RACE PREVIEW – Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX PREVIEW NOTES

FRIDAY, JUNE 2 – SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2023
RACE: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
TRACK: Streets of Downtown Detroit
LOCATION: Detroit, Michigan, USA
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.7-mile, 9-turn street circuit
RACE LENGTH: 100 Laps/170 Miles
PRACTICE: Friday – 3-4:30 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium), Saturday – 9:05-10:05 a.m. ET (Peacock Premium)Sunday – 10-10:30 a.m. (Peacock Premium)
QUALIFYING: Saturday – 1:20-2:50 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium)
RACE: Sunday – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC, 3 p.m. ET)

ED CARPENTER RACING

Less than a week after competing in the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay will not only be back behind the wheels of their BITNILE.COM Chevrolets, they will be taking on a new circuit. The 2022 event marked the final race on Belle Isle as the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix returns to its roots in the downtown streets for 2023 and beyond. Both Daly and VeeKay hold second place finishes on the Belle Isle circuit and look to return to the new podium on Sunday.

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “Chevrolet has a lot of momentum going into Detroit. Team Chevy won the Indy 500, so everyone will be very excited to get to this new track. We will do our best to make the Chevy family proud, as well as BITNILE.COM!”

BIRTHDAY: December 11, 1990
HOMETOWN: Noblesville, IN
RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN

DETROIT STATS
Belle Isle – Previous Circuit
BEST START: 8th (2021)
BEST FINISH: 2nd (2016)
NUMBER OF STARTS: 9

CAREER STATS
SEASON: 10th
STARTS: 103
POLES: 1
BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016

OF NOTE:
Conor Daly has competed in four NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheaders in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix and made his 9th Detroit start in the free-standing race last year. In the 2022 event, Daly narrowly missed advancing to the second round of qualifying, gained two positions during the final lap and finished 12th. The previous track layout is home to his best NTT INDYCAR SERIES finish to date as the first of the 2016 races awarded him a second place finish. 

Daly will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet after his best result of the year and second-best Indianapolis 500 finish. Daly started from 16th in what was his 10th Indy 500. Aided by quick pit stops and smart strategy, he moved solidly into the Top 10. Daly remained focused throughout the closing laps of the race, which held numerous cautions and red flags, and brought home an 8th place finish.

Second-generation racer Daly climbed into a kart for the first time at the age of 10; within five years, he was competing in both United States and international open-wheel ladder systems. He found success in each before concentrating solely on American motorsports in 2015. Daly is now in his fourth season with ECR and recently reached a career milestone as he competed in his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “Detroit is going to be a lot of fun! I have driven it on the simulator and I cannot wait to get started there. A new track is always a great challenge! We had a great car at the Indy 500 and I am excited to turn right again.”

BIRTHDAY: September 11, 2000
HOMETOWN:Hoofddorp, Netherlands
RESIDENCE:Fort Lauderdale, FL
DETROIT STATS
Belle Isle – Previous Circuit

BEST START: 3rd (2021)
BEST FINISH: 2nd (2021)
NUMBER OF STARTS: 3

CAREER STATS
SEASON: 4th
STARTS: 52
WINS: 1POLES: 2

OF NOTE:
Rinus VeeKay had never driven on the streets of Belle Isle in any series until the opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice in 2021. Less than 24 hours later, his first race in Detroit ended with a podium finish as he took the checkered flag in the 2nd position. He was running in the Top 10 in last year’s event when the No. 21 slid in into the Turn 6 tire barrier, resulting in a 16th place finish. 

Last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 resulted in VeeKay’s best finish of the season. He qualified 2nd, the third time in three years he started on the front row. He swapped the lead with pole sitter Alex Palou for the first quarter of the race, leading 24 laps. A drive-through penalty for avoidable contact in the pit lane dropped him to the back of the field, but with 97 laps remaining, VeeKay used every opportunity to race his way back forward. After running as low as 28th, he finished the 500-mile race in the 10th position.

Born in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout began karting in 2009 at the age of 8. With sights set firmly on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he transitioned to the Road to Indy in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. Just four years into his time in the United States, he not only reached the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, but earned 2020 Rookie of the Year honors. The 22-year-old recently made his 50th career start.