LONG BEACH, California – Conor Daly went from buttering a bagel at the Honda Hospitality Motorhome to the cockpit of Dale Coyne Racing’s Honda IndyCar Saturday morning at Long Beach. The 24-year-old American driver, who is the son of former Formula One and IndyCar racer Derek Daly, takes over the Dale Coyne Honda in Sunday’s 41st Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Daly had just 45 minutes to prepare for Saturday’s practice session at the demanding Long Beach street course.
Rocky Moran, Jr., who was set to drive that car this weekend, suffered a broken thumb in a crash during Friday’s practice session.
“I was over at Honda Hospitality buttering up a bagel and Dale called me,” Daly told FOXSports.com. “I thought this should be interesting. It was 45 minutes before the session. I came over and now we’re racing. I’m excited about it. This is why I bring my helmet and firesuit to the track. I’m really thankful to Dale and the whole group.”
The Noblesville, Indiana driver has competed in GP3, GP2, won the Indy Lights race at Long Beach in 2011 and made his IndyCar debut for A.J. Foyt Racing in the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
“I’m happy to be here and happy to at least take advantage of the opportunity that I’ve got,” Daly said. “The last time I drove here I won in Indy Lights. This is my favorite race – the one I always wanted to do. Man, I really, really, really am excited. This is really cool. It’s a shame Rocky got hurt but I’m here to do a job and race the car.”
Daly talked to FOXSports.com on Thursday afternoon at Long Beach and expressed disappointment that he had been passed over by Coyne, who chose Moran for this weekend. But the injury changed everything and put Daly in the car, at least for this weekend.
“I’m not one to judge anything,” Daly said. “I’m familiar with racing these days and if people have an opportunity they should take it. I’m just happy to be here and this is why you bring your helmet to the track. If something happens you are here and you are ready.”
Daly has been a fixture in the IndyCar paddock the past several seasons as he walks about in street clothes hoping for an opportunity. On Saturday, he finally got to put on a firesuit and the team had to borrow a seat from Marco Andretti to get Daly into the car.
“Patience pays off eventually,” Daly said. “I’m going to use it the best I can, get through the race and get some experience. I’m not going out there to set the world on fire. I would love to do well and have a strong finish but I would love to work with the crew and learn the car and see what happens Sunday.
“I tested in the offseason but this is a race environment. It’s a steep, steep learning curve for sure.”
Daly has spent plenty of nights sleeping on hotel room floors and is sharing the room with his father this weekend as he continued his search for a ride.
“It’s putting in the work; putting in the effort,” Daly said. “People have seen that and now we are rewarded with the drive and that means a lot.”
Daly believes it is important that talented drivers get opportunities in IndyCar instead of drivers that have to buy their way into a ride.
“It’s the most important thing for the series,” he said. “It is important to give young drivers a shot and make the ‘Road to Indy’ worth it. To make all the work you put in as a young driver to work through the ranks to get that opportunity. It’s what you work for; it’s what you live for as a driver. So it’s paramount that young drivers get a shot at it.”
Daly’s goal is to get through the race and learn as much as he can. But he was hard at work Saturday and that impressed the team owner.
“We fit a driver in the car in 45 minutes so that wasn’t so bad,” Coyne told FOXSports.com. “We have one more day so maybe we could have four drivers on the entry list in one weekend.”
Coyne also fields a car for Francesco Dracone in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
“Rocky has always wanted to do this race and has been away from the sport for a bit but he did well on Friday,” Coyne said. “I thought Rocky did a heck of a job on Friday but when he had that spin in Turn 1 with Carlos Munoz he tried to straighten the wheel, had a death grip on it but the wheel jerked out of his hand. That is how he broke his thumb.”
Coyne is open to keeping Daly in the car for more than one race.
“You never know what is going to happen,” the team owner said. “His input is good and he did a good job. He brings a lot of energy to the series and it’s good to have a young American driver in the seat.”
Fellow IndyCar team owner Sam Schmidt tested Daly during the offseason and came close to hiring him for the second entry that eventually went to veteran driver James Jakes.
“I’m ecstatic for Conor,” Schmidt told FOXSports.com. “We ran him in 2011 in a partial Indy Lights program and he left here leading the points ahead of Josef Newgarden. I told his father I know he wants to chase the Formula One dream but if he could have stayed here he could have won the championship. He went to Europe, hits a dead-end there and Josef Newgarden is in a paid ride the past three years.
“Conor is equally as talented, very smart and intelligent. I have no doubt he will do well this weekend and hopefully that leverages into a full-time ride. Dale Coyne has done crazier things so who knows?
“I would love nothing more to give Conor a full-time opportunity at this level someday. The only thing he lacks is a corporate sponsor. The good news is we have some elder statesmen drivers that will one day move on and that should open up seats for all of these guys like Conor.”
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