QUALIFYING NOTES – GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Source: Team PR

17th: RINUS VEEKAY 01:09.9625 (125.502 mph)
21st: CONOR DALY  01:10.2669 (124.958 mph)

RACE: GMR Grand Prix
TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Road Course)
LOCATION: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course
RACE LENGTH: 85 Laps/207.315 Miles
BROADCAST: Saturday – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Qualified 21st: “We will work our butts off to be quick tomorrow. It is been a trend to slip a bit back at every track we’ve been at this season and we have to do a better job. We need to do a good job at delivering information in order to be better. Rinus (VeeKay) and I can’t be happy with where we are starting. We have to be honest with ourselves to be willing to get this to the next level. It’s a real, real shame with the tough year we’ve had. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. You never know what will happen and we’ve raced well here before. I’ll try to take this BITNILE.COM Chevrolet forward.” (Photo Courtesy of IMS Photo)

OF NOTE:

  • Conor Daly was assigned to Round 1, Group 1 of qualifying. The No. 20 BITNILE.COMChevrolet began qualifications on black Firestone Firehawk tires. After turning three laps, he came in for a second set of alternate sticker red tires. He finished 11th in the group, which equates to the 21st starting position in tomorrow’s GMR Grand Prix.
  • Daly is now in his fourth season with ECR and his second as full-time driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. Last month, Daly reached a career milestone as he competed in his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. This year’s Indianapolis 500, which will take place later this month, will be his 10th.
  • The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is truly Daly’s home track as he was born and raised in nearby Noblesville, Ind. The 2022 GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course remains Daly’s most successful weekend with ECR to date. For the second year in a row, he advanced to the Firestone Fast 6 and started 4th. After battling both wet and dry track conditions, he earned his first Top 5 finish of the season.

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Qualified 17th: “Today was difficult with the weather being unpredictable. We are missing the balance for the new tires so we are chasing it a bit. A tough session especially when a tenth would move us into the second round. We can race our way forward tomorrow. Even when things are tough like today, we always can make progress. We have an extra set of red tires for tomorrow and the team will do everything they can.” (Photo Courtesy of IMS Photo)

OF NOTE:

  • In this afternoon’s qualifying session, Rinus VeeKay turned two laps on a set of black Firestone Firehawks before pitting for a switch to red Firehawks. He completed three more laps with a fastest of 01:09.963. The No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet was sitting 9th at the checkered flag and he would not advance to the second round. He will line up 17th on tomorrow’s starting grid. 
  • In the most recent event at Barber Motorsports Park, VeeKay made his 50th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start. The 22-year-old has spent his entire NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with Ed Carpenter Racing and is the team’s longest-tenured full-time driver, now in his fourth season behind the wheel the No. 21 BITNILE.COMChevrolet. 
  • The IMS Road Course is home to many of VeeKay’s career milestones. In just his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, VeeKay recorded his first Top 5 finish on the road course in July of 2020. A few months later in the October event, VeeKay earned his first pole position, led the first laps of his career and earned his first podium finish. In May 2021, he joined the ranks of race winners when he scored his first victory. Last season, VeeKay added another Top 10 finish to his tally with a 6th place in the July race held at the track.