On Wednesday, Ed Carpenter Racing and driver Conor Daly agreed to mutually part ways effective immediately. The No. 20 Bitnile.com Chevrolet will continue as a full-time entry in the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season. A driver will be named in due course before the next race at Road America on June 18th.
“This is the most difficult decision I have made as a team owner because I respect Conor and know what he means to INDYCAR and its fans. Our team has not been performing at the level we are capable of this year, and despite making technical changes and investments in the offseason, 2023 has been extremely challenging,” said Owner Ed Carpenter.
“I have put a great deal of consideration into the current state of our team and realize it is my obligation to our employees, partners, and supporters to do whatever is necessary to elevate our team’s competitiveness. We sincerely wish Conor continued success and will cheer him on wherever he goes next.”
This season, Conor Daly is 20th in the point standings with one top-ten finish, an eighth-place finish at the 107th Indianapolis 500. Daly started his IndyCar career in 2013 for A.J. Foyt Racing and competed in one race at Indianapolis.
Then, Daly raced for numerous teams from Dayle Coye Racing, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Harding Racing, Carlin Racing, and Andretti Autosport. In his ten-year career, Daly has one pole (Iowa Race 1 2020), one top-three finish (2nd at Belle Isle in 2016), and four top-five finishes in 104 races.
“Although we’ve mutually decided that it’s in our best interests to take different paths, I’d like to thank ECR for the past three and a half seasons,” said Conor Daly. “I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me – past, present, and into the future. I look forward to taking on the next opportunities that await, and I want to thank the fans for being with me on this ride.”
In addition, the status of the No. 21 Bitnile.com Chevrolet is unaffected, as well as the ovals-only program of the No. 33 Bitnile.com Chevrolet.
