Conor Daly breathes easier after "really tough, long day" at IndyCar's grueling Thermal Club race

Juncos Hollinger’s Conor Daly finished the 2025 Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix in P16. The 33-year-old driver made his feelings known on social media platform X about the 65-lap-long race around the 3.067-mile track in California.

Daly qualified P15 as the JHR driver just missed out on the second qualifying session and was eliminated in the first session for Group 1. The race was an unknown for all drivers since the 2025 Thermal Club GP was the first IndyCar championship race held around the circuit.

Like many others, Conor Daly also struggled with the heat out on the track, not only in the cockpit but also with the Firestone tires which dropped off pace only after a few laps. The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver shared his struggles as he posted on X:

“Really tough, long day. Got a bit fender blasted on lap 1 and had to recover from there. Had really good pace on reds just need a bit more on the primary tire. Good steps forward overall for us this weekend, P16 @juncoshollinger #indycar”

Conor Daly was tagged by a driver during the messy race start as the track got narrower into the first corner. Thermal Club is known for being notoriously difficult to overtake, yet Daly performed exceptionally well and finished in P16.

Daly made his debut for JHR last year after replacing the outgoing Agustin Canapino midway through the season. The team decided to stick with the 33-year-old for the 2025 season and partnered him alongside Sting Ray Robb.

The JHR driver started the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg in P22 and finished the race in P17, aided by the first-lap crash between Will Power and Nolan Siegel.

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Conor Daly on securing the Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers for #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing entry

Conor Daly appealed to Polkadot, a blockchain technology community, for funds to sponsor his 2025 IndyCar season. Once the first appeal was rejected, the 33-year-old applied for a reduced amount. However, Polkadot backed out leaving Daly without a sponsor for 2025.

But coming into the 2025 Thermal Club GP, Conor secured a new sponsor, Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers for the upcoming IndyCar season. Speaking about the same, the JHR driver said (via Bob Pockrass on X):

“I mean the team has been reassuring me for sure. I mean I know I'm contracted to be here for the year right, It's just, I think the more support you can bring, the more solidified you become. So it's helpful, I'm happy to be here, the team is, it's a great group to be part of. So, I think all of the support counts for more and more.”

Conor Daly's teammate Sting Ray Robb finished P23 at the 2025 Thermal Club IndyCar race but ended a lap down.