Lexington, Ohio (2 July 2023) – Conor Daly will race the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid following a practice incident that has sidelined Simon Pagenaud.
On Saturday, a manufacturer brake failure saw Pagenaud unable to slow for the high-speed Turn 4 during the morning practice session. Pagenaud took quick action to initiate a spin to reduce his speed, leaving the track sideways, but going airborne as the car was caught by the run-off gravel outside the corner. The No. 60 entry made a series of rolls at high speed before coming to a stop against the tire wall. Fast work from the AMR Safety team saw him extricated promptly and safely as he was transported to the on-site INDYCAR medical facility.
Pagenaud was evaluated and released by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES medical team, but required to be signed off per protocol to return to action. A follow up test did not provide the clearance for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner to race Mat Mid-Ohio on Sunday.
“First and foremost, I have to speak to the safety of these cars,” said MSR Team Owner, Mike Shank. “To walk away from an accident like that is incredible and we cannot thank everyone at INDYCAR, the AMR INDYCAR safety team and the INDYCAR medical team for everything they did to get Simon out and evaluated as quickly as possible.
“This is obviously not a scenario that we had planned for, but everyone at MSR has pitched in to get our backup car ready for Sunday,” continued Shank. “It’s actually Helio’s Indy 500 car and the one he won the 500 with in 2021. We have to thank Conor for being here and stepping into this, he’s been super great through all of the chaos. Now we will get back on our feet and see what we can do in the race.”
Daly steps into the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda with plenty of laps under his belt at Mid-Ohio. This will be his eighth NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at Mid-Ohio with his best finish of sixth in his Rookie season in 2016 which followed a run to the front of the field, leading 22 laps and moving up 16 positions.
“Obviously I have to think about Simon, you hate to see someone wreck like that,” said Daly. “The most important thing is to get him as healthy as possible, as soon as possible. This is his car and his group of folks and I am here to do the best job that I can for this team. I’ve known Mike (Shank) for a long time and I’ve tested for his sports car team many years ago. I’ve always had a lot of respect for this organization. It’s an honor to be a part of this group and fill in – we will just do the best job that we can.”
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is set for 1:30pm ET on Sunday, July 2nd. MSR driver Helio Castroneves will start 19th while Daly will start 27th.
ECR, Conor Daly Mutually Agree to End Their Relationship, Effective Immediately
(INDIANAPOLIS) June 7, 2023 – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that the team and Conor Daly have mutually agreed to end their relationship, effective immediately. The No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet will continue as a full-time entry in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Team owner Ed Carpenter stated, “This is the most difficult decision I have made as a team owner because I respect Conor and know what he means to INDYCAR and its fans. Our team has not been performing at the level we are capable of this year, and despite making technical changes and investments in the offseason, 2023 has been extremely challenging. I have put a great deal of consideration into the current state of our team and realize it is my obligation to our employees, partners, and supporters to do whatever is necessary to elevate our team’s competitiveness. We sincerely wish Conor continued success and will cheer him on wherever he goes next.” “Although we’ve mutually decided that it’s in our best interests to take different paths, I’d like to thank ECR for the past three and a half seasons,” said Daly. “I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me – past, present and into the future. I look forward to taking on the next opportunities that await, and I want to thank the fans for being with me on this ride.” The status of the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet is unaffected, as well as the ovals-only program of the No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. Information regarding the driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for the upcoming event at Road America will be released in due course.
About Ed Carpenter RacingEd Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting eight wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The 2023 season will see the team continue to compete with two full-time entries: the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet and the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, driven by Rinus VeeKay. Carpenter will round out the team’s three-car effort on the ovals, campaigning the No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. More information may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.
The Indianapolis 500 ticket unveil moves to another new venue as Marcus Ericsson will unveil the ticket for the 2023 race Friday, February 10, during the second intermission of the Indy Fuel hockey game at Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum.
Ericsson, winner of the 106th running of the 500 in 2022, is a former hockey player and will get to see his image on the ticket for the first time. The revealing of the ticket means fans will soon have tickets in their possession.
Daly to Attempt Daytona 500
Conor Daly will attempt to qualify for next weekend’s Daytona 500 mile race. Daly will drive car 50 for The Money Team, a team owned by boing legend Floyd Mayweather. Daly will compete for one of four open spots in the field. Daly may race for The Money Team up to six more times in 2023.
Indy NXT Broadcast Times Set
The broadcast start times for the Indy NXT series have been set. All races are on Peacock. The 14 race schedule features two ovals and three doubleheaders.
(PALM SPRINGS, Calif.) February 1, 2023 – Ed Carpenter Racing (“ECR”) announced today that the team’s 2023 lineup will be fully supported by new digital marketplace BITNILE.COM. The team’s two full-time entries, the No. 20 of Conor Daly and the No. 21 of Rinus VeeKay, in addition to ovals-only No. 33 of Ed Carpenter, will each compete throughout the upcoming season as BITNILE.COM Chevrolets. BITNILE.COM, an immersive digital marketplace, which is set to launch and “go live” one month from today, on March 1, 2023.
The new BITNILE.COM liveries feature metallic gold on the front of each car with an innovative transition in color to represent the evolution of digital marketplaces. All three cars carry a cohesive look with Daly’s base color of blue, VeeKay’s featuring white and Carpenter’s car primarily black. The BITNILE.COM branding and metallic gold will carry across all trackside uniforms and equipment.
“The launch of our new next-generation marketplace is scheduled for March 1 to coincide with the start of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season,” stated Milton “Todd” Ault, III, BITNILE.COM’s Executive Chairman. “We believe that the demographics of the INDYCAR fan base fit perfectly the intended target of BITNILE.COM, which has led us to become the one of the biggest team partners in the series and branding all three ECR cars this season.”
The 12th season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition for ECR features an identical driver lineup for the fourth consecutive year. Daly, from Noblesville, Ind., will race the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for the entirety of the 2023 season. The 31-year-old will reach his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and this year’s Indianapolis 500 will be his 10th.
VeeKay is the longest-tenured full-time driver in ECR’s history and will compete behind the wheel of the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for a fourth year. The 22-year-old Dutchman, who has been with ECR since his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut, will make his 50th start at Barber Motorsports Park in April.
Carpenter remains the only active owner/driver in INDYCAR, as he races in the five oval events in the No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. The Indianapolis native will compete in his 20th Indianapolis 500 this May and make his 200th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at the second Iowa Speedway race in July. ECR team owner Carpenter stated,
“We are excited to confirm BITNILE.COM as our team partner and unveil our new paint schemes.” Carpenter continued, “Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay are both very talented drivers who bring a wealth of experience to our team. As for the No. 33 BITNILE.COM entry, I am excited to be back behind the wheel for the oval races, which will include my 20th Indianapolis 500.”
Team President Tim Broyles is confident the talent of the drivers, coupled with ECR’s continual preparation since the end of last season, will give the team a competitive edge.
“The entire team has worked tirelessly in the offseason to make sure our cars are at the forefront of performance. The new BITNILE.COM designs will make them stand out on the track,” said Broyles.
The new Nos. 20 and 21 will be on track for the first time tomorrow as Daly and VeeKay participate in the Thermal Club Open Test. The full-field test spans two days and will take place at The Thermal Club, a private, world-class facility located just outside Palm Springs, California. The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins March 5 in the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Carpenter will join Daly and VeeKay at Texas Motor Speedway on April 2 for his first race of the season.
CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet
RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet
ED CARPENTER, No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet
About BITNILE.COMBITNILE.COM, Inc. plans to launch its next-generation digital marketplace on March 1, 2023, offering real and virtual experiences and products. The platform, which will readily accept Bitcoin, is being developed to enable users to access the metaverse via the web browser allowing usage on any device including mobile, tablets, PC’s and virtual reality headsets. The BITNILE.COM metaverse experience is expected to not only include eCommerce, but is being built to include social, immersive video games, games of skill and chance, and more. The company is a subsidiary of Ault Alliance, Inc. (www.Ault.com). For more information and to register for the upcoming marketplace launch, please visit www.BITNILE.com.
About Ed Carpenter RacingEd Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting eight wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The 2023 season will see the team continue to compete with two full-time entries: the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet with Conor Daly behind the wheel and the No. 21 BitNile Chevrolet, driven by Rinus VeeKay. Carpenter will round out the team’s three-car effort on the ovals, campaigning the No. 33 Chevrolet. More information may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.
Conor Daly returns to Ed Carpenter Racing in an expanded role as a full time driver. Daly will drive the number 20 Bitnile Chevrolet in the 2022 season. He is happy to put his entire focus on one team for the upcoming season. The past two seasons Daly has run the ovals except for the Indianapolis 500 with Carlin Racing.
I asked Him what he is looking forward to in 2022.
“You know what I think the ovals in the car honestly, I love Texas. I love Iowa. The fact that Gateway’s back, the fact that I think maybe I can bring maybe a different perspective to that team as well. Obviously, I’ve been with a different team (for ovals) for the last couple years. So maybe there’s some more information that I can help everyone like Rinus and, you know, Ed as well if he runs; so there’s a lot there that I want to get to. And I think we’ve improved our car on the road courses, but the ovals are a new adventure.”
Expanding on his belief that the team’s road course program has improved, Daly explained,
” I do think so. I think at our Sebring tests, we ran through a lot that we’ve been wanting to try and obviously we don’t get a lot of test days. So we did 160 laps. We got about as many laps in as we could do with the tires that we had. yeah, I feel good. I think we still have work to do, but I think every race we will continue to get better. So we’ll see.”
Daly thinks the continuity of drivers and crew members will also help ECR have a better season.
” I think we we know where our setups differ and we know what we like in the car. So I think that a lot of the stuff we are unifyingly going towards that’s making us better as a group, I think, but there are still small differences that will you know, will be required. I like working with these guys. And you know, my engineer, Pete, kind of knows what I want. So it’s nice to be able to have that and it feels like we’re in a better spot already than we were last year.”
What does need to do to move into the front part of the grid, given the talent and resources of the larger teams?
“We just got to be perfect. Gotta be perfect. And honestly, the funniest thing is like even though it is tough. There’s so many good drivers. Totally crazy stuff happens. There’s always going to be some wild podium that you never expected and you know, you want to be able to take advantage of every possible opportunity.”
Postscript: The ECR team had mixed results this weekend, but there were signs of improvement. Daly qualified 20th and finished 21st Sunday. His teammate, Rinus VeeKay, started fourth, led 13 laps, and finished sixth.
One thing about Indycar- despite a whirlwind of changes, some things stay the same. Ed Carpenter Racing announced this morning that Conor Daly will be back in the 20 car with a new sponsor in 2022. The announcement reads “full time.” Is Ed Carpenter going to just run the Indianapolis 500, a move I have thought was long overdue? According to the release below, Carpenter may race in the non Indy ovals as well.
No driver has worked harder this off season to procure sponsorship than Daly, who lost the US Air Force sponsor deal after last season.
The announcement from ECR:
Conor Daly Elevated to Full-Time Driver of the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season
(INDIANAPOLIS) January 14, 2022 – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today a new partnership with BitNile Holdings, Inc. to serve as primary partner for the No. 20 Chevrolet in a multi-year deal. ECR welcomes back Conor Daly, who will become full-time driver of the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. BitNile will also serve as an associate sponsor on ECR’s second entry, the No. 21 Chevrolet.
BitNile Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company specializing in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrencies and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). BitNile focuses on large-scale crypto mining with energy-efficient, powerful operations strategically located in North America. In addition, they currently operate their own high-density data center. With a mission to simplify the DeFi process for all involved, BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets.
BitNile Founder and Executive Chairman, Milton “Todd” Ault, III, has spent his entire career investing in undervalued assets and disruptive technologies. He believes joining in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Ed Carpenter Racing will yield similar rewards. “I’ve been a fan of Indy car racing for a long time, and we are proud to have the opportunity to team up with Ed Carpenter Racing. It’s a natural fit for BitNile to join an Indiana business like Ed’s as we have a number of investments in the Midwest, including our mining facilities,” stated Mr. Ault. “BitNile operates with a ‘Risk On’ philosophy where risk is an integral element if you want to win. Conor Daly and ECR share that mindset, making us in perfect alignment.”
The upcoming season will mark Daly’s return to Ed Carpenter Racing for a third year, though it will be his first as full-time driver of the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet. For the past two years, Daly has split his talents between two teams. For the road and street course events and the Indianapolis 500, Daly raced for ECR; for the remaining oval events, he drove for Carlin. Over the past eight years, the Noblesville, Ind., native has competed in 80 Indy car races. The 2021 Indianapolis 500 proved a career highlight for the hometown favorite as he paced the field for nearly a quarter of the race, leading the most laps of all drivers.
Daly, who turned 30 in December, is thrilled to be a part of BitNile’s very first sponsorship program and introduce the company to motorsports. “Being chosen to represent BitNile is without a doubt one of the most important opportunities of my career. This is an incredible partnership that we look forward to being able to strengthen and grow as we go after race wins together!” Daly continued, “To be able to come back to Ed Carpenter Racing for the full season is incredible. I haven’t had the chance to be with one team for the entire year since 2017, so this is something I am very, very thankful for. I have a lot of faith in ECR and each year we continue to get better together. I couldn’t be more excited to get on track in the BitNile Chevrolet!”
Team owner Ed Carpenter became well-known in the Bitcoin space in 2021 as he welcomed the first decentralized sponsorship in the history of racing. The Bitcoin community supported all necessary on-track activities for ECR’s Bitcoin Chevrolet during the Month of May. Carpenter later spoke at the Bitcoin 2021 conference and continues to be recognized as a paddock leader in the crypto industry. “I am extremely proud to welcome BitNile to the ECR family! It is exciting to be able to expand our team’s involvement in the culture of Bitcoin after running the Bitcoin car last May,” said Carpenter. “We will also represent a few other exciting brands within BitNile Holdings as the year progresses, so there is more to come!”
ECR will continue to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with two full-time entries in 2022. Daly’s season-long teammate is fellow third-year ECR driver Rinus VeeKay, who remains in the No. 21 Chevrolet. Carpenter, a three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner, will join Daly and VeeKay to round out ECR’s three-car program for the 2022 500-mile race. Confirmation of Carpenter’s participation in the three additional oval events may come at a later date.
Always eager to hone his driving talents, Daly returns to dirt track racing this weekend as he competes in the Chili Bowl Nationals today and tomorrow. Next Wednesday, January 19, Daly and Carpenter will be guests on Mr. Ault’s podcast, Risk On. Viewers can watch a live stream from the ECR shop on YouTube at 4 p.m. ET. The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will begin on Sunday, February 27 in the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
About BitNile Holdings, Inc. BitNile Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact. Through its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, BitNile owns and operates a data center at which it mines Bitcoin and provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, automotive, telecommunications, medical/biopharma, and textiles. In addition, BitNile extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. BitNile Holdings’ headquarters are located at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141; http://www.bitnile.com/.
No more Flying Tiger or X-15 tribute cars,. The United States Air Force will not continue their sponsorship with Conor Daly and Ed Carpenter Racing. What does this mean for Daly and ECR? In an ironic twist, without the Air Force the future is up in the air.
The X-15 tribute car
The USAF liveries were some of the best in the 500 field the last couple of years. They will be missed.
The 2021 car, which honored the Tuskegee Airmen, was a fan favorite last May.
Daly says he has other sponsors that he has been developing, but is it enough? Will Carpenter still retain Daly for the number 20 road and street course program?
Daly has an option for a full time ride in NASCAR Trucks. he would still be available for the Indianapolis 500 if he goes that route, but his preference is to stay in Indycar.
Daly’s oval program with Carlin is also in doubt since the team has not announced their Indycar intentions for 2022.
Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi both enjoy World Wide Technology Raceway, and they are looking forward to good results Saturday. Both drivers said they enjoy racing there. Rossi is eager to race at the track near St. Louis after his team had a very good test there this year. Rossi is anxious to see how the one day event plays out.
” I love that we’re having the night race again,” Rossi said, “I think that’s critical for short oval racing. Short oval racing but for the 500 is meant to be raced at night, easier to follow cars. Everything about it is better. Looking forward to that, having the fans back. Yeah, I think it’s going to be an interesting kind of experiment for us to do a one-day event. See how that goes.”
Daly added, ” Yeah, it’s one of my favorite tracks. I couldn’t tell you why. Ever since our very first test day with Foyt, where we were quickest, we kind of all looked at each other, This is weird, not really sure why this is happening. I love racing there. Love the way that track challenges us as drivers and challenges these cars. It will be fun. I’m just happy to be racing, honestly, which is nice.”
Alexander Rossi photo by Chris Owens, Indycar
Rossi talked about his season and how situations have prevented him from showing better results. the last three races have had mostly better results, and he is confident of a strong finish to the season.
” Yeah, I mean, the pace has been great; it hasn’t really resulted in much. Obviously with the field now, every small mistake and issue and mis-step in setup decisions from session to session has a bigger effect than it used to. It requires everyone to really be perfect throughout the weekend. It is what it is. I think the Indy GP, this past race was good. Nashville we obviously had good pace, but it didn’t result in anything. Yeah, I mean, I think it’s all down to some circumstances ultimately/”
, who isDaly talked about the challenges Romain Grosjean driving his first oval race this season, faces.
“… it’s going to be tough without a doubt. I think when you show up to, like, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it being your first oval, there’s so much practice, right? There’s so much testing. Romain obviously got to test, which is great. When you’re out there, at Indy when we practice, you get a lot of traffic, you get kind of a feel for what’s going on. Realistically there’s so little track time in Gateway, he’s going to be thrust into a very, very new situation.”
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 is scheduled for a green flag start at 8:40 pm EDT Saturday night.
Conor Daly enjoyed his time off from Indycar, but he is ready to head to Detroit for this weekend’s grand prix on Belle Isle. Daly loves this track, and he has had success here, with a second place and he also led laps at the race which follows the Indianapolis 500.
Daly’s Ed Carpenter Racing had a great May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Rinus VeeKay winning the GMR Grand Prix, placing two cars in the Fast Nine, and Daly leading the most laps in the Indianapolis 500. Team owner Carpenter finished fifth, VeeKay eighth, and Daly 13th after a tire from Graham Rahal’s car damaged the nose of Daly’s car.
Despite losing a chance for the win, Daly remains upbeat and confident as the series heads to the halfway point of the 2021 season this weekend. In a very positive press availability Tuesday, Daly outlined his reason for his optimism.
“It’s one of my favorite tracks, even 2015there in the Arrow machine for Hinch after he had the mix-up with the wall at Indy. That was one of my most fun weekends, still to this day. In the rain, leading the race there up against those guys as a complete and utter rookie. I love the track. Love the race weekend. I think it’s done so well.”Daly believes the team has momentum, not necessarily from just the 500, but from the GMR Grand Prix as well.
“…what I look forward to most is the progress we made at the Indy GP. That’s what I’m most excited about. That is such a short weekend, you get right into oval stuff. We made a lot of progress there. I’m excited to see if we can continue that for another good run at Detroit.”
For the first time in his career, Daly is developing continuity with a team. He thinks that has contributed to his success in 2021.
“I think for years I’ve been talking about creating continuity. I think we see right now what continuity is doing for this whole group, both Rinus and I. We get better. Your goal as a driver is to improve constantly, work with your team to just keep building that pyramid up, keep going.Rinus is doing that. I think I’m doing that. I don’t think we’ve been able to obviously translate to results yet for several things that have been out of our control obviously. But we’re in the fight rather than a lot of the races last year we were nowhere even near the talk of anything. But now we’re putting ourselves up there.”
On the progress ECR has made from 2020 to this season, Daly said,
“Leaps and bounds. Massive, massive amounts of progress. Certainly for me personally because I kind of know, obviously not going to give away everything we’re doing, but I know that Rinus and I drive different cars, very different cars. A lot of the times we just haven’t been able to get what I needed out of it. It’s much easier for Rinus. He’s obviously very, very quick, very, very talented.”
Daly summed up his and the team’s approach for the rest of the season:
“We’re just going to keep going at it every weekend, trying to be the best we can be. I feel really good about myself and my team, yeah. That’s the goal, is to just be happy and be ready to execute every weekend. I mean, I’ve learned a lot about myself I guess. I think I’ve also tried to do a lot of work on my own brain, which I think has been helpful because a lot of the stuff, when you look at a year going into it, none of this crazy stuff is going to happen, it’s just going to be great, every race is going to be great.All this crazy stuff has happened, and you can’t change your attitude. You have to go into Detroit, It’s going to be great, it’s going to be perfect, we’re going to execute.”
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 