"There's always more than meets the eye": Conor Daly shares thoughts on securing a 2025 IndyCar seat

Conor Daly recently opened up about securing a full-time IndyCar seat for 2025. The Indiana native announced his contract with Juncos Hollinger Racing on December 18 last year.

He replaced Agustin Canapino at JHR for the last five races of the season after the Argentine left the team midway through the season. Conor Daly rode the No. 78 Chevy to two Top 10s, including a podium at Milwaukee Mile 1 to steer the car into the Leaders' circle and become eligible for the $1 million bonus.

The 33-year-old recently appeared on 'Off Track with Hinch and Rossi' - a podcast hosted by ex-IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe and Ed Carpenter Racing's Alexander Rossi. When asked by the latter if his 2025 signing came as a surprise, Daly replied [3:38]:

"There's always more to things than meets the eye and I think, right now, it's very exciting to be a part of this team again. But for me, I have to be on it as soon as the green flag falls in St. Pete (season opener on March 2) and make sure that we retain that seat, because how often have we seen seats go away in recent years?"

Conor Daly previously raced for Juncos Racing in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship (now Indy Pro 2000), where he stood on the podium for 12 out of 13 races and won seven of those to dominantly win the title. Sting Ray Robb in the No. 78 JHR entry is his new teammate for 2025.

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Conor Daly anticipates a big challenge with JHR in 2025

NTT IndyCar Series XPEL 375 - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Conor Daly hit the ground running with Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2024. Because of his involvement with many long-time team members from 2010, he found synergy almost instantly and felt at home. One reason the team chose him was his invigorating Indy 500 performance with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. He was the biggest mover at the prestigious race, starting 29th and finishing in 10th place and leading 22 laps (fourth-most).

After Daly announced his 2025 contract in December last year, he acknowledged the uphill battle awaiting the No. 77 (his new number) team. The 33-year-old said (via Motorsport):

"We still have a really tough time ahead of us, but it almost made sense to get a shot at this; let’s get a shot at the full season and see what we can do together, see how we can grow together as a team. It really does mean a lot to me. I really didn’t know if I’d have a chance like this again."

Daly's last podium before Milwaukee last year was his career-best P2 finish at Detroit in 2016 with Dale Coyne Racing. He has yet to win an IndyCar race, a reality he aims to change at the Indy 500 on May 25.