IndyCar: Why Conor Daly deserves a full-time ride in 2018

By Asher Fair | Jan 12, 2018

AVONDALE, AZ - APRIL 29: Conor Daly, driver of the #4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet walks to driver introductions before the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix at Phoenix International Raceway on April 29, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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SONOMA, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Conor Daly drives the #18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda Dallara (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

2016 season

All of this experience added up, and Conor Daly ended up securing his first full-time ride in IndyCar as a result of it in the 2016 season. He signed a contract to drive the #18 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing as the team’s lone full-time driver.

While he only finished in 18th place out of 20 full-time drivers in the championship standings, his performances showed that he was actually much better than that. First of all, Dale Coyne Racing were and are one of the sport’s smallest teams, and Daly did not have a full-time teammate to turn to, much less a veteran driver, as the drivers of the team’s #19 Honda changed sporadically.

Secondly, he was also driving a Honda-powered car in the manufacturer’s worst season since Chevrolet re-joined the sport in the 2012 season. Honda drivers won just two of the 16 races in the 2016 season. Daly certainly did not have it easy.

In the 2016 season, Daly recorded five top 12 finishes. All five of those top 12 finishes were top 6 finishes, including a 4th place finish at Watkins Glen and a career-high finish of 2nd place at Belle Isle. He led 56 laps throughout the season, which ended up being good for 10th in laps led among drivers that season — and good for 4th among Honda drivers.