Conor Daly to Drive for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports at Dual in Detroit |
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Topics: Conor Daly, Chevrolet Dual in Detroit
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Monica Hilton
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
May 26, 2015
For more information contact:
Monica Hilton
monicah@spmindycar.com
608.669.3211
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Indianapolis, IN - May 26, 2015 - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) announced today that Conor Daly will pilot the No. 5 Arrow Electronics car for the "Dual in Detroit" races at Belle Isle Raceway on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31.
SPM's contracted driver, James Hinchcliffe was injured during practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 18. With an undetermined recovery period, the team will field a replacement driver until the Canadian fan favorite is medically cleared to compete again.
Daly, a Noblesville, Indiana native, drove for SPM in May for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. On race day, Daly's No. 43 Smithfield "Fueled by Bacon" Special had a mechanical issue and did not start the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Prior to the Indy 500, Daly saw success at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach as a last-minute fill-in driver for Dale Coyne Racing. He earned a 17th place finish and had an average speed of almost one second faster than most of the field on the temporary street circuit.
"I'm honored to have the opportunity to fill in for my close friend James this weekend," said Daly. "I definitely want to thank Arrow Electronics, Lucas oil and all the team sponsors for giving me this shot. I can't wait to continue working with the Schmidt Peterson guys and do the best job I can to keep James' seat warm."
Team owner Sam Schmidt commented, "Conor drove for our Indy Lights team in 2011 and was leading in the championship points when he left for Europe to compete in GP3. We've been impressed with what we've seen from him and after the bad luck at Indy, we're pleased to give a young, American, uprising star another opportunity to compete."
Belle Isle Raceway was the site of SPM's first IndyCar victory, when Simon Pagenaud took the checkered flag in 2013.
The "Dual in Detroit" races are the seventh and eight on the Verizon IndyCar Series 16-race schedule. Tickets are still available at DetroitGP.com or fans can catch all the action on the live broadcast by tuning into ABC on Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
About Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt and Canadian businessman Ric Peterson. Schmidt was paralyzed (quad) in 2000 after an accident during testing at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla. SPM fields cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Lights Series presented by Cooper Tires. SPM is the most successful team in Indy Lights Series history with sixty-five race wins and seven championships. In addition, SPM won the coveted Indy 500 pole position in 2011, and has won five Verizon IndyCar Series races between 2013 and 2015.
About Conquer Paralysis Now:
Conquer Paralysis Now is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to cure paralysis, formerly known as the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. The organization is leading the charge for a cure through funding scientific research, medical treatment and technological advances benefiting those paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, stroke or diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's or in other ways. For more information, visit conquerparalysisnow.org .