After Conor Daly drove for Harding Racing in each of the last three IndyCar races, Gabby Chaves is set to return to the team for this Saturday’s race at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Gabby Chaves drove in each of the first 11 races of the 17-race IndyCar season for Harding Racing as the driver of the #88 Chevrolet. However, ever since his 21st place finish in the Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway in early July, which was just his second career DNF in his 37-race IndyCar career, the 25-year-old Colombian has not driven in an IndyCar race.
Conor Daly has replaced Chaves in each of the last three IndyCar races. He finished in 13th place in the Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 22nd in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and 15th in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.
But Chaves is set to return to the cockpit of the #88 Chevrolet in this Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to IndyStar.
"“Really enthused and ready to get behind the wheel of the 88 car and be back with my guys. We’re ready to speed up our development and progression, and we’re more driven than ever to get some of the results we know are possible based on our results from last season. I’m also very excited to race at Gateway for the Bommarito 500 for the first time.”"
Here is what Harding Racing team president Brian Barnhart had to say about Chaves getting back behind the wheel of the #88 Chevrolet this weekend, according to IndyStar.
"“I first want to thank Conor for his contributions over the last couple of months and giving another perspective and feedback. We’re excited and happy to have Gabby back in the car as we head to St. Louis. And we’re looking to improve on our performance on the short oval form earlier in the year. Gabby has done a fantastic job being a team player through the process that had Conor in the car and (Indy Lights star) Colton (Herta) testing in Portland. Hopefully we can show Gabby some improvements from the team standpoint when he rejoins us for the St. Louis weekend.”"
In 11 races so far this season, Chaves has not had much success. He has finished in the top 15 in just four of them, and his best finishes of the season are 14th place finishes in the season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida and in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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That said, Chaves is still one of the cleanest drivers in the series. The only race he has failed to finish so far this season is the aforementioned Iowa Corn 300, and he only failed to finish it as a result of mechanical issues.
In 37 career IndyCar races, Chaves has racked up four top 10 finishes, including a career-high fifth place finish in last season’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. The only race aside of this year’s Iowa Corn 300 that he has failed to finish in his entire IndyCar career is the race at Pocono Raceway in the 2015 season, which he had a shot to win before an engine failure took him out of contention with just four laps remaining.
Daly, meanwhile, is set to make his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series start in Saturday’s race, the Johnsonville 180, at Road America as the driver of the #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
It is not yet known which driver will drive the #88 Chevrolet in the penultimate race of the season, the Grand Prix of Portland, at Portland International Raceway, or in the season finale, the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma, at Sonoma Raceway.
The 2018 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 is scheduled to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from Gateway Motorsports Park this Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to tune in.