MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Conor Daly will pilot Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 26 Polkadot GR Supra at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20 as the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to the oval track at the Brickyard.
The Pennzoil 250 presented by Advance Auto Parts will mark Daly’s third career Xfinity Series start and first at his hometown track. Polkadot, who most recently sponsored Daly’s Indianapolis 500 efforts, will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 26 GR Supra throughout the event weekend.
“It’s always extremely exciting for me to have drivers cross over into NASCAR from other professional genres of motorsports,” said Sam Hunt, Owner of Sam Hunt Racing. “Conor is a journeyman racer, a hometown favorite at Indianapolis, and a guy who understands how the sport works from top to bottom. For us to be able to provide him with a competitive opportunity in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a pleasure, and one I know everyone is excited about.
“The challenge will be tall, and there is so much to learn in such a short amount of time – but Conor and the team at Sam Hunt Racing are excited to tackle it with open minds at full speed. We’re all grateful to have Polkadot on board for a special weekend and look forward to introducing another great brand to the Sam Hunt Racing family.”
Daly is a multi-disciplined racer who has much experience in open-wheel racing, primarily in the NTT IndyCar Series. The 32-year-old Indianapolis native is a GP3 and Indy NXT winner as well as a Formula 2000 champion. Daly made his IndyCar debut in 2013 and has participated in 11 Indianapolis 500 races.
Out of 11 Indianapolis 500 starts, Daly has secured four top-10 finishes. In the 2021 event, Daly led the most laps of any driver of the race, but finished 13th due to damage.
In 2018, Daly made his NASCAR debut at Road America where he qualified 15th but a mechanical issue ended his debut early. He continued to add a handful of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, but, in 2022, he finally made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Additionally, Daly became the 29th driver in motorsport history to have raced in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 within the same year. Following a 17th-place finish in Duel 2 of the 2023 Daytona 500 qualifying races, he earned a spot in the 500-mile event at Daytona Int’l Speedway. Later in the 2023 season, Daly would finish eighth in the Indianapolis 500.
“I am extremely thankful for the chance to bring Polkadot back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this time with Sam Hunt Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Conor Daly. “When I heard the NASCAR Xfinity Series was returning to the oval at Indianapolis, I knew I had to be part of it. Driving for Polkadot at my home track in front of my hometown fans is an incredible honor and an opportunity I could not let pass.
“I know an opportunity to drive for Toyota and SHR is extremely special, and I look forward to taking on this learning experience and delivering for this group as best I can. I am proud and lucky to represent Polkadot at IMS in both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend in the same year.”
On Tuesday, Daly was tapped to drive a Niece Motorsports Truck Series entry for three races.