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IndyCar: Why Conor Daly to Carlin would be historically huge

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Connor Daly of the United States, driver of the #59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet, walks during the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 08: Connor Daly of the United States, driver of the #59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet, walks during the NTT IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 08, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Conor Daly has been linked to Carlin for four oval races in the 2020 IndyCar season. If confirmed, it would be huge for the sport in a historical context.

Carlin, which entered last week having not confirmed anything about their driver lineup for the 2020 IndyCar season, have recently confirmed three drivers for their two cars throughout the 17-race campaign.

Max Chilton has been confirmed behind the wheel of the #59 Chevrolet for the 12 road and street course races as well as the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Additionally, Felipe Nasr and Sergio Sette Camara are set to share time behind the wheel of the #31 Chevrolet, although official confirmation is still pending and the exact races in which those two drivers are set to compete throughout the year have not yet been solidified.

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Assuming the #31 Chevrolet does end up in the hands of these two drivers, this would leave the #59 Chevrolet open for the four non-Indy 500 oval races on the schedule, those being the races at Texas Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Iowa Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Conor Daly drove for the team in these four races last year, although the race at Richmond Raceway was held at Pocono Raceway, and he has again been linked to the #59 Chevrolet for these four races again this year.

Daly already has a ride lined up to compete in the 12 road and street course races and the Indy 500, much like Chilton. He is set to drive the #20 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing in the 12 road and street course races and a separate car in the Indy 500, as team owner Ed Carpenter is set to drive the #20 Chevrolet in all five oval races for the seventh consecutive year.

If Daly is confirmed by Carlin for these four races, this deal would effectively make him a full-time driver, factoring in his Ed Carpenter Racing deal. This would grow the full-time driver lineup to 21 drivers for the 2020 season, which would be historically significant in more ways than one for America’s premier open-wheel racing series.

The NTT IndyCar Series was officially established in 1996 as the Indy Racing League. Since it was established, the highest single-season total for number of drivers to compete in every race is 20, which was set back in the 17-race 2010 season.

From an overall American open-wheel racing perspective, you have to go all the way back to the 2001 CART season to find a season in which more than 20 drivers competed in every race on the schedule. That season featured 20 races, and 21 drivers competed in every race.

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Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not all 21 drivers (provided Conor Daly is added) do end up competing in all 17 races on the 2020 IndyCar schedule, as drivers can end up missing a race or two for one reason or another, but if it does happen, it would be a historic season for a series that is clearly trending in the right direction.