now. So I think when people kind of turn around to see me, they kind of expect to see me coming, which is kind of funny. And then there's also a lot of surprise in people's faces too, which is, which is very funny. But a lot of cheers too, as we're going, which is really cool. And it feels good race morning. But yeah, there's always a little bit of a thought in my mind. I'm like, oh, okay. In the end, my focus is obviously race day, but this doesn't take away from anything that we're doing there. We actually do have some downtime before we do the pre-race ceremonies. We're kind of just relaxing. And for me, it is a bit of a relaxation to just go and kind of have a good time. Because if I was just sitting there, in the bus or the garage, all you're doing is running through the exact same million scenarios that can happen in the race. If you can kind of get your mind just to release a little bit of that. And I've got enough experience now at this speedway to kind of know exactly what I want to do, where I want to go. And in the end, there's no sense in putting too much pressure on yourself because realistically, you know the job, you know what you're, I've studied for years at this business to do what I need to do. And so to be able to go over there and you can have a little bit of thought in your mind, like, Oh, well, right. I should probably leave now. But realistically, it's always a pretty much just the 20 to 30 minute window. Go there, hang out, check it out. And I'm like, all right, guys going back to go racing. And then, and that's it. We just get on the golf cart. Um, and it's actually quite a nice route. Uh, we go, you know, down the back straight, uh, you know, on that little road there near whole, uh, whole nine or whole nine and 10 of the golf course. And, uh, yeah, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a fun tradition.

BRUCE:

Now at the 2021 Indianapolis 500, obviously the biggest crowd ovation of the race was when Elio Castroneva's won his fourth Indianapolis 500 crowd went wild, but The equaling that or coming close to that in terms of crowd reaction was when you took the lead and you were out front for 40 laps that day. So when you sit back and think that whole scenario back in 2021, leading the Indianapolis 500, 40 laps is 100 miles. You led one fifth of that race. How cool is that for you to think about? Wow. Connor Daly, everybody knew that Connor Daly was here this day.

CONOR:

Well, I mean, for me, that was obviously my, you know, the first time where I really thought I have a car that wins this race. Um, and I believe that we were doing everything we needed to win that race. Um, you know, after having so much experience there now, I kind of, you kind of know when you do have a car that is just raw. fast. Like it's, it's just, it's everything that you need, um, is a little bit easier because the car is just a fast car. Um, and, uh, and, and we had a great situation that year and, and obviously, you know, everything has to be perfect on that day and it was going the right direction. We were where we needed to be. We were ahead of the cars that we needed to be ahead of. We were racing with the cars that we wanted to race with for the win. Um, but obviously you know, we have one pit stop that goes maybe a second too long and you come out on the track, just maybe two seconds off sequence. And suddenly there's a car crashing in front of you and, you know, a tire comes down and destroys your day. So it's, it's one of those things that, um, that was definitely the first feeling where I was like, Hey, I can, I can really do that. This is entirely possible with everything. You know, if you've got the car behind you, you've got the car underneath you and you use your experience and your, your brain power to kind of stay smart and patient. And we were doing that. But yeah, it is what it is. It obviously didn't work out for us, but it was cool to gain that experience and then see the videos, seeing the videos after of the crowd, you know, doing what they did when I took the lead. That'll be one of the most memorable experiences for sure of my life.

BRUCE:

So the next year, 2022, you finished 6th, your best finishing position at the Indianapolis 500. How proud are you of that? Not only 6th place in 2022, but you were 8th place in 2023. Well, I was obviously, you know,

CONOR:

happy to be disappointed with sixth place. You know, we were obviously at the front and I think we were, you know, we were leading again that year, but just maybe didn't quite have the speed. And again, just one small sequence in the pits that, you know, that kind of took us just one or two seconds out of contention. And, you know, one move myself where I was like, Oh man, I shouldn't have let Alex Rossi pass me as easy as I did. Cause I thought we could have gotten it back, but you know, you lose just a little bit of track position and that's it. But yeah, it's, it's, it's something that for me, you know, felt very good to finish at the front there and to be right there and seeing the winner across the finish line, not too far in front of me. And then, yeah, obviously, you know, we've run well ever since there. So I just want to keep doing it. You know, you obviously got to put yourself in a position to succeed every single time you can. And, and that's kind of what we're, what we're going to keep trying to do.

BRUCE:

So where do things stand for Connor Daly in 2025?

CONOR:

I mean, right now, that is the biggest question. We are working as hard as we can. I want to be with GHR. That is my main focus. And they know that. And I haven't got a call from anyone else, obviously, other than Dale Coyne. I spoke with Dale Coyne yesterday. I had a great conversation with Dale. I think Dale, I have a lot of respect for him. He's obviously the guy who still has has given me my best finish in IndyCar in second place. Dale's been great to talk to, but my main focus, and I've even told him that, is that I'm trying to be with JHR and get this you know, get this program, um, dialed in, but it's, you know, it is a financial hurdle. You know, we are, we, we are not just going to be drafted in because we, you know, got the team their best finish and, and, and did some, some amazing things together. You know, there does need to be a financial element. It does make sense for us to be there, but oftentimes in racing, some of the things that make the most sense never happened. So we got to try to force it to happen. We've got to, uh, you know, raise some, raise some sponsorship. We just need time. I think we've got time. I hope, obviously, Ricardo and the group are willing to wait with me. I think we communicate every day. I'm going to talk to Ricardo again today just to see what's going on. But yeah, just trying to put the business pieces together. Sadly, that is the only thing that is necessary at the moment.

BRUCE:

Now there are a few big things that have happened in IndyCar that I want to ask you about before we let you go. One of which is how important do you think the charter system is to the series? Because a lot of fans don't really understand it, but to the team owners, they definitely understand it because they've invested a lot of money into the series. And now at least they're guaranteed if they have a charter that they'll be protected if they ever do leave the series.

CONOR:

Well, I think some of the most important things that we've seen already is the deal that Ed Carpenter with their new partners. I mean, honestly, despite however I feel about them, I'm very happy that Ed and that group has got that level of financial investment. I think it's good for the series. It's good for the sport. It's helpful for the vision of the sport. And, you know, when I talk to a guy like Dale Coyne, who's a very smart businessman, he knows, you know, he knows this sport so well and has been through many different eras of it, obviously, right? Kart champ cars and stuff like that. And so he's seen everything. And when he tells me he thinks it's very good, then I think that's great. I know that it gives an added level of value, I believe, to the series and to those that do own charters. And I'm curious to see what the future holds with it. Obviously, there's been many different thoughts on the NASCAR charter system that seemed to be good at first, and then now obviously a bit chaotic. But in the end, This is a business overall, and we would love it to be a self-fulfilling business to where we can all show up and the racing somehow is paid for through outside sources of in our own pockets or the team owner's pockets, right? But this might be a way to help that. And at the end of the day, we're just trying to build this sport into something that we can all continue to enjoy for many years into the future.

BRUCE:

How stunned were you when you heard that Michael Andretti was leaving IndyCar as an active team owner and he was relinquishing his role on the team to Dan Taurus?

CONOR:

I mean, I've already known that Dan has been such an incredible part of that team. such a massive part of their, you know, their growth. So I wasn't really surprised that I think, you know, I I'm curious to see obviously how, how, you know, continues to go. And I'm sure, you know, one thing that I hope, and I obviously don't know is that they obviously keep the team name the way it is. I think that would be still obviously cool to have, you know, Andretti global, that, that group as a, you know, the same, same name and it's got a pretty cool, you know, history to it. But yeah, I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure we'll see Michael still around, you know what I mean? And still, still a part of it, you know, in some way. But yeah, Dan is someone who has put a ton into this sport and into a race team. So honestly, we should be thankful for the, the investment that, you know, that he's put in and, you know, hopefully it's a good relationship between all of them still. kind of just continues to move forward.

BRUCE:

Speaking of investment in the series, nobody's done more lately than Roger Penske, but there still seems to be a segment of either team owners or people in the paddock or fans that keep thinking he should spend more on the series. But you don't get to be Roger Penske by necessarily doing it without a plan or a wise investment that's going to have a return on that investment. What do you see as being the strength or areas that IndyCar needs to really work on, thinking of it from a business standpoint, of course.

CONOR:

Well, I think, I mean, right out the gate, people will never truly know how much Roger is spending because you know, you can easily throw stones, you know, throw a bunch of terrible words at, you know, whoever you want, because you don't know. And part of our world right now, so many people will just say whatever they want to say, even though they have no idea what goes into it. Um, but, uh, you know, we know for a fact that Roger and his group are spending a ton of money on, you know, not only the development of, you know, the series for the future, but the, you know, the new car for the future, um, you know, these, you know, obviously the Dallas event, I think is something that is super cool and we should be extremely proud of that. Um, and, and yeah, there, there's just, there is a lot that for sure, I believe can be better and something that, you know, I do. I mean, you could talk about it for hours, but I for sure want to make sure we give them credit for doing more than the public will know about because you can't just. tell the public, like, Hey, this is how exactly we're going to do it every single day, because this is not how business works. Right? Like you're never going to know everything that's happening, but you hope that obviously you see the, the fans can, can see the results of everything that goes on behind the scenes, the business deals, the, the promotion, you know, we, we did, you know, I, I for sure saw, you know, some improvements this year. you know, the, the Fox deal, we all hope is the, you know, the golden goose. And we, and we, that's, you know, what really takes us to another level. And obviously seeing what they've already done with the NFL, you know, talking about IndyCar and the Dallas race and, you know, NFL broadcast talking about that. And, and some of the stuff on college, college sports with the IndyCar and Mark Ingram last week, you know, there's a lot of stuff that's happening. So I, I know that they get, you know, some, some, uh, not very nice remarks sometimes because I just don't think people understand how much they are doing and how much, like, yeah, of course, like it's easy to tell someone who's super rich to just spend $200 million. That's just not legitimate. So, you know, he's going to do it, right. I believe that there's still a lot of great people, um, that are, uh, guiding our ship here and IndyCar waters. So, you know, we'll see what happens.

BRUCE:

Well, you brought up a really good point. People talk about marketing. Well, they joined forces with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball for the Grand Prix of Arlington. And I see a lot of tremendous marketing possibilities that can be done by IndyCar, the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. Just even tapping into the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers Ticket database right there alone is a great way to sell tickets But what was your reaction when you heard that all of those iconic forces were gonna come together for the Grand Prix of Arlington?

CONOR:

Well, I just thought it was First of all, I was like, this is wild but second of all when you see like you can easily just announce something like we've obviously seen events just announced like hey, this is gonna happen and it's sweet and And you're like, okay, cool. But, you know, we, we saw a full on, you know, 3d display that, again, I don't think people realize that that costs a lot of money to do, like getting a full 3d model of like the track and at the level of detail that it was like that costs money. So, you know, we're like, Hey, we want to make sure people know that this is like legit to the highest of levels. And, you know, seeing Jerry Jones, Roger Penske and the, you know, the guy from the Texas Rangers, I mean, that's, I mean, that's that's high level people like that's not, you know, Jerry didn't send his like, you know, secondary assistant or anything like that. Like, this was, you know, Jerry and the guy like it's so it is it is very important. And I think that again. We, a new event like that is really cool. It has to be high quality, but we also, you know, I still think we need to continue to add races and not just stay at a number of 17. So I I'm still going to die on that Hill.

BRUCE:

And also there seems to be some movement within IndyCar for a new car and how important do you think that would be? Well, I mean, we know it's coming.

CONOR:

So, um, you know, it just depends on, uh, you know, and obviously we as drivers have been, you know, uh, you know, showed more information on that than, you know, the public has obviously, cause they're, they're trying to be honest with us. And, you know, it's exciting to be a part, you know, to, to be a part of the future. And I'm excited for what they're doing. I think the series know what they need to do with the car. And obviously we want to be able to attract new manufacturers. So I think in the end, that's going to be the most important thing for the series is what kind of car and engine package can they design that attracts new manufacturers.

BRUCE:

And final question, how flattered are you? I guess flattery would be the right word to use, but to know that there are so many fans out there that are Connor Daly fans.

CONOR:

I mean, I mean, the most to me, you know, it's really cool to interact with folks, certainly because it's my hometown, right? In Indy, you know, I can, you know, every day, wherever I go, you know, someone, someone says, hi, and that's, you know, that's cool. And they say they're a fan and that's, you know, that, that means a lot. It's, It really does. It's something that, uh, you know, I'm, it, it, it honestly drives me more to win in this sport than anything. And, and to honestly hear the crowd of Milwaukee when I even finished third, I mean, that was like, that was an experience that, uh, for sure was emotional. So, uh, you just want to keep giving those people the, uh, the joy of following, um, you know, a sport and someone that, uh, you know, hopefully is a good representative of, of said sport.

BRUCE:

Well, there are a few people who love being an IndyCar driver more than Connor Daly. So, Connor, good luck in 2025. Hopefully, things work out and we see you full-time next season. Have a great off-season and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, man. I appreciate it. And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guest, Connor Daly, for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy your path to victory lane in IndyCar. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Poyn and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.