QUALIFYING NOTES – Sonsio Grand Prix of Road America

ROAD AMERICA QUALIFYING NOTES

17th: RINUS VEEKAY 1:45.5581 (136.895 mph)

18th: CONOR DALY 1:45.7234 (136.681 mph)

TRACK: Road America

LOCATION: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA

TRACK LAYOUT: 4-mile, 14-turn road circuit

RACE LENGTH: 55 laps | 220.55 miles

BROADCAST: Sunday – 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC


CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet, Qualified 18th: “I thought that was a good lap, but we just didn’t have the speed. Being off by a second and a half is a lot. We’ve been working hard on the BitNile Chevy and really have been improving, but we just didn’t have enough. It’s a real battle. This surface is old and you have to have everything right, it’s so challenging. It is what it is. We’ll focus on the race tomorrow, a lot of things can happen.”

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ROAD AMERICA STATS
BEST START: 9th (2016)
BEST FINISH: 15th (2017)
NUMBER OF STARTS: 5
CAREER STATS
SEASON: 9th
STARTS: 87
POLES: 1
BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016
OF NOTE:

As part of Round 1, Group 2, Conor Daly was the second of the two ECR cars to take to the 14-mile Road America track. During his 12-minute qualifying window, Daly turned five laps. A best lap of 1:45.7234 (136.681 mph) will have him starting 18th in tomorrow’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America. 

Conor Daly entered the Road America weekend on the heels of a month of solid results. The first of two races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the GMR Grand Prix. Daly advanced through all rounds of qualifying on the road course and started 4th. Battling tricky wet and dry conditions, Daly earned his first Top 5 of the season with a 5th place. Just last weekend, he paced the Indianapolis 500 field for several laps before finishing 6th. Last Sunday in the streets of Detroit, he earned a solid 12th-place finish in the caution-free race.

BitNile Holdings, Inc. is the primary partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. BitNile is a diversified holding company that specializes in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrency and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). They focus on large-scale crypto mining with energy efficient, powerful operations located in North America and operate their own high-density data center. BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets. 

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 DIRECT SUPPLY CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Direct Supply Chevrolet, Qualified 17th: “I drove as hard as I could, but we were just way too slow. We’ve been struggling since opening practice yesterday, especially in the slow-speed corners. It’s very unfortunate. I hope we can improve and find something good for the race.”

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ROAD AMERICA STATS
BEST START: 15th (2020)
BEST FINISH: 13th (2020)
NUMBER OF STARTS: 2
CAREER STATS
SEASON: 3rd
STARTS: 36
WINS: 1
POLES: 2
OF NOTE:

Rinus VeeKay was assigned to Round 1, Group 1 when qualifying got underway. He completed six laps of the 4.048-mile course in the 12 allotted minutes. With a fast lap of 1:45.5581 (136.895 mph), he will roll off 17th with teammate Daly starting alongside.

Road America is not only one of VeeKay’s favorite tracks to race on, it is a sentimental favorite as well. After transitioning to the Road to Indy program in 2017, VeeKay earned his first win in the U.S. at Road America. It was also his first victory in an open-wheel car. His first and only NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend at Road America so far was the 2020 doubleheader.

This weekend, the No. 21 Chevrolet showcases the blue and white colors of longtime ECR partner Direct Supply. Headquartered in nearby Milwaukee, Direct Supply is committed to enhancing the lives of seniors and those who care for them. Since 1985, the company has helped Senior Living providers create amazing environments, improve care and outcomes, optimize building operations, streamline procurement and more. Direct Supply has been featured on the No. 21 Chevrolet at Road America since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned to the track in 2016.