IndyCar lands another full-time driver after second race

IndyCar has officially landed a 21st full-time driver for the 2021 season following the second race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

There has been speculation regarding the matter all offseason long, and earlier this week, that speculation was finally confirmed: Conor Daly is set to compete full-time throughout the 2021 IndyCar season.

Daly competed in the season’s first two races at Barber Motorsports Park and on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida behind the wheel of the #20 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, as he signed a road and street course deal with the team for the second consecutive season.

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The 29-year-old Noblesville, Indiana native is also set to compete in the Indy 500 for the team behind the wheel of a third entry, with oval driver and team owner Ed Carpenter behind the wheel of the #20 Chevrolet and full-time driver Rinus VeeKay continuing to drive the #21 Chevrolet.

Daly’s deal with the team resembles the deal he had with them last year.

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So does Max Chilton’s deal with Carlin. Chilton is again set to drive the #59 Chevrolet in the road and street course races plus the Indy 500, originally leaving it without a driver for the other three oval races on the schedule: the doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway and the race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

However, last year, it was Daly who drove the #59 Chevrolet in the non-Indy 500 oval events to become a full-time driver splitting time with two teams, and he is set to do that again in 2021. It wasn’t confirmed until after the season’s second race, but it didn’t need to be; the first oval race on the schedule is only scheduled for this weekend.

So once again, Daly is set to be the series’ 21st full-time driver, and he is set to fulfill that role competing for two different teams.

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This weekend’s two races at Texas Motor Speedway, the Genesys 300 and the XPEL 375, are set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. The former is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 1, and the latter is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 2.