By ZECH YODER
Much has happened in IndyCar since the last race in Detroit. None bigger than the news of Conor Daly’s departure from Ed Carpenter Racing. To many, the news came as a shock, though parting ways at the end of the season seemed inevitable.
Since the news broke, however, Daly has a few new rides in several different series. This weekend, he will race for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC at the Nitrocross event in Oklahoma. For those unfamiliar, Nitrocross is a rallycross series created by Travis Pastrana and sanctioned by the United States Auto Club. The series features 1,000 horsepower all electric cars that race in heats, culminating with a final heat.
Daly will also return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and drive the No. 41 Niece Motorsports entry at the Mid-Ohio Road Course on July 8. He has previous experience in the Truck Series, and his familiarity of Mid-Ohio through IndyCar should allow Daly to run upfront and potentially compete for a win. The No. 41 Niece entry have been competitive this year and driven by Ross Chastain and Travis Pastrana, among others.
IndyCar will head to Road America this weekend. Since the unification of the Indy Racing League with Champ Car and the formation of the IndyCar Series, IndyCar has raced at Road America for all the last seven years – since 2016. Traditionally, Road America has been known for its worn surface and low grip, making grip hard to come by. During the off-season, however, Road America was repaved, which translates into a significant increase in grip. Thus, the race could look much different than it has in previous years.
As for picks for the race, I see Penske and Ganassi being strong as usual. Josef Newgarden is coming off an Indianapolis 500 win and Scott McLaughlin is very strong on the true road course races. From Ganassi, it’s hard not to pick the current points leader and winner of two of the last three races, Alex Palou.
Given the new surface and track conditions, I believe six-time champion, Scott Dixon, will stand on the top step of the podium this weekend.
Zech Yoder is a local resident, an attorney at Adler Attorneys in Noblesville, and a lifelong race fan.