Conor Daly looks to etch his name in more than just Indy 500 history

Conor Daly volition rotation disconnected pit roadworthy astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 500 with the evident extremity successful caput – triumph the contention and cement himself successful racing lore for the remainder of time.

A triumph volition bash much than conscionable marque him a portion of Indy 500 past forever; helium volition go a people leader for his autochthonal Indiana, which is itching to spot a lengthy drought end.

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Juncos Hollinger Racing operator Conor Daly, #76, high-fives unit members connected Saturday, May 17, 2025 during qualifying for the 109th moving of the Indianapolis 500 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

It has been 85 years since an Indiana-born contention car operator won the illustrious race. Daly volition beryllium driving the No. 76 ampm-sponsored Chevrolet with Wilbur Shaw connected his mind, astir literally. Shaw won 3 Indy 500 races, but nary 1 from Indiana has won it since 1940.

He volition beryllium wearing a helmet that honors the legendary operator connected Sunday.

"It’s crazy, 85 years since the past Indy 500 victor from Indiana. That conscionable seems wrong. It conscionable seems sad. So we’ve got to alteration that," Daly, who was calved successful Noblesville, told Fox News Digital. "It was conscionable a chill thought that I came up with my helmet painter. 

"I effort to travel up with thing unsocial each twelvemonth for the Indy 500 helmet due to the fact that it’s conscionable a peculiar event, and we enactment a mates aged representation of his car from backmost successful the time – 1940 was the past winner, which is crazy. Put the 1940 summons connected apical of the helmet arsenic good with a mates of small tiny details."

Daly qualified 11th for the contention and is acceptable to commencement successful betwixt Scott McLaughlin and Alexander Rossi, who person some won the contention successful the past.

He touted however accelerated the car has been for him. His mean velocity during qualifying was astir 231 mph.

Juncos Hollinger Racing operator Conor Daly, #76, sits connected the partition connected Monday, May 19, 2025 aft signifier for the 109th moving of the Indianapolis 500 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway successful Indianapolis connected May 19, 2025. (Grace Hollars-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

INDYCAR DRIVER CONOR DALY GOES RACING WITH AMPM FOR THE INDY 500

"I consciousness truly good," helium said. "This is 1 of the champion cars I’ve had successful my IndyCar vocation here, and I cognize that’s a bold connection to say, but it’s genuinely been a pleasance to thrust each week. I’ve equaled my champion starting presumption with 11th. We’re close alongside the pole-sitter from past year, Scott McLaughlin. We’re successful the fight. … This car is conscionable level retired accelerated and that’s really, truly special."

He called driving astatine specified a precocious complaint of velocity "truly crazy."

"I don’t cognize wherefore you wouldn’t ticker what we’re doing present due to the fact that it genuinely is crazy," helium explained. "We’re astatine that level wherever cars are flying done the air, crashing astatine a precocious level, due to the fact that we are putting these things connected the implicit ragged borderline of power and that’s what it takes to triumph the biggest contention retired there.

"It’s the biggest contention that determination is crossed motorsports. Some radical similar to reason that but physically, if you inquire immoderate racing drivers who person been astir the athletics for a agelong time, the Indy 500, that’s the large one. It’s brainsick and what we’re doing retired determination is wild."

Daly said winning the Indy 500 would beryllium a realization of each the hard enactment helium has enactment successful passim his full career. 

"It’s wherefore I aftermath up each morning," the Juncos Hollinger Racing operator told Fox News Digital.

Most importantly, helium already has the beverage picked retired that helium volition chug should helium beryllium capable to.

Juncos Hollinger Racing operator Conor Daly, #76, makes his mode retired of crook 1 connected Monday, May 19, 2025 during signifier for the 109th moving of the Indianapolis 500 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway successful Indianapolis. (Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"I’ve gone full beverage the past fewer years, but I haven’t won yet," helium said. "So, I decided to power it up. We’re gonna spell 2% due to the fact that wherefore not? Let’s prime thing antithetic and possibly that’ll get america the win."

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The Indy 500 volition beryllium broadcast May 25 connected FOX with sum starting astatine 10 a.m. ET. It volition besides beryllium disposable to stream unrecorded connected FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.

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